Two additional colleges have been added to the Big Ten Conference, otherwise known as BIG, and will compete with powerhouses like the University of Michigan, The Ohio State University and Michigan State University.
The additions of California’s USC and UCLA to the Big Ten were announced last week and the change will take place in the 2024-25 academic year. This brings the number of teams in the conference from 14 to 16.
The move was made after the Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to admit the two colleges. Commissioner Kevin Warren said the unanimous vote was based on the deep respect and welcoming culture the entire conference has for the leadership of both schools.
The Trojans and the Bruins will be leaving the Pac-12 to participate in a colder climate in what looks to be greener pastures. With four of the Big Ten teams in the Top 25 of college football last year, opportunities for victory look much more advantageous.
The financials for the schools were most likely the biggest factor in the decision with the Big Ten Conference giving about $20 million more to member schools than the Pac-12. The Big Ten Conference includes 28 sports, 14 for men and 14 for women and was incorporated in 1896 as the “Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives.”
The original conference included seven midwestern teams – Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago.
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