Ohio State Football: USC, UCLA could move to Big Ten in 2024

Conference expansion first started happening just over ten years ago. I know it was happening before then, but I’m talking big-time expansion. The Big Ten added Nebraska then and added Maryland and Rutgers as normal Ohio State football and basketball foes a few years after.

It looks like the Big Ten could be expanding even further. There is a report out there today that USC and UCLA are looking to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten by 2024. This is according to Jon Wilner of the Pac-12 Hotline. He reported this on Twitter.

As you can see, the move hasn’t been finalized yet. This would be a massive move in the scope of college football and sports at large. Adding two big brands like that, specifically USC, is a large move. It also expands the Big Ten’s reach from coast-to-coast.

I think it’s a very strange move in terms of logistics for most non-revenue sports. How would travel for conference play work? It’s something that needs to be thought out. But, this would certainly increase the value of the Big Ten media rights deal that is expected to be announced sometime this summer.

That’s probably why USC and UCLA would move conferences. They want more money coming in from media. The Pac-12’s new deal wouldn’t come close to what the Big Ten is going to haul in from media companies. This is their chance to make more money.

Of course, this move is not finalized yet. Even so, it would shake college football to its core, because this is a move with football at the forefront for sure.