Fallout from UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten continues…
Fallout from UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten continues.
Traditionally, Pac-12 football Media Day has been held in Los Angeles over the last few years, but the 2023 media day will take place in Las Vegas, according to a tweet from columnist John Canzano.
“Pac-12 Football Media Day is moving to Las Vegas this year, per a conference source,” he tweeted. “LA no more.”
The event will be held on Friday, July 21st, according to a release from the Pac-12.
UCLA and USC will move to the Big Ten prior to the 2024-25 school year for all sports.
WHAT WILL USC’S FOOTBALL SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE IN THE BIG TEN?
According to The Athletic, the Big Ten is expected to get rid of division play when the two LA schools join in favor of a singular scheduling unit.
The exact details on how the singular scheduling unit will work haven’t been finalized yet, but here’s the expected layout, per The Athletic.
“The easiest scheduling system is 3-6-6, where each school competes against three opponents annually and then faces the other 12 twice over a four-year period. Although many rivalries would extend for the next 100 years, the conference could shuffle some of the series every four years based on competitive reasons or prominence.”
Based on the model above, USC would obviously continue to play UCLA every year in addition to taking on two other Big Ten teams annually.
Will USC’s historic brand lead to one or two yearly marquee matchups? Will the fact that the Trojans are conference newbies mean they’ll match up against teams without traditional conference rivals on an annual basis like Rutgers or Maryland?
Those are two fascinating questions that will be answered down the line…
Here’s the list of teams that will be in the Big 10 in 2024:
IllinoisIndianaIowaMarylandMichiganMichigan StateMinnesotaNebraskaNorthwesternOhio StatePenn StatePurdueRutgersUCLAUSCWisconsin
