Big Ten university presidents voted Thursday night to accept the applications of USC and UCLA to join the conference, marking a seismic shift on the collegiate athletics landscape. The Trojans and Bruins will leave the Pac-12 for their new league in 2024 as the Big Ten expands from coast-to-coast with a move that rivals the SEC's poaching of Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12 last year.
The upcoming move comes as the Pac-12's media rights deal is set to expire in 2024 and while the Big Ten is negotiating a new media rights deal that could exceed $1 billion annually. As for the Pac-12, the shift puts the league and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff, in a precarious position. Thursday marked Kliavkoff's one-year anniversary on the job.
USC and UCLA are two of the Pac-12's most valuable brands, both in terms of success and visibility. Their entries into the Big Ten will create a second superconference along with the expanding SEC. Both will stand at 16 teams after USC and UCLA move to the Big Ten as Texas and Oklahoma enter the SEC, which is slated to happen in 2025.
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports confirms that USC and UCLA have been notified of their acceptance into the Big Ten, effective in 2024. This means the vote among Big Ten presidents went as expected. Historic day in college sports with untold fallout yet to come. Adding two enormous West Coast brands should only help the Big Ten as it negotiates its next media rights deal — one that was already rumored to be in excess of $1 billion per year even prior to the addition of the LA schools.
At this time, it appears no other Pac-12 members are presently planning to leave for the Big Ten. The LA Times reports that Oregon, Washington, Stanford and others will be staying put for now. Whether another league like the Big 12 may have interest -- or vice versa -- remains to be seen.
The remaining Pac-12 ADs and presidents will meet later today via phone to discuss next steps, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. Meanwhile, Big Ten presidents are scheduled to vote on, and accept, the membership applications from UCLA and USC this evening around 6 p.m, according to multiple reports. In the fast-moving world of realignment, this thing really could get announced by tonight.
Any time conference realignment comes up, so does Notre Dame. If the Fighting Irish were to withdraw from the ACC, it could play football wherever it wants, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich. Notre Dame would have to pay exit fee and grant of rights fees for its other sports, however. Just something to chew on if expansion isn't over.
How much money could USC and UCLA make through media rights payouts in the Big Ten? Both schools could reach -- or even top -- $100 million annually, according to the San Jose Mercury-News' Jon Wilner. The Big Ten has been in negotiations for its next media rights deal, which was reportedly getting into the billion-dollar range. The amount of money on the table is mind-boggling.
Today, June 30, would be the last day USC and UCLA could inform the Pac-12 they intend on leaving the conference if they want to avoid potential additional financial penalties, three sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. The active Pac-12 grant of rights expires on June 30, 2024.....so if you wanted to know why this is coming out today, there is your answer.