USC and UCLA leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Beginning the 2024-2025 school year, the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles will be a part of the Big Ten Conference. The additions mark the first time the league has expanded since Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014. With the Big Ten chancellors voting to accept the Pac-12 schools’ applications Thursday, the conference will now include 16 member schools.

The University of Nebraska released a joint statement from Chancellor Ronnie Green and athletic director Trev Alberts saying, “This is an exciting and historic day for the Big Ten Conference and the University of Nebraska. The addition of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten is a bold, ambitious step during a time of historic change in the collegiate athletics landscape. These institutions will add two world-class athletic departments and brands to the Big Ten and stretch the Conference footprint from coast to coast. For the University of Nebraska, there are many positives associated with this expansion. UNL has a large alumni base in California that will have a great opportunity to regularly watch our teams compete in historical athletic venues in Southern California. Nebraska has had a history of success recruiting athletes from California, and this will only enhance Nebraska’s profile in a fertile recruiting ground. We welcome UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference and look forward to competing with them in the future.”

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta also released a statement regarding the conference expansion saying, “We are excited about the addition of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference. Both institutions fit our department’s “Win. Graduate. Do it right” culture. There are many logistics to work out over the coming months, and we are eager to begin the process.”

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