Big Ten University presidents voted Thursday night to accept applications from USC and UCLA to join the conference, marking a seismic shift in the university 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 next step comes when the Pac-12 media rights agreement expires in 2024 and while the Big Ten is negotiating a new media rights agreement that could exceed $ 1 billion a year. As for the Pac-12, the turn puts the league and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff, in a precarious position. Thursday marked Kliavkoff’s first birthday at work.
USC and UCLA are two of the most valuable brands in the Pac-12, both in terms of success and visibility. His Big Ten tickets will create a second superconference along with the expanding SEC. Both will be in 16 teams after USC and UCLA move to the Big Ten when Texas and Oklahoma enter the SEC, which is scheduled to happen in 2025.
As this latest readjustment saga unfolds, CBS Sports will continue to cover this developing story with live updates below.