Multiple reports confirm athletic powerhouses USC and UCLA are in talks to leave the PAC-12 for the Big Ten Conference.
The schools are aiming to leave as early as 2024 and the migration is expected to include all sports except beach volleyball, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bring Me The Sports reached out to the PAC-12 and Big Ten for comment on Thursday.
The move aligns with college sports reimaging its future in the era of name, image and likeness, and player empowerment. What once was considered the “Power Five” conferences of college sports may soon just be known as the “Power Two.”
The Big Ten is in talks regarding its next media rights deal and is expected to be able to earn more than $1 billion annually. Adding Southern California media market revenue to the mix would only increase profits for the conference.
The move also mimics a similar switch up that was made official last year. Texas and Oklahoma opted to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, a move that will finalize ahead of the 2025 season.
The Big Ten would transform into a Midwest-to-East-Coast conference to one that extends to each coast. If the California schools join, the conference will be made up of 16 teams, which would be equal to the amount the SEC will have once Texas and Oklahoma join.
Source: USC and UCLA are planning to leave for the Big Ten as early as 2024. Move *has not been finalized* at the highest levels of power.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) June 30, 2022
