Lincoln Riley admits feelings of sadness over final year in Pac-12

With the USC Trojans heading to the Big Ten conference in 2024, this will be the football program’s last season in the Pac-12. Several longtime rivalries will come to an abrupt end following the conference jump, except the one with the UCLA Bruins, who are making the move with them.

As the USC brass enjoyed their final Pac-12 Football Media Day on Friday, their head coach Lincoln Riley addressed the institution’s upcoming conference move. And although this is just his second season leading the program, Riley admitted that there was a sense of sorrow that USC will soon be leaving the Pac-12.

“Yeah. Sure we do. I haven’t been in this conference very long. When I made the decision to come coach at USC, it was to come coach here,” said Riley. “In a short time, been able to make and create great relationships within this conference, whether it’s the other coaches, the other schools, the administrators here, getting to play at the different venues. So, yeah, sure, there is. I think that’s part of it.”

As Riley continued, he noted there’s many mixed feelings and emotions surrounding the Trojan’s jump to the Big Ten. Heaped in with the bit of sorrow is a large amount of excitement, along with the hope that USC’s final season in the Pac-12 is a great one.

“Is there excitement to go into the Big Ten? Absolutely there is, right? This is not a battle between good and evil, right? It’s not that there’s one right answer. Pac-12 is a tremendous conference. I think it’s set up for a tremendous year. Obviously we’re excited to be a part of it this year. Hopefully our last year goes really, really well.

“Then, yeah, I’d be lying to you if I said we weren’t excited about the future, what that brings. Yeah, yeah, melancholy, the way you described it is a little bit, yes, but I think it’s more motivation to make it count. That’s certainly our mindset right now.”

USC hopes to leave the Pac-12 on a high note, as conference champions. The Trojans came up short last season after losing to the Utah Utes in the championship game.

This offseason, Riley made several moves in order to make sure the errors of 2022 don’t haunt the Trojans in 2023. And if he’s successful in that venture, all the sorrow of USC’s move to the Big Ten will be accompanied by plenty of joy as their final season in the Pac-12 will end with a conference championship celebration.