USC athletic director Mike Bohn releases statement on move to Big Ten

It’s official. USC is joining the Big Ten, along with UCLA.

The Trojans made the news official in a press release Thursday, announcing they’re joining the league in 2024, another landmark move as conference realignment takes over college athletics. News broke of the possibility Thursday afternoon, but the Big Ten presidents unanimously approved USC and UCLA’s invitations to the league — making it a 16-team conference starting with the 2024 season.

“Ultimately, the Big Ten is the best home for USC and Trojan athletics as we move into the new world of collegiate sports,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “We are excited that our values align with the league’s member institutions.

“We also will benefit from the stability and strength of the conference; the athletic caliber of Big Ten institutions; the increased visibility, exposure, and resources the conference will bring our student-athletes and programs; and the ability to expand engagement with our passionate alumni nationwide.”

USC and UCLA are the latest realignment dominoes to fall. A year ago, Texas and Oklahoma announced they’re leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in the future. Now, both the Big Ten and the SEC are expected to be 16-team conferences by the 2025 season.

More on USC, UCLA leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten

USC and UCLA have been members of the same conference, while under many different names throughout the years, since the late 1920s. Over the years in what became the Pac-12, the city rivals have established themselves as two of the biggest brands in sports while dominating the Los Angeles – and by extension the West Coast – market.

A potential move to the Big Ten would unite the two programs with football powerhouse programs like Ohio State and Michigan, in addition to multiple perineal Top 25 programs across multiple sports which make up the remainder of the conference’s 14-team membership.

More reporting by Jon Wilner has indicated that the Big Ten may not be done adding the fold as other Pac-12 teams scramble to find their next move.

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this report.