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Kevin Warren hints at expanding Big Ten Conference events, tournaments to West Coast

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•10/11/22•

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Michigan celebrates a Big Ten title with the championship trophy. Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren made it clear he takes great pride in the expansion to a coast-to-coast conference by 2024. But with teams from Piscataway, New Jersey to Los Angeles, it’s worth wondering where conference championships could be.

Warren discussed that subject at Big Ten Basketball Media Days — and, just maybe, Los Angeles could be in the mix to host those events.

Warren talked about the “integration” process as USC and UCLA prepare to join the conference by 2024. He noted the history the two programs bring and the “flexibility” going coast-to-coast allows for host sites.

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“Regarding the basketball tournaments, quite naturally we have to look at how that works,” Warren said. “We have individuals in our organization now who are working with those potential tournaments will look like. I know one thing, they’ll be exciting. Now we have the flexibility to have them really anywhere across the country. So having two great basketball programs, the history and tradition.

“You think about some of the great basketball players, both men and women, who have played at UCLA, probably the greatest coach of all time in Coach [John] Wooden, Cheryl Miller and so many other athletes who have played there, it’s going to be good to have that history and tradition. We’ll look at ways to build that with our new family members in UCLA and USC, from a location standpoint.”

Kevin Warren: Big Ten is ‘having meetings’ on future of divisions in football

When USC and UCLA officially join the league, the Big Ten will have 16 teams. The league could go with two eight-team divisions or it could do like the ACC and Pac-12 and do away with divisions down the road.

Warren said those conversations are ongoing as the league works to “integrate” USC and UCLA.

“I think your question is about divisions, if we’ll continue to have them in football. We’re having meetings on that right now,” Warren said. “The good thing about it we’re in this what we’re calling an integration phase. We have members of our organization … working on integration. We’re being very thoughtful.”