Report: 'Several' schools reach out about joining Big Ten after USC, UCLA announcements

USC and UCLA made it official Thursday night when they announced their moves from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. It turns out the conference realignment dominoes might not be done falling, though.

Shortly after the announcements, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported “several” schools reached out to the Big Ten about joining. Dellenger said the league will do its due diligence on the potential additions, but added nothing is expected soon.

Several schools – most of them from the Pac-12 – have contacted the Big Ten about joining the conference, sources tells @SINow.

The Big Ten, as they did USC and UCLA, will review and study potential options, but nothing is expected soon/imminent.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 30, 2022

The news broke about USC and UCLA’s decisions Thursday afternoon, and things moved quickly after that. Both schools will join the Big Ten in 2024 after more than 100 years as members of the Pac-12.

It comes less than a year after Texas and Oklahoma announced they’re leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in the near future. Now, another seismic change is coming to college athletics — specifically college football.

Big Ten officially approves additions of USC, UCLA for 2024

USC and UCLA are officially headed to the Big Ten, ESPN’s Pete Thamel has confirmed. Commissioners in the conference met and voted on the move on Thursday evening. The decision to shake up the college sports landscape with the blockbuster move was first reported by West Coast insider Jon Wilner on June 30.

USC and UCLA are not only two of the Pac-12’s most successful schools across athletics, but are two of the largest brands in the country which offer a new market opportunity for the Big Ten. While they fall far outside the current geographic landscape of the conference, the move promises to provide great financial benefit for all parties.

The move could serve as the next major domino to fall in conference realignment after Texas and Oklahoma announced their intention to join the SEC by 2025. As conference commissioners failed to come to a resolution on a College Football Playoff format last year, the race to stockpile blue-blood programs together seems to be heating up, with some believing super conferences are on the horizon.