"Notes on the Big Ten: USC and UCLA Face a Challenging Situation in the Stacked Big Ten Conference"
In the summer of 2022, UCLA and USC, two Los Angeles-based rivals, made a joint declaration to leave the Pac-12 in 2024. This decision sparked a major change in the landscape of college football. The two programs are now looking to establish themselves in the Big Ten conference.
As the first two additions to the Big Ten's Western expansion, UCLA and USC bring with them the nation's second-largest media market and well-known brand recognition. This move was driven by the desire for high-profile matchups, as the conference expands from coast to coast. First-year UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster spoke about this at the Big Ten media days in Indianapolis.
Foster expressed excitement about the opportunities to play in new stadiums, such as Penn State's Beaver Stadium, where UCLA will face the Nittany Lions for the first time since 1968. The initial intrigue of these new matchups is undeniable, but there is also discussion about how UCLA and USC will fare against the top teams in the Big Ten.
Despite their combined 54 conference football championships, the two programs have only won one title in the College Football Playoff era. USC's last Pac-12 title was in 2017, while UCLA's last championship was in 1998. Now, they will have to compete with powerhouses like Penn State, who has consistently finished in the top 12 but has yet to make it to the Playoff due to the dominance of other Big Ten teams.
In 2022, USC had a strong regular season under new head coach Lincoln Riley, but ended with disappointing losses in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl Classic. Their 2023 season was also underwhelming, with three consecutive losses leading to an unranked appearance in the Holiday Bowl. Meanwhile, UCLA's former head coach Chip Kelly left the program to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, reuniting with former player Ryan Day.
While UCLA and USC will not face Ohio State in their first year in the Big Ten, Kelly will return to Oregon, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator and head coach. His success at Oregon may have played a role in the program's eventual addition to the Big Ten. The two teams will also face off against each other in a highly anticipated matchup with potential Playoff implications.
The additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington to the Big Ten will also have an impact on other sports, such as men's basketball. UCLA and Indiana, two teams with a combined 19 national championships, will face each other in the Rose Bowl. Overall, the move to the Big Ten marks a significant change for both UCLA and USC, and the college football landscape as a whole.
