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Big Ten shakes up college athletics, adds UCLA and USC

The Big Ten is expanding out west, as two Pac-12 teams were accepted into the conference by league officials Thursday night. UCLA and USC are set to join at the start of the 2024-25 season and will be the Big Ten’s 15th and 16th team, respectively.

The Big Ten has yet to announce which division — East or West — its newest members will play in. The two California schools will be the first new additions to the conference since Maryland and Rutgers joined in 2012.

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The additions of the Trojans and Bruins promise an even more competitive Big Ten, which already is stuffed with intense rivalries and division-races yearly.

The Big Ten isn’t the first conference to expand beyond 14 teams and likely won’t be the last. The addition of the two PAC-12 schools comes just one year after Oklahoma and Texas announced their departures from the Big 12 to join the SEC, also beginning in the 2024-25 season.

Last season’s shake-up created a domino effect across the nation, as the Big 12 added BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston, prompting those team’s former conferences to make moves to replace them.

This mass exodus of prestigious programs to more-prestigious conferences could result in a completely shifted college athletics landscape. It’s also appearing increasingly likely that, in the future, there will be two or three “super conferences” which would house 16-20 high-profile programs. Both the SEC and Big Ten are expected to each have 16 teams after the realignment, which would make them the largest conferences in the FBS and there could very well be more moves to come over the next few years.

The Pac-12, now with ten teams, is left scrambling to find new members for the future. It remains to be seen if the conference will pull from teams in the west or instead reach across the nation for suitors.

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Following the decision to add UCLA and USC to the conference, Penn State released statements from President Neeli Bendeapudi, Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Kraft, and head football coach James Franklin as well as seven additional university head coaches. You can read those quotes below courtesy of Penn State's athletic department.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi:

"This is a thrilling evening for the Big Ten Conference. We welcome USC and UCLA with open arms as like-minded institutions that are as committed to high GPAs and graduation rates as they are to on-field excellence. It was an easy decision that will build upon our conference’s rich heritage."


Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Kraft: "Penn State University is a proud member of the Big Ten Conference, and we welcome the addition of two world-class universities to our family. USC and UCLA are both synonymous with academic and athletics success and will be tremendous additions to our conference."


Head Football Coach James Franklin: "This is another big step in the ever-changing college football landscape and we embrace the change. USC and UCLA are two institutions with a long-standing tradition of academic and athletic success. They will only strengthen our already very strong Big Ten Conference."


Head Baseball Coach Rob Cooper: "The Big Ten has always been committed to competing for national championships, while achieving academic excellence in the classroom. The addition of USC and UCLA further illustrates this commitment. This is an exciting day for the Big Ten."


Head Softball Coach Clarisa Crowell: "This is an exciting day for Big Ten softball with the addition of UCLA. Its strong softball tradition will continue to elevate the conference. From an overall conference perspective, the academic excellence at both UCLA and USC are in perfect alignment with the Big Ten. We welcome USC and UCLA to the B1G."


Women’s Soccer Head Coach Erica Dambach: "On behalf of the Penn State Women’s Soccer staff and our student-athletes, we are excited to welcome UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference. Both institutions have strong reputations in academics and athletics, and we could not be more thrilled for them to join our league. From a women’s soccer standpoint, these are two of the top programs nationally and will only help to solidify the Big Ten as THE premier conference in the country."


Carolyn Kieger, Penn State Women’s Basketball Head Coach: "The Big Ten is a terrific conference in both academics and athletics. The two new institutions, UCLA and USC, fit that mold exactly. These two schools bring historical success and tradition in women’s basketball. I’m very excited for the future of our league."


Penn State Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley "This is an exciting time for Big Ten women’s volleyball as we add two outstanding programs in UCLA and USC to what is already the best volleyball conference in the country. Their athletic success combined with their reputations as prestigious academic institutions make both schools a perfect fit for the Big Ten. These additions ensure our conference will be strong for years to come. I am happy to welcome both schools to the Big Ten!"


Penn State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry: "The Big Ten has long been home to universities that compete at the highest level in both athletics and academics. UCLA and USC are not only two institutions whose values align with Big Ten, but whose basketball traditions will be great additions to bolster the Big Ten as the nation’s premiere basketball conference."


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