Big Ten’s Kevin Warren talks TV implications of UCLA, USC: ‘we’ll be able to provide content all the way from the morning into the night’
Kevin Warren is the commissioner of the first coast-to-coast conference in major college sports. And the Big Ten’s commissioner is excited about what he sees as opportunities for his conference, even if this new blueprint comes with some hurdles.
Last month, the Big Ten approved UCLA and USC becoming member institutions. It was a huge win for the Big Ten in the latest college football expansion craze.
Undoubtedly, the driving force behind the Big Ten’s conference expansion wasn’t just adding two storied programs, it was adding a significant media market in Los Angeles. For a league already making oodles – yes oodles – of money, adding the second-largest market in the country certainly has ramifications across the college sports landscape.
The Big Ten now has at least one program in the top three media markets in the country, something that no other Power Five conference can boast.
The move to add UCLA and USC doesn’t come without some headaches. Scheduling across four time zones will be a challenge. Early kickoffs will be a pain for the West Coast fanbase and late kickoffs might find the East Coast heading for bed.
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Warren doesn’t see the logistical challenge. Instead, from the podium at the Big Ten’s football media days, he talked about the opportunity he sees in having college sport’s first true coast-to-coast conference.
“I always ask why and why not. I think sometimes later time zones on the West Coast, people looked at it as a negative, and I always looked at it as a positive. So for us in the Big Ten to be — we’re in four time zones, we will be in 2024: East, Central, Mountain, and West. So now we’ll be able to provide content all the way from the morning into the night and lead into some really incredible programming,” Warren said at the start of the conference’s football media days.
“So I think the value of being across four time zones for multiple reasons is really important. We haven’t finalized the financial impact, and ironically this probably will shock you, the numbers and finances associated with it are typically the last thing that I kind of consider and analyze. It’s important for me from a business standpoint, but from a decision-making process standpoint, always look at all the other reasons why because, if all the other reasons make sense, the finances will take care of themselves.
“So I’m looking forward to building a brand to be fortified and strong from Los Angeles to New Jersey and everywhere in between. So it will be an exciting time, busy time for these next two years.”
Warren also talked about his belief that the College Football Playoff should be expanded and will be expanded.
