Rutgers’ Greg Schiano reacts to Big Ten adding UCLA, USC: ‘It’s really super for our league’
The Big Ten is adding two West Coast programs in UCLA and USC. Count Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano among those excited about the news and expanding the footprint of the conference.
Now in his third season back with the Scarlet Knights, Schiano didn’t dive into the part of the question asking about UCLA and USC receiving a full revenue share from the Big Ten (something recent entrants to the conference Rutgers and Maryland did not receive). But he did discuss the impact of adding the two Los Angeles programs to the conference.
The move was seen as important swoop from the Big Ten to pull even with SEC.
“I’m really excited about UCLA and USC coming into the league. I think what it does is takes a great league and just made it greater. Like-minded institutions academically, athletically. Our footprint spreads from New York to L.A. It doesn’t get a lot better than that,” Schiano told reporters from the annual Big Ten football media days.
“I know there’s some concerns about travel and those things. You know, you do it. You figure it out. But it’s really super for our league. That other stuff (the revenue sharing), I don’t even concern myself with. That’s not my business. You do what you need to do in the times that you’re in.
“I’m really proud of our conference for doing something that puts us right there. Those two leagues, those are special. As I said earlier, I consider ourselves blessed to be a member.”
UCLA and USC are expected to join the Big Ten in 2024. There is talk and buzz that the Big Ten might be expanding further, including adding other programs from the Pac-12 and potentially Notre Dame.
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Prior to this recent round of expansion, Rutgers and Maryland were the last two additions to the Big Ten. Both programs joined the conference in 2014.
