Social Media reacts to Southern Cal and UCLA joining Big Ten in 2024
It’s official, in 2024, the University of Southern California and UCLA will join the Big Ten Conference. The two schools were notified Thursday night that all 14 member schools had unanimously approved their application to join the conference.
Conference realignment continues to be a consistent storyline of the last decade, and that story won’t end anytime soon. See below for social media reactions from conference officials, school administrators, and media members on the biggest story in college football this year. The Trojans and the Bruins are joining the Big Ten. A conference once confined to the great lakes region now stretches from one coast to the other. And I don’t think Comishoner Kevin Warren and Big Ten Conference are yet done. I’m willing to guarantee that more teams are coming to the now 16-team conference.
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren
“As the national leader in academics and athletics for over 126 years, the Big Ten Conference has historically evaluated its membership with the collective goal to forward the academic and athletic mission for student-athletes under the umbrella of higher education,” Commissioner Warren stated. “The unanimous vote today signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block. I am thankful for the collaborative efforts of our campus leadership, athletics directors and Council of Presidents and Chancellors who recognize the changing landscape of college athletics, methodically reviewed each request, and took appropriate action based on our consensus.”
Joint Statement from Chancellor Ronnie Green and AD Trev Alberts
“This is an exciting and historic day for the Big Ten Conference and the University of Nebraska. The addition of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten is a bold, ambitious step during a time of historic change in the collegiate athletics landscape. These institutions will add two world-class athletic departments and brands to the Big Ten and stretch the Conference footprint from coast to coast. For the University of Nebraska, there are many positives associated with this expansion. UNL has a large alumni base in California that will have a great opportunity to regularly watch our teams compete in historical athletic venues in Southern California. Nebraska has had a history of success recruiting athletes from California, and this will only enhance Nebraska’s profile in a fertile recruiting ground. We welcome UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference and look forward to competing with them in the future.”
🌴🤝🌽 pic.twitter.com/3sI0EPesf2
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) July 1, 2022
Bold. Ambitious. Strategic. BIG!!! https://t.co/Ej39fbcLBZ
— Trev Alberts (@TrevAlberts) July 1, 2022
A B1G day. Nebraska goes from being on the frontier to the geographic center of the @bigten. Looking forward to welcoming UCLA and USC in 2024. https://t.co/qm27U8IRCt
— Ronnie D. Green (@RonnieDGreen) July 1, 2022
"This is truly B1G."@BTNDaveRevsine, on @UCLAAthletics & @USC_Athletics joining the @bigten, starting in the 2024-25 academic year pic.twitter.com/bCG1qFRSO9
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) June 30, 2022
If the Big Ten can get Notre Dame, it really is possible to marry FOX, CBS and NBC in one media right package. That is a lot of big brands that pull ratings on three letter networks.
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) July 1, 2022
The new Big Ten 👀
Who will win a title first, USC or UCLA? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/d4B8w8vYyX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 30, 2022
I was in the Coliseum in 2006 to watch Nebraska play USC and in the Rose Bowl in 2012 to watch them play UCLA.
Both times we saw 25,000+ Nebraska fans make the trip. My guess is you won't hear too many #Huskers fans complaining for another chance to travel to LA.
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) June 30, 2022
#Calibraska is back, baby.
— Robin Washut (@RobinWashut) June 30, 2022
I've always wanted to be part of a college conference that stretched from LA to the Jersey Shore.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) June 30, 2022
After realignment, both the Big Ten and SEC will have 26 Heisman Trophies 💪🏆
Which conference will have more Heisman winners over the next decade? pic.twitter.com/hkZoWwezCm
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) July 1, 2022
Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors have voted to accept UCLA & USC into the conference beginning in 2024, per multiple sources pic.twitter.com/iNReDb19ua
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 30, 2022
We no longer have to wait for the Rose Bowl for Ohio State vs. USC or Lincoln Riley vs. Ryan Day.
It's. Happening. LFG! https://t.co/zlB9c8nYsH
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) June 30, 2022
The Big Ten announced today that the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles will become conference members effective August 2, 2024, with competition to begin in all sports the 2024-25 academic year. https://t.co/DnwNMJSEe7
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 1, 2022
Sources: USC and UCLA have been notified that their application to join the Big Ten has been accepted. The schools will begin play in 2024.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 30, 2022
Only so many years can you take playing on the road on Friday nights, only so many times can you play at 7:30 PST in front of no national audience, only so many times you can deal with East Coast bias, something had to change and the PAC12 didn’t seem like they were willing to
— Jake Olson (@JakeOlson61) June 30, 2022
OFFICIAL: USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 30, 2022
𝗕𝗜𝗚 news! UCLA is joining the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024-25 season! 👀
➡️: https://t.co/ygoY70o2bo#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Cgj5orGhiI
— UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) June 30, 2022
Pitch for why the Big 10 should also take us:
Are we good at football? no
BUT…
– Boulder is great place to visit for a road game
– Restarting the rivalry with Nebraska would be great for college football
– Get the Denver media market
— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) June 30, 2022
UCLA at Iowa in November during a driving snowstorm at 11am CT is just what college football was missing.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) June 30, 2022
From UCLA's statement: "Although this move increases travel distances for teams, the resources offered by Big Ten membership may allow for more efficient transportation options."
Translation: We rich! Charters for everybody.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 30, 2022
A wise old athletic director once told me there are two commissioners in college football: ESPN and Fox. Game On.
— Tom Shatel (@tomshatelOWH) June 30, 2022
You can't overstate the significance of USC leaving the Pac-12. Would be like Ohio State leaving the Big Ten or Alabama leaving the SEC. It's been the league's premier football brand for 80 years.
Even OU/Texas wasn't quite like this because the Big 12 was only 25 years old.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 30, 2022
Apple told the Big Ten that it wants to reengage in media talks after it heard about USC and UCLA joining the conference.
My story with @SmittySBJ.https://t.co/jNo9oLocFF
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) June 30, 2022
USC and UCLA are extraordinary, time-honored brands. They’re old money. They ooze nostalgia.
In terms of prestige and class, they fit well in the venerable Big Ten.
If you’re a Husker fan, you have to love this stuff.
Column …https://t.co/MB6701gZYB via @on3sports
— Steven Sipple (@steven_sipple) June 30, 2022
I wish USC and UCLA would just tell the truth: They couldn’t pass up the chance to play at Rutgers once every 8 years.
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) June 30, 2022
Nebraska sliding to the geographical center of the Big Ten is not how I saw this offseason developing. https://t.co/8CpGhkz9wn
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) June 30, 2022
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