USC and UCLA bolt for Big Ten in seismic shakeup

In a move that will transform the college landscape, USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 for the B🍎ig Ten. Both schools officially announced the news on Thursday afternoon after the Big Ten accepted each of them.

Syndicated Pac-12 reporter Jon Wilner .

The schools will make the move in 2024. It w💃ill include all sports except beach volleyball, men’s volleyball and men’s and women’s water polo.

On Thursday night, the Pac-12 responded to the schools’ departure, .

“While we are extremely surprised and disappointed by the news coming out of UCLA and USC today, we have a long and storied history in athletics, academics, and leadership in supporting student-athletes that we’re confident will continue to thrive and grow into the future,” the statement from the Pac-12 said, in part.

The power-five conferences — Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC and Pac-12 — have been rapidly giving way to the Big Ten and൲ SEC, standing head and shoulders above the others, particularly in football.

Texas and Oklahoma will be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in 2025. The SEC inked a massive television deal for Disney/ESPN to hold their exclusive rights. Fox Sports has retained their half of the Big Ten’s next rights deal — the other half presently held by ESPN is currently up for bidding and is expected to receive a massive bounty.

USC and UCLA bolting is an enormous loss for the Pac-12, and it immediately sparks speculation about whether Oregonꦑ would be the next domino to fall in conference realign🅰ment.

Similarly, the ACC would have to be concerned about whether its marquee football programs such as Clemson, Miami and Florida State would consider sweetening the pot for themselves by boltin𒆙g the conference.