Penn State Football: What UCLA, USC possibly joining the Big Ten means for Nittany Lions
For Penn State Football, and the rest of the sport, here is truly no offseason in college football, anymore.
Thursday, John Wilner of the Pac 12 Hotline tweeted out that both USC and UCLA are planning to leave the Pac 12 and join the Big Ten as early as 2024.
Source: USC and UCLA are planning to leave for the Big Ten as early as 2024. Move *has not been finalized* at the highest levels of power.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) June 30, 2022
Although this has not been finalized according to Wilner among the powers that be, Wilner is very connected within the Pac 12 and his tweets are also being confirmed by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.
Dellenger tweeted out shortly after that sources have confirmed with SI what Wilner is hearing about the two west coast programs.
This power move by the Big Ten would seem to be their response to what the SEC did last summer, announcing that Texas and Oklahoma would be leaving the Big 12 for greener pastures among the SEC.
There has been a lot of talk among athletic directors this offseason about the potential of mega-conferences or alliances, specifically between the Big Ten and Pac 12, and this move doesn’t do anything to quell those whispers and rumors.
USC has spent the last few seasons in the shadows of Oregon out West, but with Lincoln Reilly heading out to LA, he has USC relevant already, especially with their moves in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail. The Big Ten might be getting USC at just the right time as that seems like a program poised to get back to their winning ways.
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How USC, UCLA’s big moves impact Penn State Football
The potential matchups of a USC coming into Happy Valley or Penn State Football heading out to the Coliseum to take on Chip Kelly and the Bruins has to excite any Nittany Lions fan.
Big games, power conferences are good for the sport, good for the fans.
We will continue to update this story as more knowledge becomes available.