INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Ohio football coach Ryan Day was on the golf course when he heard the news that rocked the college track world.
Day leaned out of his golf cart and informed his friend, UCLA coach Chip Kelly.
“Hey, we’re in the same meeting right now.”
Despite roughly 30 hours, a 2,300-mile one-way road trip, or a five-hour flight from Ohio to UCLA, Day and Kelly started seeing each other more often. Not yet, but in 2024, UCLA and USC will join the Big Ten (or Big 16) and bring big changes to college sports.
As for travel concerns, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and current football coach expressed concern when speaking at the Big Ten Media Days on July 26 and 27 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It didn’t look like there was.Overwhelmingly positive
“This is the status quo when it comes to flights,” said Maryland coach Mike Locksley. “For us, we play the game that ends on schedule. It’s great to have a program with a big coming to the Big Ten.”
Warren cited the season-opening football game between Northwestern University and Nebraska in Dublin, Ireland, on August 27 as an example of his lack of concern.
“How many young students who forget sports and go to college have the opportunity to travel to Dublin?” asked Warren.
That’s why I’m so proud of what Nebraska and Northwestern University are doing. “So I look at it positively from an academic perspective, not negatively. We’ll work from the components, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee can listen to them to say what’s important.”
The expansion will also give current Big Ten schools the chance to take a break during the harsh winter months. It looked like
“On our part, we’re excited to play in warm weather games, but they may not be as excited to play in cold weather games.” It’s easier to play without it.”
For Warren, stakes in the major media markets of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles were among the most interesting factors in expanding the conference. Universities that span four time his zones can expand the coverage of the Big Ten Network.
“You’re going to wake up to Big Ten football and go to bed watching Big Ten football,” said Northwestern University coach Pat Fitzgerald. Is there an element of travel?
There are 24 Division I colleges in California, but when looking for a Big Ten extension, UCLA and USC’s strong combination of sports and academics caught Warren’s eye.
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UCLA is considered one of college basketball’s Blue Bloods and has not won a national title since 1995, but the Bruins have reached the Final Four four times in the past 16 seasons. And after Chip Kelly’s 10-21 record in his first three seasons, Bruins football his team is on a roll after his 8-4 campaign in 2021. is increasing.
USC recently hired coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma. With a strong history and tradition, in the last four seasons he has been 22-21 football and hopes to revive his programme. Led by Coach Andy Enfield, USC’s basketball program has seen him finish in the top three of the Pac-12 over the last three seasons, including an Elite Eight appearance in his NCAA Tournament in 2021.
“We had a great meeting with a lot of top teams,” said Blohm. I think with the addition of the two quality opponents we’ve got, we’re going to have a great venue to play in. It’s going to be a lot of fun for the players and the fans, and I think it’s going to be an exciting season once we get to that point.”
Academically, both schools have an acceptance rate of close to 15% and a graduation rate of over 90%, ranking near the top of the current Big 10 universities. Both schools are ranked among the top 30 best academic universities in the United States, according to Times Higher Education.
“These are two academic and athletic institutions that are innovative, forward-thinking, bold and make us even stronger as a conference.
Physical education is a big part of that, but academics are very important,” continued Warren, who hails from USC. Think of our diverse and strong alumni with diverse academic and athletic backgrounds. ”
The Midwest has been home to the Big Ten since its inception, but the conference alumni location represents the new-look Big Ten’s national footprint. section lives in Los Angeles. Fitzgerald, Illinois Brett His Bierema His coach, Minnesota coach PJ Fleck, confirmed this sentiment and expressed excitement about connecting with Los Angeles-based alumni and potentially expanding recruitment Did.
“We have a lot of alumni on the West Coast,” Fleck said. “And now the Big Ten footprint is really laid out there for all of our alumni. When you look at it, do you think playing there will help you get hired? Yes, no. It’s I think it’s very different than it was 10 years ago when kids could live stream the games, watch their favorite games, and have all sorts of resources on their phones. But I think it’s a very positive thing for the conference and the league.”
The Big Ten’s poaching of UCLA and USC from the Pac-12 can be seen as a response to the SEC’s addition of Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12. This move he could also occur in 2024. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano was more direct, although it would break the current Power Five structure.
“We are competing with the SEC,” Mr Schiano said. “We have to make sure that we and them are fighting back and forth. [USC and UCLA] Help make our league better. When our league gets better, it helps us all do better recruiting. ”
So what’s next? This is the question Warren gets every day. While that may include future expansion, it will only be done at the right time and for the right reasons, and we believe that student-athlete, academic and athletic performance improvements are at the heart of any further expansion decisions. He said.
“We’re not going to expand just for the sake of expanding,” Warren said. “It is strategic, it adds value to our conference, it provides a platform for our student-athletes to be on the bigger platform, and it not only allows them to build their careers, but it also helps them grow and develop. Let them have the opportunity to grow.Learn from an educational and sporting point of view.
I want to make decisions that, 30 years from now, people will say the Big Ten Conference was ahead of its time in making these decisions. ”
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