Breaking news of out Los Angeles this afternoon suggests rivals USC and UCLA could be leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten as early as 2024.

The game of chess continues between college football’s premier conferences as the Big Ten is looking to counter the SEC additions of Texas and Oklahoma. According to multiple reports, west coast powers USC and UCLA could join the Big Ten conference by 2024. 

The news was first reported by Jon Wilner of the PAC-12 Hotline, though not formally official yet due to the notification process that must ensue. 

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

Adding the Trojans and Bruins would increase the Big Ten’s already exponential value even more ahead of its new media rights deal supposedly coming later this summer. 

NIL changed college football’s landscape forever last summer, so the transformation of the sport is well underway. This move is the next domino to fall toward reshaping the Power 5 and forming super conferences.

Big Ten football already boasts top brands Ohio State and Michigan as well as Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Iowa, so adding USC and UCLA will make for incredible matchups and new rivalries during the regular season. 

This move is questionable logistically, with USC and UCLA both playing on the west coast. However, it is also ingenious by the Big Ten because its reach now spans from coast to coast, something no other conference can offer. Expect the potential expansion to be a draw in recruiting for Big Ten schools because of the exposure for the players. 

USC and UCLA to the Big Ten is still a developing story, so stay tuned to The Silver Bulletin for updates on this groundbreaking story.