OMAHA (KMTV) — The Big Ten Conference officially added USC & UCLA on Thursday evening.
The league will now have 16 schools with the Trojans & Bruins officially beginning competition in August of 2024.
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
Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts & UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green released a joint statement on the additions:
“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.”
The conference is expected to announce a new TV contract in the next few months.