Gold: One year away -- Looking ahead to USC/UCLA B1G entry
What makes UCLA and USC so special is that the schools spread the wealth. Sure, Trojan football and Bruin basketball are synonymous with those sports. But both athletic departments rank in the top 3 in national championships overall — with both only trailing Stanford.
Whether we’re talking USC’s terrific track and field program or UCLA’s success on the gymnastics mat or on the volleyball court, both schools boast iconic programs.
Some — like the national-champion UCLA men’s volleyball team — won’t be making any changes, because they don’t play in the Pac-12 in the first place. Both program’s men’s volleyball programs and water polo programs will continue in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and the beach volleyball teams will remain in the Pac-12 as the Big Ten doesn’t offer those sports.
Others will be greatly tested by the path ahead, beginning with the highest-profile sports on both campuses.
Here’s a look at how some of the Los Angeles schools’ most legendary programs will have to adjust…
USC football
Plenty of ink has been spilled on the Men of Troy heading to Spartan territory, but it truly is about to be a dogfight for the Trojans.
LSU and Notre Dame. Penn State and Michigan. Wisconsin and UCLA. USC’s 2024 schedule is not easy. Then comes Ohio State and Michigan State. It’s not going to be pretty.
Long-term, though, USC will benefit from the perception — and reality — of the Big Ten being a better league and a better breeding ground of NFL talent than the Pac-12. The counter-recruiting to the Trojans has always been the lack of postseason chances in the Pac-12. With the CFP field expanding and multiple B1G teams likely to get bids every season, this is a net positive for USC football.
I’d be remiss not to discuss the travel demands though. In Year 1, the Trojans trade trips to Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Northern California for games in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois and Indiana.
UCLA men’s basketball
It’s enough to tickle the senses. UCLA playing at Mackey Arena in March, a couple weeks after traveling to Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. The most heralded program west of the Mississippi now joins a conference loaded with great coaches and special arenas.
We’ll miss the UCLA/Arizona rivalry, which should be preserved in some form, but there is some good basketball on the way. Stylistically, it’ll be interesting to Midwesterner Mick Cronin go back to his roots. And the competition will be stiff: The B1G has finished with a higher conference RPI than the Pac-12 in three straight years and 5 of 6 years.
UCLA football
UCLA’s debut season in the B1G will earn the Bruins plenty of frequent flyer miles. It starts with a trip to Hawai’i and includes another long non-conference trip, and not an easy one, to LSU. Conference road trips include games at Michigan and Iowa, as well as a cross-country trip to Rutgers. The home slate is even scarier with Ohio State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and USC.
This is going to be an intriguing experiment for the Bruins.
USC men’s basketball
The Trojans could bid goodbye to the Pac-12 with a special season. USC is expected to contend for a conference title — and more — after returning top-3 scorer in the Pac-12 Boogie Ellis and adding a recruiting class that includes one of the country’s top recruits in Isaiah Collier as well as Bronny James, LeBron’s son.
All eyes will be on the Trojans for maybe the first time in program history, which is perfect timing for a team that appears to have found its footing under Andy Enfield. Enfield has led USC to 4 straight 20-win seasons for the first time ever. Do that in the B1G, and you’ll write your NCAA Tournament ticket just about every single year.
UCLA softball
The Bruins easily become the biggest, baddest bats in the B1G the second they join the league. But is that a good thing? UCLA has been tested by the likes of Arizona, Washington and Stanford for years. Put it this way: In the final NCAA softball poll prior to the NCAA Tournament, the Pac-12 had 4 teams ranked before the Big Ten’s best, Northwestern. No B1G squad has won a national title since Michigan in 2005, while UCLA has won 4 since 2003 alone and 13 overall, most recently in 2019.
USC Track and Field
USC’s track programs are generally competitive on the national scene. The Trojan tracksters are among the top programs in the country, with recent women’s national outdoor track titles in 2018 and 2021 and 26 NCAA titles on the men’s side. The Big Ten isn’t traditionally a conference that competes on the national level in track, though Wisconsin, Ohio State and Minnesota have strong men’s programs while the Michigan women’s team won both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships. To give you an idea, though — the Wolverines finished 38th at the national indoor meet.
UCLA gymnastics
The program has fallen since its tremendous heights under Miss Val Kondos Field, but the Bruins remain one of the top programs in the country, and national champions as recently as 2018. But the Big Ten is no slouch in gymnastics, with competitive programs in Michigan and Minnesota, which should remind them of Utah, another top program nationally. In 2023, no B1G programs made it to the national semifinals, while 3 Pac-12 schools — UCLA, Utah and Cal — did.
USC men’s tennis
There was a time when UCLA and USC traded national titles in tennis like they were volleying and lobbing to each other, but the Trojans are more competitive on the national scene these days. USC has 21 national titles in the sport, including 2014 and 4 straight from 2009-12, but Ohio State has been runner-up 2 of the past 5 years, including 2023.
UCLA baseball
John Savage still searching for the recipe to return his squad to the ranks of the nation’s best, as injuries and inconsistent bats have been an issue the last couple years. But he is on of the game’s great pitching coaches, and he should have some nasty stuff for a conference that is not ready for his creativity. The B1G is not a strong conference — with nowhere near the Pac-12’s top programs like Oregon State and Arizona — so UCLA should be prepared to dominate from the get-go. No B1G school has won a title since Ohio State in 1966, though Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota and Indiana are strong squads.
UCLA women’s soccer
A player on the national scene since the turn of this century, UCLA is coming off a national title in head coach Margueritte Aozasa’s first season at the helm. It was an unbelievable finish for the Bruins, who bested North Carolina in the final in a thrilling come-from-behind win. That was UCLA’s 2nd title, to go along with 4 runner-up finishes and 12 semifinal berths since 2000. Luckily for a program with national aspirations, the B1G is a good conference with some top-flight programs in Penn State, Rutgers and Oho State.
UCLA women’s volleyball
Forget football — this might be the biggest wakeup call for both the Bruin and Trojans, who’ve combined for 14 national titles in the sport, but none since UCLA in 2011. Simply put, the B1G is scary in women’s volleyball. Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio State — good luck.
UCLA women’s basketball
Long-time Bruins head coach Cori Close has gotten the Bruins close (sorry) to the mountain top in the Pac-12, but always a step behind. She may have had her best team in 2019-20, which went 26-5 before COVID cancelled the postseason. But this might be a reverse scenario than the softball program, which might suffer from less rigorous competition in the Big Ten. Without mighty Stanford towering over the conference, and to a lesser extent, Arizona, UCLA might have a clearer path to prominence leaving the Pac-12. No B1G squad has won a national title since Purdue in 1999.