UCLA coach Mick Cronin weighs in on Bruins’ move to Big Ten

Yes, the Big Ten is getting a college football blue blood in USC, but don’t overlook what UCLA brings to the table.

The Bruins are the bluesiest of college basketball blue bloods. Coach Mick Cronin is piloting one of the greatest programs in college basketball history, and he seems excited to join a league that routinely sends its teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“Big Ten basketball has been leading the country in putting the most teams in the NCAA Tournament and that is a plus,” Cronin told The LA Times’ Ben Bolch Thursday night. “The exciting new rivalries and opponents coming to Pauley Pavilion will be awesome for our fans. We also get to preserve the great games with USC.”

Mick Cronin on Big Ten: "Obviously, leaving the Pac-12 is bittersweet for UCLA, especially for our older Bruins. That said, the landscape of college athletics is changing dramatically and our move to the Big Ten is in the best long-term interest of our university moving forward."

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) July 1, 2022

Mick Cronin: "In terms of recruiting, UCLA is a worldwide brand and joining the Big Ten, which now is a coast-to-coast powerhouse, could make us more attractive to recruits in the Midwest and East Coast."

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) July 1, 2022

The Bruins and Trojans will join the Big Ten in August 2024. The two programs plan to stay with the Pac-12 through the expiration of the league’s current media rights deal. Though still two years away, UCLA might be able to start enjoying recruiting advantages immediately.

Even then, it’s pretty easy to recruit to UCLA as is.

The Bruins own 11 national championship, more than any other Division 1 program. They also boast 19 Final Four appearances and 134 weeks spent as the AP No. 1 team in America, both of which rank second-most all-time.