On the same day reports surfaced that USC and UCLA were looking to join the Big Ten, it became a formality and the reactions were hilarious.
Thursday started with a bombshell for college football and college sports at large when it was reported that USC and UCLA were heavily exploring leaving the Pac-12 for a move to the Big Ten.
And it didn’t take long for the exploration that needed confirmation from the higher-ups in the conferences and schools to reach the next level.
On Thursday evening, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the move was official with both schools joining the conference in 2024. Both USC and UCLA then confirmed the move (one that officially makes Los Angeles a midwest town now) soon after.
Sources: USC and UCLA have been notified that their application to join the Big Ten has been accepted. The schools will begin play in 2024.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 30, 2022
OFFICIAL: USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 30, 2022
https://twitter.com/uclaathletics/status/1542654725253763072?s=21
USC, UCLA joining Big Ten: Best memes, tweets and reactions to move
Fans and analysts alike had been making jokes about the potential of a move all day and the memes and reactions to the news didn’t stop once it was made official.
https://twitter.com/jkgreen_wvu/status/1542662995884515329
Woke up this morning and saw the headline that USC and UCLA are joining the Big Ten. Immediately checked my calendar to be sure I hadn’t overslept until April 1. I had been in a deep sleep.
— C Bryan Jones (@cbryanjones) July 1, 2022
So, now Rutgers, UCLA, and USC will be in the same conference? Why are there conferences at all?
— Seth Everett (@Seth_Everett) July 1, 2022
Another takeaway now that UCLA and USC will begin play in 2024
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) July 1, 2022
Texas and Oklahoma aren’t waiting until 2025 to start playing in the SEC.
https://twitter.com/ELSpartanews/status/1542601960955715584
Ohio State players to USC players when they have to play in the snow in November pic.twitter.com/qduA2nxkGw
— Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) June 30, 2022
USC and UCLA players waking up for their 9am Big Ten games pic.twitter.com/QxIpidXtPQ
— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) June 30, 2022
USC is going to pay off Lincoln Riley's contract in literally one season. https://t.co/qE8K4O8vrB
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) June 30, 2022
USC playing at Wisconsin in November pic.twitter.com/dSUQGUM1Ws
— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) June 30, 2022
USC no longer being able to avoid November trips to the midwest pic.twitter.com/uaLlvxltc7
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) June 30, 2022
It’s truly going to be hilarious to see these teams playing in the snow late in the college football season instead of in an LA climate or something close.
Geographically, this move obviously makes no sense — but that’s not the important part in the new era of college sports. It’s all about dollars and cents, in addition to the creation of mega-conferences that can rival the SEC now that they’re about to add Oklahoma and Texas.
This is hilarious in so many aspects, but we also shouldn’t expect this to be the last conference shakeup in the near future, even if those don’t involve two extremely Californian schools now joining a prideful midwest conference.
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