Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
USC

Lane Kiffin: USC's move to Big Ten 'unfortunate'

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh07/18/22griffin_mcveigh
lane-kiffin-jokes-usc-trojans-head-coach-opening-tarmac-firing-dan-Patrick-show
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Lane Kiffin has been in the southeast for quite some time now, working as the Alabama offensive coordinator and the head coach of FAU before taking over the Ole Miss program. But he’s still in tune with his old stomping ground out west and the USC Trojans, who recently announced a move to the Big Ten.

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, Kiffin commented on the Trojans making the conference switch. He said it’s “unfortunate” due to the long history USC has in the Pac-12 winning championships, both conference and national. He even mentioned the individual awards players from the programs have won. At the end of the day, money is going to rule all in college football.

“Unfortunately, as you heard me say in the media earlier I think all these decisions are made about money,” Kiffin said. “That’s just kind of, having been out there at USC and been part of national championships and Heismans there and traditions there, I think it’s unfortunate because it’s just really not supposed to be that way, in my opinion.”

Kiffin spent three-plus seasons in Los Angles as the head coach, being fired in the middle of the fourth campaign. He finished with a 28-15 overall record but just 17-12 inside Pac-12 play. A conference championship could have been won during the 2011 season had it not been for NCAA fractions.

His history with USC goes further than just his heading coaching tenure. He spent six years as an assistant coach under head coach Pete Carroll. During that stretch with the Trojans, Kiffin was able to help the program win national championships and saw two Heisman Trophy winners against Pac-12 opponents.

Now, if USC is going to accomplish the high accolades Kiffin expects out of them, they will be doing so in the Big Ten. The Ole Miss head coach thinks the move is about money and he could be right, with the Big Ten about to sign a new media rights deal in the upcoming years.

Instead of going through schools such as Cal, Stanford, Oregon, or Washington, it will be more like Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. At least cross-town rival UCLA will still be there for the Trojans as their journey in the Pac-12 comes to a close.