WATCH: Colin Cowherd weighs in on USC, UCLA move to Big Ten
USC and UCLA are moving to the Big Ten, and every college football analyst is giving their two cents on what this means for the rest of college football. For Colin Cowherd – he’s a big fan of the surprising move.
“It makes a lot of sense,” Cowherd said of the news. “Once Texas and Oklahoma announced they were moving to the SEC, the Big Ten needed a counter punch. This is it.”
With over 1,500 miles separating the two west coast programs from the rest of the Big Ten, geography had absolutely nothing to do with the decision – now, it’s predicated on television deals. That doesn’t mean the moves are negative, though. In fact, Cowherd believes the already established Big Ten programs will benefit greatly from the conference realignment.
“It’ll make the Big Ten feel more coastal. They’ll get more of a recruiting edge,” Cowherd said. “Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State now Michigan – Ohio State always welcome to the west coast – but could help the Badgers the Nittany Lions and Spartans out west in recruiting.
“I also think for USC and UCLA too often their games feel small and regional. Can you imagine USC at Camp Randall, USC in the Horseshoe? Those are big national TV games – USC and UCLA will feel bigger.”
A potential move to the Big Ten would unite the two programs with the aforementioned football powerhouses, in addition to multiple perineal Top 25 programs across not just football and basketball, but multiple other sports as well. The entertainment benefit for the fans equal the financial benefit of all parties involved – a win-win for everyone except for the Pac-12.
“The Big Ten is a monster,” Cowherd said. “It’s a revenue monster – first or second in the country to the SEC so it makes sense. A lot of winners here. Totally understand that going forward you really have to be loyal to revenue and partnerships over history. I get both [sides], but I think there are a lot of winners.”
The earliest USC and UCLA would be able to officially join the Big Ten as full-time members wouldn’t be until June 30, 2024 when the current active Pac-12 grant of rights expire. An official announcement regarding the moves is expected to go public by the end of Friday.