BTW- I used the photo to the right because I love the tradition of both teams wearing their colored jerseys for the USC-UCLA game.
I wish more rivalry games would consider giving that a try!
The SEC's agreement last summer that resulted in the eventual arrival of Texas and Oklahoma for their conference was a tremor that likely forced the Big 10 to look around for two more teams but it feels like this move for USC and UCLA may or may not to equal to the move of Texas and Oklahoma but it does have the feel of having the bigger effect on the rest of college football.
The Big 10 may not have wanted to expand but it almost had to and compared to their past expansion attempts, this one is surpassed only by the arrival of Penn State in the early 1990s as far as impact.
The Big 10's addition of Nebraska looked big at the time with the history of the Cornhusker program but it never played out on the field and didn't really bring in a big media market.
The expansion that brought in Rutgers and Maryland brought in the media markets in theory but hasn't helped on the field, at least in football.
Rutgers never delivered New York City as the conference (and almost no one else) expected, and while Maryland has done well in some sports, the Terrapin fan base has never really cuddled up to the Big Ten, although it could change if the ACC winds up exploding after this move and what could be sure to follow.
The questions are these-
Is the Big Ten finished adding schools?
If they aren't who could be next? Notre Dame will be the first choice but there could be interest in Oregon and/or Washington.
If Oregon and Washington leave the Pac 12, does that kill the conference? Only if the league loses any other schools.
If Oregon and Washington stay, will that be enough to keep the conference afloat?
If so, who would be the likely targets to return to twelve teams? I'd think it would be Boise State and San Diego State with Colorado State and Air Force as dark horses, should the Big 12 stay intact without defectors.
Does the Big 12 attack and try to grab some of the Pac 12? If so, I would think that the Arizona schools, Utah and Colorado make the most sense.
Does the SEC smell blood and attack the ACC for Clemson and who knows who else- N.C. State? Virginia Tech? Florida State? Miami?
If the ACC wobbles, will the Big Ten move in for a try at North Carolina? Virginia? Georgia Tech?
This move raises more questions than answers and I don't think we have seen anything close to how things settle out for the next "quiet period".
Oregon and Washington appear to be the next domino to decide which direction realignment moves next although the biggest prize awaits in Notre Dame should the Irish finally feel forced to make the leap for a real conference berth rather than the associate role that they currently hold with the ACC.
Should Oregon and Washington leave the Pac 12, things begin to crumble and the conference could be out of business within a few years but should they decide to stay for now, the race could be on to see who cannibalizes who in a death match between the Pac 12 and Big 12.
Whichever conference can grab the first handful of schools will likely be the conference that survives.
The Pac 12 could pursue Oklahoma State and a few of the Texas schools from the Big 12 while the Big 12 talks to the aforementioned Arizona duo, Colorado, and Utah.
As for the Big Ten, who is already rumored to "not be finished", I wonder who could be additions should the mentioned three decide not to join.
North Carolina would make lots of sense and some think that Virginia would be a good fit.
I'm not convinced that the same people that think Maryland hasn't worked out would think that the Cavaliers would be a good pickup.
Georgia Tech fits academically and would bring the league into the deep south but Tech doesn't bring a quarter of what Georgia would bring as far as fan interest and their football and basketball are worse than Virginia's currently.
West Virginia would bring a regional fit and the type of rabid fan base that the conference would love but lacks the academics that the conference emphasizes.
Kansas would bring a basketball power to the league but the Jayhawks football program would instantly give the league a midwestern Rutgers.
I've always thought Pittsburgh would be a good choice but Penn State will fight that tooth and nail and I'm not sure that they bring anything that the league doesn't already have.
College sports continue to change and while I'm not screaming about them being ruined for good, I will admit that there could be a risk in losing the rivalries, circumstances, and all that made college sports what it was.
In its place stands something different, and I'm not ready to claim that as a failure
Still, I'll mourn what has been lost and remember what was rather than groan about what is.
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