I’m not sure there’s been more surprising news since conference realignment started way back when than the news that broke this afternoon: USC and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten. Given both the geographic and cultural differences involved, it’s a wild turn of events.
But I suppose nothing can be a true shock in realignment anymore, not with the money involved. The Big Ten and SEC are in position to dominate the landscape for a long time to come, and the Pac-12 will just keep on lagging—a reality that prompted the LA schools to explore moving leagues.