On Thursday afternoon, the world of college sports was changed forever as the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles announced a historic move from the PAC-12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference.
These two internationally recognized universities broke the traditional mold of regionalized athletic conferences by making the jump from the West Coast-based PAC-12 to the majority Midwest Big Ten.
This generationally defining move seems to be a glimpse into the future of college sports, a future where location does not determine opponent or opportunity. A future more professional than amateur and most importantly, an unpredictable, high-paying, high-exposure future that will turn the college athlete into a household name.