Kevin Warren discusses addition of UCLA, USC to Big Ten

July 28, 2022

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is considered the most feared individual in college athletics. During his state of the conference address at Lucas Oil Field, Warren talked about the addition of UCLA and USC. He talked about the various factors that made the teams excellent additions to the league.

The Big Ten's acquisition of UCLA and USC has sent shockwaves through college football as the conference expands, putting other conferences on high alert.

It has been rumored that the Big 12 will merge with the Pacific-12 or schools will leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12.

The 58-year-old said that the conference's goal was to add value to its members, but he also emphasized that a school's fit must be at the academic and athletic levels. A few schools could potentially add value to the conference, but Warren focused on bringing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in 2024.

The commissioner also said the league wanted to add value to its members, and it was essential that the schools could provide the league with the best possible deal. While Warren did not identify the schools that could be added to the Big Ten, it is believed that the league is considering several potential additions, including Stanford, USC, and Washington.

'We will not expand just to expand. It will be strategic. It will add additional value to our conference,' Warren said

When asked about the league's plans, Warren said it was still in the planning stages and would be done in the best interest of the conference's student-athletes and academic institutions. An expansion will be done correctly, with the approval of the entire membership at the center of the decisions.

"We will not expand just to expand. It will be strategic. It will add additional value to our conference, and it will provide a platform to even have our student-athletes be put on a larger platform so they can build their careers but also that they have an opportunity to grow and learn from an education and from an athletic standpoint," Warren said.

If Notre Dame were to join the Big Ten, it would significantly add value to the league. In addition, the school would also be able to leverage NBC into a multi-million dollar deal.

If the Big Ten were to expand, it would likely take two teams from the Pacific-12. Losing only one member from the conference would allow the other West Coast leagues to maintain their current membership at 10. If the conference lost only one member, such as Stanford, the Cardinal would be a good fit with USC and Notre Dame.

If the Pacific-12 is starting to lose its members, then it could be that the rumors of these schools going to the Big 12 would happen. The Mountain West would be in a great position to take over the programs currently left behind by Oregon State, Washington, and Cal.

The next move for the Mountain West will depend on the Big Ten and whether or not Notre Dame decides to join. The league is in a solid position at this point, but it will continue to wait and see if another domino will fall.

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Gus Anderson
Gus Anderson is a gambling wizard. As a kid he dreamt about becoming a Tennis, Hockey and Golf professional but ended up as a gambling professional with focus on both sports & casino.