"We wanted to operate in a position of strength, and that was the Big Ten," UCLA AD Martin Jarmond told ESPN. On the heels of the SEC power move the year before, and with the Big Ten on the cusp of a multibillion-dollar TV deal, it served as the final, clear warning to everyone in college football that there were two powers in town. One described a "Holy s-, shock and awe" moment when he got word via text message.Īhead of the Fourth of July holiday, many college athletics power brokers were on vacation, including Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, who found out while in Montana. Some ADs learned about the moves on their flights home from NACDA. The USC-UCLA-Big Ten courtship accelerated so quickly that many across the country - especially inside the Pac-12 - were caught completely off guard. "Another stunner," one Power 5 athletic director said the day moves were announced. For the second straight summer, college athletics was rocked by realignment, after Texas and Oklahoma announced last year they would be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. And then after a unanimous vote by Big Ten presidents and chancellors last Thursday, the league announced USC and UCLA will join on Aug. The Trojans would leave with crosstown rival UCLA, a Pac-12 member since 1928.Īround the same time as the NACDA awards, Big Ten athletic directors held a call to discuss the possibility of USC and UCLA joining the league. USC, which joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1922 and had been in the league that would become the Pac-12 ever since, was set to uproot and join the Big Ten. Unbeknownst to nearly everyone in attendance, Bohn and others had been working quietly for months on a stunning move that would throw the future of the college sports landscape into flux. It's an incredible privilege to work each day to make our program the best it can be for our student-athletes, supporters and the broader university community." This is also a great opportunity to reflect on why we all do what we do. ![]() In a video honoring the winners, Bohn said, "Every day, I am more and more inspired by the collaboration of my peers across the entire intercollegiate athletics enterprise to build for a bright future. All four took the stage before a packed ballroom of more than 1,000. Just before the featured session on June 28, NACDA honored its athletic directors of the year, including Wake Forest's John Currie, NC State's Boo Corrigan, Arkansas' Hunter Yurachek and USC's Mike Bohn. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, countless athletic directors and other power brokers from around the country participated in panels, networked and mingled. Two weeks ago, many of college sports' most powerful people gathered at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention. ![]() Inside the stunning USC-UCLA move to the Big Ten - and the chaos that followedĬollege Football, USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Clemson Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanesīy Andrea Adelson, Kyle Bonagura and Adam Rittenberg You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĪndrea AdelsonKyle BonaguraAdam Rittenberg
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