When did USC join the Big Ten? Why did the Trojans leave the Pac-12 conference?

College football team the USC Trojans play their first ever Big Ten conference match-up this weekend, as Lincoln Riley’s men face a box-office clash with the Michigan Wolverines, the reigning national champions.

USC joined the Big Ten ahead of the 2024 NCAA season, having announced two years ago that they were departing the Pac-12 after more than six decades in the conference. And the Trojans aren’t the only Californian powerhouse to have swapped the Pac-12 for the Big Ten this year: the UCLA Bruins have also made the move.

USC and UCLA’s stunning defection comes a year after two other major teams, the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, left the Big 12 conference for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). What’s more, the 2022 confirmation of USC and UCLA’s Pac-12 exit signalled a mass exodus from the conference. Eight other colleges opted to leave after the 2023 season, with the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies also switching to the Big Ten.

Joining a more prestigious conference

For all these former Pac-12 and Big 12 colleges, the change of conference has brought with it the opportunity to compete within an association of greater prestige. “The Big Ten and SEC are widely regarded as the premier conferences in college football,” ESPN’s Keith Jenkins notes.

When it comes to silverware, the numbers certainly back up the Big Ten and the SEC’s exalted status. Per ESPN, teams from the Big Ten have won more national championships than those from any other conference, with 31. The SEC is second, just four adrift on 27. The Pac-12 lags behind with 15, and the Big 12 has only five.

“Increased profile on the national stage”

By joining the Big Ten, USC said in a statement last month, the Trojans have helped to create “the first truly national conference”. While the college previously competed against west-coast teams in the Pac-12, it will now be up against opposition from across the US. This will afford USC a “dramatically increased profile on the national stage”, the university says.

“This is the dawn of a new era for USC Athletics,” USC president Carol Folt says. “At this critical moment when there are seismic changes coming across the athletics landscape, it was fortuitous that we made this commitment two years ago. We are prepared, and we are ready. We are well-positioned to compete with the best student-athletes far into the future.”

A bumper TV deal

The Los Angeles Times’ J. Brady McCollough describes the Pac-12 as “drastically behind its peers in the Big Ten and SEC in media rights distribution dollars” - and, when it comes to TV money, the Trojans’ change of conference does indeed promise to bring swift financial rewards.

The Big Ten is currently in a seven-year, $7bn agreement penned in 2022 with Fox, CBS and NBC. Even allowing for inflation, this outstrips the contract that USC had a share of before exiting the Pac-12 - a 12-year, $3bn deal signed with Fox and ESPN in 2011.

Following the expiry of that contract, the Pac-12 this year negotiated a deal with Fox and The CW that will last for just 12 months, as it rebuilds following the departure of all but two of its members. In addition to the quartet that have joined the Big Ten, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah have moved to the Big 12, and UC Berkeley and Stanford have signed up to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The financial details of the Pac-12’s new TV deal have not been revealed, but it is likely to be significantly less valuable than the Big Ten’s contract. Sports Pro Media’s Steve McCaskill explains that Pac-12 chiefs had in 2022 been optimistic of doubling their previous deal - an improvement that would still have left the conference lagging behind the Big Ten. However, the announcement of USC and UCLA’s exit “made this original ambition impossible”.

USC vs Michigan: start time, how to watch

The NCAA Division I clash between the USC Trojans and the Michigan Wolverines takes place today, Saturday September 21, with kick-off at Michigan Stadium scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game on CBS, and your streaming options include the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free introductory trial.

Enjoy USC vs Michigan live on fubo.

Michigan head into the clash with a 2-1 record so far in the 2024 regular season, while USC, who have played one game fewer, are 2-0.