UCLA Moving to Big 10 Conference

[cuuf]

College football blowing up long-established conferences in search of more and more money. It will be interesting to see how these changes trickle down and affect other sports like gymnastics. Idk, if it will really affect anything. Not that UCLA had “rivals” in the football sense, it will be somewhat weird to see UCLA traveling all over the midwest for conference games during season as well as these midwest teams going to LA.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

That’s wack. I’m disturbed by the whole concept of super conferences.

 

[irichluck21]

UCLA kinda started a rivalry with Utah since Utah joined the Pac 12.
But it isn’t anywhere near the Alabama/Georgia rivalry.

So Big Ten really needs to change its name because they will now be 4 over 10. LOL

 

[Sasha]

Damn, thats bad news for actually being able to watch their meets.

 

[One]

Damn, thats bad news for actually being able to watch their meets.

That’s what I first thought of too. I felt the Pac12 was at least more accessible than the B10 network. Of the meets that I saw from the B10 last season, the coverage wasn’t that great from the camera work to the commentators.
I wonder if this will hamper UCLA’s ability to go viral or if we’ll see them on ESPN more.

 

[blake]

They’re so far from the closest B10 schools it doesn’t make sense to me in terms of conference competition,

 

[cuuf]

Unfortunately, its not about conference competition, its solely about money and staying relevant. The SEC and B10 are getting ready to cut $80 million “bonus” checks to every school in their conferences due to football TV revenue. That’s more than $30 million more than the closest conference. TV contracts come up in 2025 and its a race between SEC and B10 to see who gets the $ billion contract. SEC took Oklahoma and Texas, the B10 had to move and USC and UCLA followed the trajectory of being on the outside looking in with the Pac12, sooooo. I don’t think these moves are over. I think the ACC gymnastics is going to be short lived, because I see Clemson and maybe FSU moving to SEC soon.

 

[Sasha]

I’d be pissed if I were an athlete. The Big 10 used to be reasonably geographically coherent, now it’s nationwide. That’s a lot of long haul travel for not only UCLA but also Maryland and Rutgers.

 

[RedBirdie]

As far as TV goes (and let’s be honest, that’s why this is happening), this is an enormous coup by the Big 10. They are now in the top 4 US TV markets, and 5 of the top 10.

 

[J175]

If athletes are now choosing their university based on how much money they can make, it isn’t really surprising that they will be travelling to play the matches that generate the most money. It’ll suck for those who aren’t making money, but who cares about smaller sports? The whole student-athlete thing always seems weird from outside the US, but if you have UCLA v Rutgers or Maryland on a Friday or Monday afternoon, how many classes are the away team actually attending that week?

 

[irichluck21]

how many classes are the away team actually attending that week?

A large number of student athletes were taking hybrid or online classes even before Covid. I would imagine a majority of them are enrolled in almost 100% online courses. Especially if there is an increase in travel. Since you can be online virtually anywhere.

My cousin’s niece is attending college to play softball in the fall and has selected her courses for all of 2022-2023. She has 4 online classes and 1 in person class in the fall. All 5 of her potential spring courses are slated to be 100% online.

 

[QuietColours]

The UCLA team has often seemed to have a large number of science majors taking classes that would definitely require labs. This could seriously impact the feasible major choices at a school that has previously prided itself on having athletes in a large range of majors.

 

[irichluck21]

The UCLA team has often seemed to have a large number of science majors taking classes that would definitely require labs.

This is true. Although there are options for some science labs to be taken online/virtual.
I can see physical sciences having to take place in person however.

 

[OnoNoKomachi]

UCLA has a football rival - or at least it did when I was growing up.
USC. I grew up with my UCLA alum parents making non stop fun of USC.

This move is going to cost some $$ in travel costs, that’s for sure.

 

[irichluck21]

This move is going to cost some $$ in travel costs, that’s for sure.

Obviously it more than makes up for it in the millions in TV deals or they wouldn’t make the move.

Big 10 is now the Big 16.
11 gymnastics teams now in the conference. I wonder if they will go with divisions now or a rotating schedule.
It will be hard for them to do duel meets. I can see more tris and quads happening.

Also wonder if USC will bring back its gymnastics program which it dissolved in 1986 (the year before conference championships started). Since Big Ten is a huge gymnastics conference. Then again Pac 12 was as well and they didn’t reinstate the team.

Pac 10 was the largest conference in 1986 with 9 teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon State, California, Washington State (dropped after 1987), and USC (dropped in 1986).

 

[2btrout]

I always thought it was crazy that our Frontier package had the Big 10 Network included while we are in California … let’s see if it still free in 2024! Go Bruins!

 

[jezmerallia]

Labs can be taken during the summer semesters or during the fall during the preseason when the team isn’t traveling.