Big Ten presidents and athletic directors met Wednesday night to discuss adding USC and UCLA to the league, according to The Athletic.
That kicked off a realignment bonanza in which the Big 12, American and other conferences saw teams move in and out of their membership. A similar situation will likely occur here if USC and UCLA formalize their intentions to depart the Pac-12. The move would also constitute a stunning divergence in direction for UCLA and Cal, partners in the University of California system.
USC and UCLA would bring the Big Ten to a total of 16 teams, the same number as the SEC once Texas and Oklahoma enter their fold. The ACC has 14 teams, while the Big 12 will settle at 12 with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF in the fold after UT and OU depart. The news comes less than a year after the Big Ten and Pac-12 -- along with the ACC -- announced a strategic alliance following the SEC's additions of Texas and Oklahoma. That alliance was light on substantive action from the start, and the Big Ten's poaching of two Pac-12 powers only further undermines the notion that the leagues will work together in combatting the SEC's growing hold on power in college sports.