USC and UCLA Leaving the Big 10

It seems like the upcoming 2023 season is going to be an emotional and bittersweet one for both UCLA and USC as they enter their final season as Pac-12 members before moving on to join the Big Ten on July 1, 2024. Both coaches, Chip Kelly of UCLA, and Lincoln Riley of USC are experiencing mixed feelings about the conference realignment and leaving behind the Pac-12, which they have called home for a long time.

Chip Kelly, who previously coached at Oregon and returned to the Pac-12 as UCLA's coach in 2018, expressed his affection for the conference and the many friendships he has formed there. He acknowledged the special place the Pac-12 holds in his heart and the short notice that came with the Big Ten decision, saying that he found out about UCLA's departure just two hours before it happened.

Lincoln Riley, the coach of USC, mentioned that the media picked his team to win the Pac-12 championship this year. While their goal is always to win the conference title, Riley and his team understand this upcoming season will mark the last time they will compete against many familiar faces in the Pac-12.

Both coaches and their teams recognize the significance of this final season in the Pac-12, where they will face conference opponents, they have shared a long history. For USC, the schedule includes teams like Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, Stanford, and Washington, with Colorado and Utah having joined the conference in 2011. UCLA's schedule also features familiar Pac-12 teams except for swapping out Oregon State and Washington State for Oregon and Washington.

The impending move to the Big Ten brings about significant changes for both UCLA and USC, and it's understandable that they have a mix of emotions as they prepare for this closing chapter in their Pac-12 journey.