TheKnightReport - TKR Thoughts: UCLA, USC to leave PAC-12, join Big Ten in 2024
In a shocking move, USC and UCLA are getting ready to join the Big Ten
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***TKR Thoughts: UCLA, USC reportedly to leave PAC-12, join Big Ten in 2024***
- Thread starter ChrisNalwasky
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IIRC SC had a pretty decent club team, basically on par with a good D3 team. And the West Coast is producing more and more youth talent. Question is, will SC follow Utah's example and finance a jump to D1. There's clearly enough money in SCs alumni to fund it.
I'm not so sure there isn't a small ripple effect in that the conference got stronger/wealthier while the ACC got more unstable with the country-wide direction this is taking. Coast to coast TV exposure for our athletes and a potentially larger TV contract should pay dividends to all sports, especially one that is growing as rapidly as lax. I'm excited to see what the next 5 years brings to the sport and to RU in general.
From the WSJ article on the merger, written by a Wisky grad:
"It isn't like the Big 10 is pure. We've been widening our waistline for decades. Penn St. joined three decades ago, and I still think it's weird. I have no idea why Nebraska is in the Big Ten, and judging from their football performance, I don't think they do either. Maryland and Rutgers are lacrosse academies-I'm not sure they actually field teams. Can someone please check?"
Figured this was more appropriate for this board.
"It isn't like the Big 10 is pure. We've been widening our waistline for decades. Penn St. joined three decades ago, and I still think it's weird. I have no idea why Nebraska is in the Big Ten, and judging from their football performance, I don't think they do either. Maryland and Rutgers are lacrosse academies-I'm not sure they actually field teams. Can someone please check?"
Figured this was more appropriate for this board.
It does for women's lacrosse. And I wouldn't be shocked if SC fields a men team at some point.
Hope both teams get D1 men's lax to give us an excuse to go to SoCal every year. Lax in the Rose Bowl vs UCLA would be dope.
It is really a tragedy that there are is only one NCAA men’s Lacrosse program in all of CA - D3 Whittier. Lax is exploding at the HS level and there is a ridiculous amount of talent throughout the state. If there were some local college options I could see CA — SoCal in particular — becoming a hotbed of recruiting nearly on par with LI or MD within a relatively short period of time.
It will happen soon. I think COVID slowed the growth of it at the college level out west, but it is going to happen.
There are some Title IX issues for a lot of schools out there, but not for Stanford. USC's club is solid (#9 nationally on the club polls) so they could quickly follow as they'll have the money.
However, I think it will be a while before recruiting reaches a MD or LI level. But that does not mean the area can produce some solid prospects.
Stanford and USC not having D1 men's programs is an utter head scratcher. Hope we can convince USC at least to move up to D1 once they move into the B1G.
It’s a bold statement but I’m telling you if USC, UCLA, San Diego State, and maybe a couple of AZ school were to start d1 lax programs, SoCal would quickly become one of the hottest recruiting grounds in the country.
Maybe some of the MD and LI crowd wouldn’t mind having those two (and possibly Stanford) as options down the road.
They can get good real fast like Denver.
Until Utah went D1 two years ago, the closest D1 teams to Stanford were Air Force and Denver. Travel expenses would have been astronomical.
College definitely. I'm sure USC could recruit. Just show pictures of the football cheerleaders.
But high school is a different story. I'm sure So Cal will produce some excellent players early, but it will (imho) take a generation to replicate the depth and knowledge of MD and LI. The tip off will be when the coaches aren't East Coast transplants.
9s and 10s pretty much grow on trees in SoCal. I definitely could see USC getting a damn fine D1 lax team together with many LI/MD/NJ/PA kids who don't want to freeze to death in February/early March and get to date the USC women out there.
That’s all I’m talking about. And for some of reasons you and @bigmatt718 mentioned. It could happen real fast.
Obviously organic growth will take time.
I understand this sentiment from a growing the sport perspective, but do we really want more B1G or D1 schools competing for recruits in an already limited pool? Selfishly, I'd say no.
Heard from the staff who is at a recruiting event out here. There is more talent at the event than they have seen at the others they have been to. Sounded shocked by it. We are definitely going after a handful of Ca kids.
Always said it was a matter of time. The raw talent level here is off the charts. All they needed was coaching. Now we are seeing kids who grew up playing being coached by guys that played at high levels.
It would be great for the game. We are very well positioned to continue doing well. Great facility in Rodkin, funding, long history, huge alumni involvement, and a stadium being planned and hopefully built soon.
Bring on the competition.
The pool has increased historically, and is increasing every year. You really want some perspective let's go back 50 years. New Jersey had roughly 40 HS programs. Bergen County had Fair Lawn and that was it. Pennsylvania had roughly 35, roughly 5 outside of Greater Philadelphia. Ohio about 10. Texas, maybe St Marks had a club. Now NJ has over 150. As does Pennsylvania. Texas has 100. Cali I'm not sure of, but I think it's approaching triple digits. Michigan has a thriving HS scene. And look at Rutgers, getting recruits from Oregon and Utah, and GOOD ones.
A conservative estimate is that the pool of HS programs has increased by 500%. The number of D1 teams has increased by roughly 50%.
The talent is there.
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