Big Ten prepared to boldly go beyond USC and UCLA when it comes to expansion
Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson flipped from Oklahoma to USC, following head coach Lincoln Riley. (Photo by Connor Morrissette)
The Big Ten shocked the college football world last month when it reached an agreement to add USC and UCLA to the conference in 2024.
Commissioner Kevin Warren told ESPN on Tuesday that the conference intends to continue its "bold" approach toward getting bigger and better.
"We will not expand just to expand," Warren told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "It will be strategic. It will add additional value to our conference."
One of the players affected by the USC move is Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson, who recently leapfrogged Arch Manning in ESPN's rankings as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023.
Nelson's dad, Eric, told SBLive Sports' Connor Morrissette last month that the family was excited by the move from a playing standpoint, but not necessarily a geographical standpoint.
"Obviously playing in places like Ohio State and Michigan — that's exciting, right?" Nelson said. "I think those are two of the most historic programs around, along with us at USC. To play in the Big House will be cool, will be fun. But I'm not excited about not being there."
Keep an eye on the Big Ten moving forward to see if other major college programs — and thus other big-time high school athletes — are in its crosshairs.
