USC Trojans' rival UCLA might have botched Big Ten move, may have to stay put

Andrew Vorhees, Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC Football, USC Trojans
Andrew Vorhees, Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC Football, USC Trojans | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins made the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten (starting in 2024), everything was perfect for both programs. Now, everything is perfect for just one program. According to Front Office Sports, California could attempt to block UCLA’s move to the Big Ten.

Per Owen Poindexter of Front Office Sports; "The state of California is looking into legal action to block UCLA from leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten." Poindexter said that UCLA apparently "didn’t provide advance notice to the University of California Board of Regents, which governs the University of California school system."

When UCLA moved to the Big Ten, it was funny to think about how much they will likely struggle on the field. Heck, they haven't finished a season ranked since 2014. It is even funnier, however, to think about how they may not even get to go due to their potentially flawed decision-making when trying to make the transition.

California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that California is looking into legal action with the USC rival's move.

USC Trojans' Pac-12 rivals--the UCLA Bruins--had California investigating potential legal action that the state could take within “minutes of reading about in the newspaper," according to Poindexter's article. He added that the Board of Regents is planning to meet and discuss this potential legal action.

On the bright side for UCLA, if they stay in the Pac-12, they have a higher chance of winning. That being said, they wouldn't have a high chance of winning anywhere. They are without a single Pac-12 Championship since 1998. A very poor football program, they have won just one national championship in their entire existence.

Only having 613 total wins in their history (just 61st all-time), they likely feel like they have nothing to lose. Therefore, they're in a tough spot. Even if they stay in the Pac-12, they have far from a bright future--especially since they have extended the mediocre Chip Kelly through 2025. Kelly is an embarrassing 18-25 in his four-year UCLA career.

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