LOS ANGELES (AP) — In many ways, UCLA is at the midway point in its process of joining the Big Ten Conference.
Friday marked one year since the Bruins and Southern California shook up the collegiate landscape by announcing they were leaving the Pac-12 in 2024. Since then, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond and coaches in all sports have been assessing their programs as well as adjusting some recruiting priorities due to the level of competition.
“We’re doing a deep dive to see how we look competitively against other members of the Big Ten. It’s been a great learning process for us,” Jarmond said. “When we go to the Big Ten, we want to compete at the highest level from day one. But you have to do the work to understand your competition and some of your strengths and benefits and what are the things that you can accentuate to put your positives in the limelight.”
Most of those strategic plans will start to come into focus during the fall. As part of getting approval from the University of California Board of Regents to switch conferences, UCLA will invest an additional $12 million in nutritional support, mental health services, academic support while traveling and charter flights to reduce travel time.
While most of Jarmond’s focus is on the transition, he knows his coaches have to concentrate on the present — preparing for a final season of competition in the Pac-12 — as well as having an eye toward the future and trying to envision what life in the Big Ten might entail.
Jarmond attended Big Ten meetings in April. The Big Ten announced the football schedule rotations for 2024 and ’25 earlier this month. The Bruins will host Ohio State in 2024 and travel to Michigan in 2025. They will also have home-and-home series both seasons with Nebraska and Rutgers.
The Crosstown Showdown between USC and UCLA is one of 11 protected rivalries by the Big Ten to guarantee it…
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