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UCLA, USC to leave Pac-12 to join Big Ten

The athletic conference to which Arizona State and the University of Arizona belong may be headed for disintegration. The Midwest-based Big Ten has voted to accept UCLA and USC, who are leaving the Pac-12.

In a written statement, the Pac-12 said it’s extremely surprised and disappointed to learn of the impending departures of USC and UCLA, which combined have 30 Rose Bowl victories.

The Pac-12 recently made roughly $20 million payouts to member universities with revenue that included money from a pandemic-shortened football season.

But those individual amounts were less than half of what the Big Ten paid each of its members.

ASU and UA did not comment on the developing situation, which would make the Big 10 the first conference to stretch coast to coast. 

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.