NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- When the Big Ten Conference expanded eastward in 2014, Rutgers and Maryland joined one of the most prestigious and stable leagues in the nation.
Rutgers also stepped up a few weight classes in athletics, especially in football and men’s basketball.
With the Big Ten now poised to expand westward by adding UCLA and USC beginning in 2024, Rutgers men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell says it’s “great for the league” and will ultimately benefit Rutgers on the recruiting front.
“When I first found out they were adding two quality programs with [USC men’s basketball coach] Andy Enfield and [UCLA’s] Mick Cronin as coaches, two excellent coaches, and traditionally great basketball programs, I said a great league got even greater,” Pikiell said at the Nike Peach Jam where he and his staff are recruiting.
“And I’m so excited. I’m excited about getting a trip out there to Los Angeles. Again, another media market you can recruit from. I think it’s great for the Big Ten, I think it’s great for the league, I think it’s great for both football and basketball.”
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Of course, the competition will get even tougher for Rutgers, which has competed in two straight NCAA Tournaments under Pikiell. A year ago, nine of the Big Ten’s 14 teams made the Big Dance, although only two reached the Sweet 16. Now you’re adding UCLA, which was a 4-seed last year, reached the Final Four in 2021 and has 11 NCAA championship banners, and USC, a Sweet 16 squad in 2021.
“I think it makes the league even better,” Pikiell said. “The competition from top to bottom is going to be unbelievable but the brand of the Big Ten is national now and you can recruit national.”
On the recruiting front, Rutgers has recently drawn players from the West Coast, including former big man Myles Johnson, who grad-transferred to UCLA for last season, and junior forward Mawot Mag, who played at Prolific Prep in California.
Now when Rutgers recruits West Coast players, Pikiell and his staff can promise games near their homes.
“I think whenever you can sell the quality of a league from top to bottom, all the different media markets, now we’re across three time zones for television purposes,” he said. “Again, it’s UCLA and USC, two huge brand names.”
In terms of the travel concerns, Pikiell said he’s not overly worried about student-athletes having to make trips to the West Coast and said for basketball purposes, it may only happen every other year.
“People are in a little bit of an uproar about the travel but in your non-conference you usually make nice trips places, and now you can add a great trip to Los Angeles also,” he said. “And they’ve also been talking about only playing every other year on the road so a team like Rutgers, we may only go to L.A. every other year and play two games in a few days so I don’t think it’s going to be a huge adjustment travel-wise. I think everyone will be able to adjust.
“You’re taking some of those trips in the non-conference so maybe you won’t take as long a trip in the non-conference. So I’m looking forward to going out there.”
By 2024, the Big Ten will have 16 teams and there has been speculation the league may eventually grow to 20, with Notre Dame (an independent in football) the obvious biggest prize possible. Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford have also been mentioned.
“These things are done at a higher level than the head coach’s position but I think it’s a changing landscape with college basketball,” Pikiell said. “And when you can add brands that make sense and that fit and help your footprint of your league, I think you do it.
“But these two are great academic institutions [USC and UCLA] and so we have a great academic footprint and a great athletic footprint and if they could add some more that help the brand, I think it’s a real positive.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
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