UCLA Football News: UCLA AD Looking Forward To The Challenge of Joining The Big Ten Conference

UCLA will be a part of the Big 10 in 2024

The 2023 season marks the end of an era for the UCLA Bruins in the Pac-12 conference. Alongside their Los Angeles counterparts, the USC Trojans, they are set to embark on a new journey in the Big 10 conference. This transition presents a formidable challenge for the Bruins, as the Big 10 is widely regarded as one of the strongest conferences in the entire country. 

UCLA's athletic director, Martin Jarmond, understands the magnitude of the task ahead and is determined to prepare his team to compete against the best of the best.

"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."

(via 247Sports)

UCLA will have a long road ahead of them as they will try and prove they are a force to be reckoned with. The move to the Big 10 could help with recruiting, but they must do their job and be aggressive in that process.

The 2024 season will open up with a gauntlet, and Bruins Report writer David Woods laid out the schedule that will include some firsts.   

"In 2024 campaign, UCLA plays host to five league opponents in Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State and USC," Woods wrote. "The Bruins last hosted the Golden Gophers in 1978, the Cornhuskers in 2012, the Wildcats in 1970 and the Buckeyes in 2001. UCLA's road opponents include Iowa and Michigan, along with first-ever meetings with Indiana and Rutgers. The Bruins most recently played at Iowa in the 1981 season and at Michigan in 1996.

The opportunity of going up against new teams, venturing to the east coast, and showcasing their skills on the west coast is something Jarmond eagerly anticipates.

 We can't wait to see how it all plays out.