In a shocking turn of events late last week, it was announced that USC and UCLA will be joining the Big Ten as early as 2024. The two Pac-12 heavyweights said that their application to join the Big Ten was accepted on Thursday night.

The Big Ten announced that the vote among conference presidents and chancellors was unanimous in favor of accepting the two schools. “The unanimous vote today signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block,” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said.

USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn also said that the two schools are extremely excited about the addition of the schools to the Big Ten Conference. “We are excited that our values align with the league’s member institutions,” Bohn said in a statement. “We also will benefit from the stability and strength of the conference; the athletic caliber of Big Ten institutions; the increased visibility, exposure, and resources the conference will bring our student-athletes and programs; and the ability to expand engagement with our passionate alumni nationwide.”

The PAC-12, however, did not share the same excitement, as they released a statement highlighting how extremely surprised and disappointed they were by the departure of two flagship programs. “We have a long and storied history in athletics, academics, and leadership in supporting student-athletes that we’re confident will continue to thrive and grow into the future,” it said in a statement. “The Pac-12 is home to many of the world’s best universities, athletic programs, and alumni, representing one of the most dynamic regions in the United States. We’ve long been known as the Conference of Champions, and we’re unwavering in our commitment to extend that title.”

Many see the departure of the programs as a potential death blow to the conference, with Oregon and Washington currently seeking alternative conferences for self-preservation. Many PAC-12 schools are looking at potential Big-12 moves with certain Mountain West schools like San Diego State looking to join the Pac-12.

This move is likely to compete with the SEC’s addition of Texas and Oklahoma, which is set to take place at the beginning of 2023.

UCLA redshirt freshman forward Mac Etienne was arrested and cited for assault after appearing to spit at Arizona fans following the Bruins’ 76-66 loss to the Wildcats Thursday evening.

A video appears to show the four-star recruit—out for the season with a knee injury—looking toward Arizona fans and spitting in their direction after the game.

Etienne returned to the locker room with the team before university police told him he would be placed under arrest and issued a citation for assault with “the intent to injure, provoke, or insult.” He was not placed in handcuffs.

“We allowed him to go with the team back to the locker room,” said Sgt. Sean Shields, public information officer for University of Arizona police. “And he was arrested for assault.”

Etienne will have a court date in Arizona but may be allowed to address the citation from home.

“UCLA Athletics is committed to and expects the highest level of sportsmanship,” the school said. “We are aware of the incident involving a student-athlete at tonight’s men’s basketball game, and the matter is under review.”

Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in Pac-12 Conference and UCLA football history, died on Sunday. He was 77.

“We mourn the loss of a true Bruin and college football legend,” UCLA wrote on Twitter. The school wrote that “[Donahue] passed away on Sunday evening, July 4, at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., surrounded by family, following a two-year battle with cancer.”

The legendary coach was born and raised in Los Angeles and played at UCLA in the 1960s. After graduating, he worked as an assistant to Pepper Rodgers at Kansas and then became an assistant coach at UCLA when Rodgers was hired there in 1971. Donohue worked as an assistant coach from 1971 to 1975 under Rodgers and then Dick Vermeil. At the age of 31, Donahue took over as head coach, serving from 1976 to 1995.

As the Bruins’ head coach, he led them to five league titles and three Rose Bowl wins. He compiled a 151-74-8 record at UCLA and a 98-51-5 record in Pac-12 play. Donahue’s 98 wins are the most of any coach in Pac-12 history, and his 151 victories are the most in UCLA history. He coached future Hall of Famers: quarterback Troy Aikman, safety Kenny Easley and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden.

Donahue retired in 1995 and became the lead college football analyst for CBS Sports from 1996-1998. In 1999, he began working for the San Francisco 49ers before becoming their general manager from 2001-2005. 

Donahue was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. In 2013 the press box at the Rose Bowl was named after him.

It was a sad day for the college football community.

This year’s March Madness, filled with upsets, shockers and Cinderella runs, is coming close to an end.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has now reached the Final Four, as two weeks of hard fought basketball had lead to three final games being played on Saturday (semi finals) and Monday (championship). Each region now has a champion, with Gonzaga (30-0) winning the West, UCLA (22-9) winning the East, Baylor (26-2) winning the South and Houston (28-3) winning the Midwest. These four teams will now battle it out to see who emerges as a national champion.

The first matchup, with a scheduled tip off of 5:14 pm on April 3, pits the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears of the South against the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars of the Midwest. The Bears have been dominant throughout the year, ranking within the top five in the AP poll during the course of the regular season. Despite falling short in the Big 12 tournament, they have cruised through the South region, winning all their games by nine or more points. They defeated No. 3 seed Arkansas in the Elite Eight, 81-72, to reach the Final Four. Led by strong defense, with an average of 17.3 forced turnovers per game in the tournament, as well as leading the nation in three-point shooting (41.1%), the Bears will be a tough out.

However, they go up against a Houston team that was top five in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the only team in the nation to do so. After a scare against No. 10 seed Rutgers in the second round, the Cougars have righted the ship and defeated No. 12 seed Oregon State, 67-61, to reach the Final Four. The Cougars’ slow-tempo style is also built to defeat a faster paced Baylor team. This matchup will be a very entertaining clash.

The second game, tipping off at 8:34 pm, is between the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West and the No. 11 seed UCLA Bruins of the East. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and for good reason – they are (until proven otherwise) the best team in college basketball. They chase history this season, as they remain unbeaten with a 30-0 record. With two more wins they would become the eighth ever undefeated national champion, and the first since 1976. The Bulldogs have shown no sign of weakness in the tournament, blowing out opponents left and right, capped off by a 85-66 defeat of No. 6 seed USC for the West regional championship. The Bulldogs have a stacked roster, with sophomore forward Drew Timme leading the way with 21.3 points per game in the tournament. Along with Timme are senior forward Corey Kispert as well as five-star freshman point guard Jalen Suggs. Coming into this Final Four matchup as 14-point favorites, Gonzaga will be the ultimate test for any team looking for a championship.

That being said, never count out a Cinderella story, and that’s exactly what exists in the UCLA Bruins. From First Four to Final Four, the Bruins have an impressive resume of wins this tournament, most notably No. 2 seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 (88-78 in OT), and No. 1 seed Michigan in the Elite Eight (51-49). The Bruins are led by sophomore guard Johnny Juzang, who leads all players with 108 points scored in the tournament. UCLA will look to keep the game low-scoring, as they did against Michigan. They will have to keep the high-powered Gonzaga offense in check if they hope to have a chance in this game.

With history on the line, major upsets still possible, and exciting matchups ahead, this should be an entertaining final weekend of March Madness.

March Madness continues as we are now entering the elite eight phase of the tournament. Among the eight teams that have advanced are both USC and UCLA together. It is the first time for both Californian teams to be together among the eight.

For USC Trojans, it is the first time they are back into the elite eight since 2001 as they continue to trounce their opponents. On Sunday, the Trojans faced their Pac-12 Conference rival Oregon in the Sweet 16 round.

The Trojans were on a mission against their rivals, and they made it known during the first half. The Trojans took an early 41-26 lead and shot 58.6% in the first half. For USC, it was a familiar sight. In the previous rounds, they had controlled the game and blew their opponents out, and this was no different. The Trojans were led by brothers, Isaiah Mobley and freshman Evan Mobley. Although the brothers combined for 23 points, both made big highlights in the game. USC pummeled Oregon 82-68 to advance to the elite eight.

Meanwhile, the UCLA Bruins had a closer game on their way to the elite eight. UCLA faced the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday. It was looking to be a tough match for the Bruins, but the first half said otherwise. At the end of the first half, the Bruins led 40-29.

The second half became a different story as the Crimson Tide mounted a comeback. Alabama outscored the Bruins as they started to chip away the Bruins lead. With just four seconds left in the game, and UCLA leading 65-62, Alabama did what it had to do to stay alive. Alabama’s Alex Reese hit the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime.

In overtime, it was all Jaime Jaquez Jr., who did it all for the Bruins. Jaquez scored for the team to keep the game out of reach for Alabama. The Bruins fended off Alabama to win the game 88-78.

On Wednesday, both USC and UCLA will play to decide who makes it to the final four. USC will face Michigan and UCLA will face Gonzaga.

Shareef O’Neal, son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has announced he will be following his father’s path by transferring out of UCLA and heading to LSU.

O’Neal, who played 13 games for UCLA this season, announced last month that he will be transferring to LSU.

“Real big footsteps,” he said of his decision. “But I’m ready for it. Great program. Louisiana is a different scene. I’ve been in L.A. most of my life, but I’m ready for it.”

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O’Neal was forced to sit out his first season at UCLA after being diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery for which he underwent open-heart surgery to correct the problem.

He also shared with Sports Illustrated the final text he received from Kobe Bryant before his sudden death on January 26. Bryant would regularly check in on him and now the message is the background on his cellphone.

His chance at continuing a legacy is set up for him. His dad, Shaquille, starred for the school from 1989-92 and was a two-time All-American.

A statue of Shaq dunking is outside the men’s practice facility, which was installed in 2011.

The seemingly never-ending debate as to whether or not student athletes deserve financial compensation rumbles onto more dangerous territory this week, as California legislature just recently pushed things to a point jeopardizing NCAA postseason play for schools that reside within the Golden State. This includes established universities with historic athletic programs such as USC, Stanford, UCLA and others.

This week, California’s Senate heavily favored a revolutionary bill granting students the ability to profit off their name and image with a 31–4 vote. This essentially opposes the widely–used NCAA concept where all student–generated revenue goes straight towards the school that the student attends, rather than the students’ pockets. Merchandise and endorsements include multiple other miscellaneous scenarios where universities often use their students as a free tool to generate vast funds. According to Business Insider, other colleges with popular sports programs such as Texas A&M rake in $192.6 million dollars annually, which the students never see a single cent of due to this rule.

As California looks to strike down this professed unfair law by their Senate, the NCAA for now continues to abide by their own regulations, still neglecting to compensate their students. Adding to this, the NCAA possesses the capability to ban all schools, such as the those operating in California under the proposed new law, from all postseason play. This would include both interconference tournaments, as well as national events such as “March Madness” or the College Football Playoff.

Looking to avoid a potential disaster scenario that keeps all California schools from enjoying postseason activities, NCAA President Mark Emmert continues to urge California legislatures to think twice before pushing the bill into a law. Emmert commented on California’s potential law as he stated, “Passage of the bill now will create confusion among prospective and current student-athletes and our membership. The impact of a prematurely passed bill would be difficult to untangle.”

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Although the NCAA reportedly intends to eventually address the issue themselves at a later time, California’s early attempt to solve this constantly debated issue themselves complicates things substantially. Now both California and the NCAA appear gearing up for a “tug of  war” during the ongoing months, which unfortunately poises to take student athletes themselves along for the bumpy ride.

John Calipari has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the University of Kentucky and will remain their basketball coach, it was reported Monday. The contract will essentially be a lifetime deal, ensuring that he retires with the Wildcats.

Wildcats Hire Coach Calipari For Life

The new contract comes days after Kentucky fell to No. 5 Auburn, who were without their star player, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. UCLA was also in pursuit of Calipari after they fired their basketball coach this season. While details of his contract extension are murky, UCLA reportedly offered him a six-year, $48 million dollar contract, which he turned down.

“They presented it to me and I appreciate it,” Calipari said on his radio show Monday night. “They want me to be here until I’m done coaching. This is a unique place and I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here.”

The deal is expected to include a ten-year extension as head coach, followed by a role as a paid ambassador for the program when he steps away from coaching.

Since joining Kentucky, the school has the most wins, most tournament wins, most final four appearances and has produced the most lottery draft picks in the NCAA Divison I.

However, in recent years, Calipari’s Kentucky squads have faltered. His last four seasons include 0 national titles, 0 Final Fours, and only four weeks atop the AP Top 25 Poll. Producing only one championship in a decade with the program also raises some concerns.

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Calipari, at 60, is already the highest-paid basketball coach in the country, making $9.2 million this year, according to the USA Today Sports database. His current contract doesn’t expire until 2024. He told UCLA that he has no desire to leave the Wildcats.

“You think of what we have built, the culture of what we built here. We’ve done it all kinds of different ways. … This is a situation and culture that has taken time to build. So where else would I want to coach?” he said.

Calipari has a 305-71 record since taking over at Kentucky in 2009, leading the Wildcats to Final Fours in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, and to the NCAA Championship in 2012.

Perennial All-Star Lebron James hasn’t had a spectacular season in his first with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s currently missed the most games of his career in a year and is now on a team sitting at .500 towards the end of February. While he may have complained about a lack of support during his time as a Cleveland Cav, he’s finding even less help now. A front office led by Magic Johnson has pulled more tampering fines than perennial all-stars after striking out on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.

Now Lebron has even less help. Young star Lonzo Ball will miss most of their playoff push. Ball has been sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-January that he seems to have had an extremely slow recovery from. The injury, diagnosed as a grade 3 ankle sprain, was said to take four to six weeks to recover from. However, as those dates loom closer Ball has been notably absent from even practice courts. If he does return on time for mid-March, he’ll have missed most of a crucial stretch.

A grade 3 sprain typically is the worst of all possible sprains to an ankle. It’s a full tearing of the ligaments. With the injury, an athlete will feel unstable on their joint and won’t be able to support much weight, if any at all. Grade 3 injuries typically take 8 to 12 weeks and the Lakers recovery time frame given appears to be an effort to push Ball back for a late season run.

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The UCLA product missed 30 games last season. Following a lackluster showing for the no. 2 overall pick, he had part of his meniscus removed in the offseason. Currently, there are reports that Ball is dealing with a bone bruise that will only lengthen his recovery time. James, who has made the finals for eight consecutive years, is in serious danger of losing that streak. In the tougher Western conference, he’s now struggling to lift a young team to even the playoffs. For a star at 34 years old who’ll soon decline, things do not look bright. LA must make big moves soon in order to prolong the success of Lebron.

On Saturday, January 12, UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi did three backflips into a split. She then got back up to end her floor routine. To the untrained eye, it looked easy. Ohashi makes it look this way. But a quick Google search shows that she had just landed the sixth perfect 10.0 of her career.

ucla Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi Lights Up Twitter With Routine

The crowd went wild as she stood there smiling. In one performance, she combined intense athleticism with critical acclaim for the perfect rating at the UnderArmour 2019 Collegiate Challenge. The routine was filled with joy, just months after revelations Ohashi made this August about stepping away from her Olympic dreams several years ago that left her “broken.”

“A 10 isn’t enough for this floor routine by @katelyn_ohashi,” the UCLA Gymnastics official Twitter account tweeted Sunday. The video of her first-place finish has over 13 million views as of Monday.

Social media erupted when the performance was posted. Here are some of the best reactions:

One user wrote, “I would tear every ligament I didn’t know I even had.”

A former gymnast said, “this is the most exciting floor routine I’ve ever seen. So much energy and perfectly executed.”

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One tweet read, “Note to self: Go to a UCLA gymnastics meet.”

Others pointed out the joy Ohashi had while performing.

Ohashi has previously made headlines. Her performance at the 2018 Pac-12 Gymnastics Championship featured a moonwalking routine that earned her the title of the NCAA Floor champion. The video now has over four million views on YouTube.

At the start of the season, UCLA Coach Valorie Kondos Field said that they wondered “How were we gonna top that?” They just did.

With one minute left, Oregon was up by nine points. It wasn’t shocking. Just a minute-and-a-half earlier, they were up by 13 and at some point in the final seven minutes, they even held a 17-point-lead. What was shocking was UCLA‘s win Thursday night.

Bruins Edge Ducks In Final Minute

Despite just firing head coach Steve Alford, the team has gone 3-0 with assistant coach Murry Bartow leading the way. With two minutes and 21 seconds remaining in the game, UCLA senior Prince Ali hit a 3-pointer to ignite a comeback. The team then went on a 21-8 run.

But the UCLA comeback wasn’t without help. Oregon missed all but four of their last 21 shot attempts from the field. The Bruins weren’t perfect either. The win, in the game that went to overtime, was within reach. However — down by three — Jaylen Hands was fouled by Oregon. He sank the first free throw and missed the second on purpose. Chris Smith grabbed the board, laid the ball in, and was also fouled. UCLA was then tied with Oregon. Smith missed the game-winning shot. The game went to overtime.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

UCLA wound up winning 87-84 on Thursday night. The win over their conference rival seemed unlikely but restored some fans’ hopes and also added job security for Bartow. Here’s how they did it:

According to ESPN, the comeback is tied for sixth-largest in the final minutes of a Division I game. The Bruins are now 10-6 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12. Meanwhile, Oregon — the preseason Pac-12 favorite — dropped to 0-2 in the league and 9-6 overall after Thursday’s loss.

Rookie pro quarterback Josh Rosen signed a lucrative four-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday.

Josh Rosen Signs Four-Year Deal With Cardinals

The UCLA product — who was selected 10th overall in this year’s NFL Draft — is set to earn almost $17.8 million as part of the deal, according to NFL.com.

Per NFL.com, Rosen’s deal also includes a signing bonus of approximately $11 million.

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The Cardinals started their three-day rookie minicamp on Friday. Rosen’s deal includes a fifth-year option — just like most first-round rookie contracts — for 2022.

Rosen was one of five quarterbacks to be drafted in the first round this year. A player who suffered several injuries during his time at UCLA, he is the first of the Cardinals’ draft selections to sign an official contract with the team. Rosen drew headlines the day after the first round of the NFL draft, when he said he was furious to have been picked 10th. He even called the nine picks that came before him “mistakes,” before adding he was happy to be chosen by the Cardinals.

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The Cardinals have missed the playoffs for the last two seasons.

Josh Rosen was furious about the fact he was selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday night, and the UCLA quarterback did not shy away from showing how upset he felt.

Josh Rosen Calls First Nine NFL Draft Picks ‘Mistakes’

According to ESPN, Rosen was hoping to be picked in the top three, and slammed the nine selections that came before him when talking to reporters.

“There were nine mistakes ahead of me,” said the UCLA star, who admitted he was “pissed.”

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The Cardinals took Rosen after trading three picks to the Oakland Raiders. Despite how livid he was, the QB added that he truly felt happy when he learned Arizona had chosen him.

“I was really, really angry. I wasn’t really showing it. I was trying to keep calm, cool, composed,” Rosen said, per ESPN. “But I thought I was going to get picked, and I thought I was going to have to put on a face and try and fake happiness. But for some reason, right when I got that call, that’s not what happened. I got really happy and really motivated.”

Rosen continued: “All I wanted to do was basically get on a plane right then and go straight to Arizona and start working. It was definitely a surprise when I got that phone call in terms of the emotions I was feeling. But I think everything happens for a reason.”

Rosen was one of four quarterbacks selected in the top 10, the first time in many years that this many passers were drafted so early. The others were the Browns’ No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, USC’s Sam Darnold, whom the New York Jets took at No. 3, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen, whom the Buffalo Bills picked seventh.

When speaking to reporters, Rosen also said that he hopes to stay with the Cardinals for several years.

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Arizona’s two current quarterbacks are Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon, both of whom signed with the teams in free agency in March. New Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said Bradford is expected to be the team’s starter.

Among the other top first-round picks taken Thursday was Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, whom the New York Giants selected at No. 2.

Just minutes after UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen announced he was declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft, his USC counterpart Sam Darnold said he too would enter the draft.

Sam Darnold 2018 NFL Draft Entry News

Darnold will thus be forgoing his last two years of eligibility with the Trojans. Watch his video announcement on Instagram here:

Darnold’s announcement reportedly came 25 minutes after Rosen’s.

In 2016, Darnold had an amazing freshman season in which he completed 67.2 percent of his throws for 3,086 yards with 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added 250 yards and two scores on the ground.

The 20-year-old California native then recorded 4,143 passing yards, 26 TD tosses and 13 picks across 14 games in 2017. He also had 11 fumbles, which drew criticism about his ability to maintain a solid grip on the ball despite his evidently strong passing prowess.

“His delivery still needs to be cleaned up, but his accuracy is phenomenal,” ESPN’s Todd McShay wrote in November. “He is the most complete quarterback in college football and a potential franchise signal-caller, if he decides to enter the draft.”

In an interview on SportsCenter in July, Darnold said his future was still up in the air, per Max Meyer of NFL.com.

“I don’t think any team should tank their season because of me,” Darnold said. “I’m just taking this every day, one day at a time and that’s all I can do.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSLDJyMjwb8

Stanford wide receiver Francis Owusu completed an amazing one-handed catch early in the third quarter of the Stanford-UCLA game on Thursday night. He ran a double-reverse pass that returned the ball to quarterback Kevin Hogan right before he threw a deep, 41-yard pass to Owusu, despite coverage from a UCLA defender. The catch put the the Stanford Cardinals up 42-17 against the UCLA Bruins.

The construction of the pass was rather complex: running back Christian McCaffrey handed off to fellow RB Bryce Love on an intended sweep, but Love then tossed the ball back to QB Hogan, who lined up out wide at the start of the play. Owusu then caught Hogan’s lobbed pass on Bruin defender Jaleel Wadood‘s back, despite a pass interference from Wadood.

Oddly and coincidentally, wide receiver Kodi Whitfield completed a similar deep-pass touchdown reception, also against UCLA two years ago, in October. Many Stanford Cardinals remembered this pass and were quick to make the comparison. Stanford had practiced this type of play earlier in the week, but it never came anywhere near perfection. The actual game-day catch, however, was spectacular and is being hailed as one of the greatest catches in recent college football history.

The Cardinals defeated the Bruins with a final score of 56-35.

UCLA student Danny Siegel is running for USAC General Representative. And to get his name out there, he decided to create a campaign video, which just happens to have superstar linebacker Myles Jack in it.

But not only is the linebacker present, the candidate also willingly takes a hit from him. And not just a one-on-one bull in the ring type of hit: he allows Jack to get a running start on him.

And what happens is absolutely priceless. Siegel remains on the floor — contemplating why he just did that — and Jack tells the camera to vote for his friend because “if this guy can take a hit from me, he can definitely be your next gen rep.”

Now, while I do not condone political officials being elected for their ability to take a hit, I am completely for these videos being made. Imagine, your local representative put into an armbar by Ronda Rousey or taking a vicious hit from Ray Lewis.

Myles Jack had 164 total tackles, one sack and one interception during his 2014 campaign.