Urban Meyer isn’t officially back on TV covering the Big Ten yet, but he’s got opinions on what the recent news of Big Ten expansion means and whether or not it’s a good thing.
The former Ohio State head coach, who has said he’s planning a return to Fox Sports as part of their college football coverage, stopped by the Big Ten Network on Thursday to discuss the seismic news that USC and UCLA would be joining the Big Ten in 2024.
While he hasn’t always been a fan of conference realignment, Meyer says that this move makes sense.
Some conference realignment doesn't make a lot of sense. @UCLAAthletics and @USC_Athletics to the @bigten is not an example of that.@CoachUrbanMeyer tells @BTNDaveRevsine why he loves the additions ⬇️ . pic.twitter.com/rSE9B4BfGH
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 1, 2022
“I’ve seen conference realignment like we all have over the years, and to be quite honest with you, it didn’t make a lot of sense, where this school is going to jump to this conference and there’s not really a rivalry there, there’s not a foundation for recruiting, but this one makes sense to me,” Meyer said.
Of course, you have to take these things with a grain of salt considering Meyer and the network he’s being interviewed by both have a vested interest in this news being perceived as positive.
“There are some great, great football players in Los Angeles,” said Meyer. “That, when USC and UCLA are down a little bit, you can go cherry-pick them a little bit. But now you’re going to see the floodgates open up in my opinion because now those families will be able to see their sons play. It makes a lot of sense to me. And academically, reputation, and there are natural rivalries between UCLA, USC, and the Big Ten Conference.”
Meyer’s name was linked to USC as a potential coaching candidate before the school hired Lincoln Riley. And even when he returns to the TV studio, the three-time national champion is sure to be on everyone’s shortlist should he decide to come out of retirement, no matter how badly things went in the NFL.
[BTN]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.