Big Ten Announces 2025 Media Days Dates, Conveniences UCLA

DeShaun Foster will represent UCLA as the 2025 Big Ten Media Days is moved closer to home.

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Big Ten has officially announced the time and place for its annual football media days. It will hold the three-day event in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel from July 22-24.

This is a massive shift from the conferences' usual home in Indiana as it appears that the Big Ten is committed to earlier statements which they detailed their ambitions of connecting with their West Coast programs.

"This is, obviously, a shift from last year, when the conference held Media Days in Indianapolis. The Pac-12, for the last several years of its existence, held Media Days in Vegas." wrote 247Sports' David Woods. "Given the hotel and convention space in Vegas, this would be a no-brainer as, at least, a regular rotational location for Media Days, if not the sole regular location.

"The next step, obviously, is to get both the Big Ten Tournament and the Big Ten Conference Championship game moved to Las Vegas as well. Then the transformation will be complete."

The move is not unprecedented, as the Pac-12 continues to hold its annual media day in Las Vegas. Alongside the Pac-12 is the Big 12, which held its 2024 media days at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Mountain West, which held its media day in Downtown Las Vegas at the Circa Resort and Casino.

However, it does call into question if the conference is indeed looking to move the Big Ten Championship Game to Las Vegas after its contract with Lucas Oil Stadium expires. The conference has already expressed interest in moving the game to support their West Coast acquisitions, especially after Oregon's victory over Penn State in Indianapolis.

While SoFi Stadium remains an option, considering both USC and UCLA are located near Inglewood, the logistics of Los Angeles International Airport may derail that plan. Both Mandalay Bay and Allegiant Stadium are a five-minute drive away from Harry Reid International Airport, connecting the three properties via Tropicana Avenue.

Las Vegas also has the hotel capacity that Indianapolis has should they move the game west, unlike Los Angeles. While this is an idea, we'll be able to get more clarity from Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti about their intentions during Big Ten media day.

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