RUMOR: Big Ten Championship Game Could Leave Indianapolis, Convenience UCLA

The Big Ten appears to be looking to move the conference's football title game, setting up a potential scenario where UCLA competes close to home.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL invaded Indianapolis, Indiana this past week as their annual NFL Combine event took place at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts and the Big Ten Championship Game.

Speaking with people around the combine, there is a strong belief that once the Big Ten's agreement with Lucas Oil Stadium expires, the conference will move the game to Las Vegas to be played at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The general consensus is that the Big Ten is looking at Las Vegas as the perfect bridge between their West Coast programs and their Midwest/East Coast programs. Like Indianapolis, Las Vegas has more than enough hotel rooms to accommodate the game, a notable nightlife and a stadium within walking distance of where traveling fans would be residing.

While other venues were alleged to have been explored, Las Vegas serves as an ideal hub, considering Harry Reid International Airport, the main airport for Las Vegas, has direct flights connecting to the fan bases of teams within the conference. It also has the transportation infrastructure to support such an influx of fans.

It is unknown at this time if a potential move of the game would be permanent and if the Big Ten would sever ties with Indianapolis. There is also a school of thought that the Big Ten could be using a potential move to leverage future negotiations with Indianapolis over hosting the game, but no solid information is available at this time.

The conference has already made a move into the southern Nevada region, hosting its football media days at Mandalay Bay in 2025, a departure from their usual place, Lucas Oil Stadium.

Lucas Oil Stadium holds the rights to host the game until 2028, but the Big Ten has already publicly expressed a desire to seek a new location.

"We're really comfortable with the decision to stay, in football, here in Indianapolis for the next four seasons," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a release. "We think it's the right thing to do. Having said that, I think you're gonna see us begin to expand."

If the game does move to Vegas, that puts the Big Ten title game nearly a one-hour flight away from UCLA's campus.

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