USC Trojans' Historic Big Ten Payout Is Only the Beginning

The USC Trojans made one of the biggest conference realignment moves in recent college sports history leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten alongside the UCLA Bruins, and the controversial move has led to record payouts.

With Oregon and Washington in the fold as well, the Big Ten's $1.37 billion paid out to its 18 conference members for the 2024-25 academic year is the largest figure in the history of college sports media distributions. The addition of USC, as well as the three other West Coast programs, is already paying off for the conference.

usc trojans lincoln riley big ten payout media revenue record college football playoff jayden maiava ohio state buckeyes — Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) is stopped by USC Trojans defensive tackle Keeshawn Silver (9) at the 7-yard line in the first half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Full members of the conference received between $76-79.9 million, and the Ohio State Buckeyes led the way with $91.57 million after winning the national championship.

USC Trojans Haven't Reached Full Potential in the Big Ten

USC and UCLA's move to the Big Ten was announced in June 2022 before the teams officially joined the conference before the 2024-25 school year. In the summer of 2023, Oregon and Washington were welcomed into the Big Ten under the condition of receiving a half share of the conference's revenue payouts.

USC Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley was hired by the school on Nov. 28, 2021, and the program is seemingly on its way to unlocking its full potential with a more aggressive recruiting approach. Riley already has a Heisman Trophy winner under his belt at USC at Caleb Williams, but the Trojans have not been a consistent contender for Big Ten or national titles in recent seasons.

If the Trojans do catch their stride on the gridiron, the potential increase in USC's value to the Big Ten could lead to more record-breaking numbers.

The conference already captured the Los Angeles market when adding USC and UCLA, but the Trojans themselves have shown that they can dominate a crowded sports city when competing for championships.

Riley and company might not be there yet, but the future looks bright for USC. The Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 while also retaining key pieces on the roster, including quarterback Jayden Maiava and the entire starting offensive line.

Big Ten's Record-Breaking Revenue

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the $1.37 billion in Big Ten revenue is close to a $500 million increase from the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, the Big Ten outpaced the SEC, which paid out over $1 billion.

Before USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington joined the Big Ten, the conference signed a seven-year media deal with Fox, CBS, and NBC, and the decision to split up media rights has seemingly been a lucrative one. When the new deal went into effect, the conference was projected to reach payouts between $80-100 million.

College Football Playoff Success

In year three, those figures have already been reached. With the success of Ohio State and Indiana in the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten's postseason payouts have also become a steady source of income for the conference.

The recent revenue reported by the Big Ten reflects the season in which the Buckeyes won the national championship and Penn State reached the semifinal. More recently, Indiana ran the table in the College Football Playoff while Oregon and Ohio State reached the 12-team field for the second consecutive year.

Can USC play their way into the CFP and boost the Big Ten's profile even higher?

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