Greg McElroy says UCLA got ‘short end of the stick’ on 2024 schedule
The Big Ten released its full list of opponents for its teams for the 2024 and 2025 seasons last week, along with the conference’s protected rivalries. As with anything, many people had many different opinions about the announcement and all different aspects of it.
For ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, there was one team that he believes was dealt the most difficult hand. That program is UCLA.
“UCLA’s got the toughest schedule, just given the travel and some of the challenges,” McElroy said on a recent episode of the Always College Football with Greg McElroy podcast. “We don’t know when these games are going to be played. We don’t know the dates just yet. But I felt like UCLA got the short end of the stick.”
The Bruins have four Big Ten road games in 2024, which will feature some very long flights. UCLA will travel all the way across the country to the Garden State to play at Rutgers. The team will also play at Indiana, at Iowa and at Michigan.
The team will also play a nonconference road game against Hawaii at Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, which will be their longest trip of the year. That game will happen during Week 0, giving them time to recover for the start of the season. The Bruins also play at LSU in Baton Rouge, La., during Week 3.
All the trips will add up to about 26,762 miles of travel.
UCLA’s one protected rivalry game will be against USC. That means that even when the team is scheduled five road games, like they are in 2025, they will only have to make four flights for Big Ten games.
In addition to USC game, which will be held at the Rose Bowl in 2024, the marquee home game for the Bruins in 2024 will be against Ohio State.
USC’s longest trip during its inaugural season in the Big Ten will be against Maryland. The Trojans also have road games against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Penn State in State College, Pa., and Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.
2024 and 2025 Big Ten opponents on UCLA’s schedule
2024 Big Ten opponents for UCLA
at Indianaat Iowaat Michiganvs. Minnesotavs. Nebraskavs. Northwesternvs. Ohio Stateat Rutgersvs. USC*
2025 Big Ten opponents for UCLA
at Illinoisvs. Marylandat Michigan Stateat Nebraskaat Penn Statevs. Purduevs. Rutgersat USC*vs. Wisconsin
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