Penn State's James Franklin says he embraces Big Ten's addition of USC, UCLA

When Southern California and UCLA sent shockwaves through college sports by announcing their intention to join the Big Ten on Thursday, Penn State officials — from the university president to the baseball and softball coaches — expressed their excitement about the move.

Football coach James Franklin was no different.

“This is another big step in the ever-changing college football landscape and we embrace the change,” Franklin said in a statement released by the university. “USC and UCLA are two institutions with a long-standing tradition of academic and athletic success. They will only strengthen our already very strong Big Ten Conference.”

If history is any guide, Franklin might regret the welcome mat the Nittany Lions laid out for their new conference mates.

In fact, the new rivals might end up being a Trojan horse. (Or a Bruin horse, maybe.)

All-time, Penn State football is 6-10 against USC and UCLA.

The Nittany Lions are 4-6 against the Trojans. The most recent meeting was a 52-49 USC victory in the 2017 Rose Bowl, won on a last-second 46-yard field goal. Freshman Sam Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns.

Penn State also lost to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl in 2009 and 1923. The Nittany Lions beat the Trojans in the 1982 Fiesta Bowl.

Penn State is 2-4 all-time against UCLA, though the teams haven’t faced off since 1968. In that meeting, a 21-6 PSU win, sophomore linebacker Jack Ham blocked a second-quarter punt that was returned for a touchdown. Penn State finished the season 11-0.

Franklin was also rumored as a candidate for the USC head coaching job before he signed a 10-year contract extension with Penn State last year.

As for the Penn State officials higher up the university depth chart than Franklin, they lauded the addition of USC and UCLA for academic reasons.

“This is a thrilling evening for the Big Ten Conference,” university president Neeli Bendapudi said. “We welcome USC and UCLA with open arms as like-minded institutions that are as committed to high GPAs and graduation rates as they are to on-field excellence. It was an easy decision that will build upon our conference’s rich heritage.”

Penn State also released comments from some other prominent figures in the school’s athletic department:

• Incoming athletic director Patrick Kraft: “Penn State University is a proud member of the Big Ten Conference, and we welcome the addition of two world-class universities to our family. USC and UCLA are both synonymous with academic and athletics success and will be tremendous additions to our conference.”

• Men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry: “The Big Ten has long been home to universities that compete at the highest level in both athletics and academics. UCLA and USC are not only two institutions whose values align with the Big Ten, but whose basketball traditions will be great additions to bolster the Big Ten as the nation’s premiere basketball conference.”

• Women’s basketball coach Carolyn Kieger: “The Big Ten is a terrific conference in both academics and athletics. The two new institutions, UCLA and USC, fit that mold exactly. These two schools bring historical success and tradition in women’s basketball. I’m very excited for the future of our league.”

• Women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley: “This is an exciting time for Big Ten women’s volleyball as we add two outstanding programs in UCLA and USC to what is already the best volleyball conference in the country. Their athletic success combined with their reputations as prestigious academic institutions make both schools a perfect fit for the Big Ten. These additions ensure our conference will be strong for years to come. I am happy to welcome both schools to the Big Ten!”

• Women’s soccer coach Erica Dambach: “On behalf of the Penn State Women’s Soccer staff and our student-athletes, we are excited to welcome UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference. Both institutions have strong reputations in academics and athletics, and we could not be more thrilled for them to join our league. From a women’s soccer standpoint, these are two of the top programs nationally and will only help to solidify the Big Ten as THE premier conference in the country.

• Baseball coach Rob Cooper: “The Big Ten has always been committed to competing for national championships, while achieving academic excellence in the classroom. The addition of USC and UCLA further illustrates this commitment. This is an exciting day for the Big Ten.”

• Softball coach Clarisa Crowell: “This is an exciting day for Big Ten softball with the addition of UCLA. Its strong softball tradition will continue to elevate the conference. From an overall conference perspective, the academic excellence at both UCLA and USC are in perfect alignment with the Big Ten. We welcome USC and UCLA to the B1G.”

The university’s most successful coach, Cael Sanderson, was not surveyed, presumably because USC and UCLA don’t have wrestling teams.