It was bombshell news when the Big Ten announced this summer that UCLA and USC would be joining the conference in two years. Many think this latest edition of athletic conference realignment in higher ed has nothing to do with the wellbeing of students and it’s all about the money for their institutions. Reporter Matt Brown from The Athletic and Arizona State University sports historian Victoria Jackson break down why the conferences have so much power over the historical foundations of American higher education.

This episode made possible with sponsorship from Ascendium Education Group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.