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USC basketball coach Eric Musselman is the latest leader at a former PAC-12 program to complain about travel in the Big Ten. He spoke on the disadvantages his team faces when taking cross-country trips for league play.
It was an issue that many expected upon seeing the Trojans bail for a new conference alongside Oregon, UCLA, and Washington. For that reason, not many have shown much sympathy.
The PAC-12 imploded due to an inability to secure a major television contract. Ten of the 12 members bolted for new leagues (and more money), which included the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12. That meant no longer would competition be contained to the West Coast. Now, those defectors would be forced to play schools in the Southwest, Midwest, and East Coast on an annual basis.
For a sport like basketball, which plays multiple contests a week, scheduling is tricky. In many cases, accommodations are made to cut down on the stresses of travel. Still, not all can be alleviated.
The Trojans’ most recent road trip included back-to-back games at Rutgers and Maryland. USC lost both by double digits to fall to 14-13 on the season.
On the year, the program is 2-5 in road games against conference rivals not located on the West Coast. Head coach Eric Musselman commented on the struggles following his latest defeat.
#USC HC Eric Musselman didn’t quite go on a Mick Cronin rant following the East Coast swing to #Maryland and #Rutgers, but he was not happy with the trip and the effect it had on his team.
“[The West Coast teams], we’re in the hole 2-4 games based on travel.” pic.twitter.com/U5AE98zh0b
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) February 24, 2025
His gripe isn’t with travel alone, but also with the fact that those teams flying in the opposite direction have more time to get acclimated with the change. They also have the luxury of staying in Los Angeles for back-to-back matchups with UCLA and USC as opposed to making two different stops during their cross-country trips.
He’s not the first coach to speak on the topic. Bruins headman Mick Cronin voiced similar complaints last month.
Another banger here. Mick Cronin was asked if Big Ten teams coming to LA “experience a wear and tear”: pic.twitter.com/2ugb25xeBg
— Aaron Heisen (@aaron_heisen) January 18, 2025
It’s worth noting that coaches are not to blame for realignment. Cronin, in fact, has been outspoken on the issue, even before the move into the Big Ten was made official.
Eric Musselman, however, was at Arkansas when these realignment plans were unveiled. He knew about the scheduling disadvantages prior to accepting the job.
He could’ve easily stayed in the SEC where the travel is localized. He opted to spurn the Razorbacks while taking on a role with this added drawback. His point may be true, but not many are feeling bad for Musselman and the Trojans.