The news came down on Thursday that sent shockwaves across all of college football.
The University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) decided to leave the PAC-12, joining the Big Ten, effective in 2024.
Lima residents who are also Big Ten fans were shocked to hear the news.
"That really surprised me," said Gary Weber, an Ohio State fan. "We have two teams out on the west coast that want to join, to me that is bizarre."
"That's definitely a long road trip, I think they are going to have their work cut out for them playing in cold weather," said Gary Laduke, a Michigan fan.
The distance between both schools is a topic among many fans — just to put it in perspective — the distance between USC’s Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Horseshoe — is 2,250 miles — or a 33-hour car ride.
The distance between UCLA’s Rose Bowl to Columbus, is 2,238 miles, also a 33-hour car ride.
But even with the distance between teams, fans are excited to see what they can bring to the Big Ten.
"I thought it was fantastic," said Laduke. "I think we can finally compete with the SEC, which is considered a powerhouse with teams like Georgia and Alabama. So I think it's great."
"I think it will definitely be a strong league," said Weber. "Those are two fine teams to take in like that."
And although they will stick with their school through and through, they are looking forward to more high-quality matchups in the Big Ten.
"USC is always good, UCLA is a tough school too," said Weber.
"I just think that UCLA and USC were the best teams in the PAC-12," said Laduke. "It's just going to stiffen the competition in the Big Ten.
