The Pac-12's Collapse: College Sports Teams Now Face Longer Flights to Games

March represents a strange time in the American football schedule, as no games are happening, and the most exciting development in the sport is centered around college players preparing for April's National Football League (NFL) draft. However, this year's NFL draft combine alludes to the large logistical changes coming to college football in the new season coming in the fall, predominantly around the re-shuffling of teams into new divisions in the wake of the Pac-12's collapse.

Historically, teams were scheduled in regional divisions nationwide for each sport, such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the Southeast or the Big Ten in the Midwest. However, recent sponsorship and media rights changes have seen teams change these historical divisions. They are preparing to enter new conferences in the 2024-2025 academic year, causing a logistical headache for athletic directors nationwide.

The following teams will move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten for the 2024-25 season:

• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• University of Oregon
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Washington

These changes will create long journeys for these teams to attend away games. For example, the UCLA football team is preparing to fly over 20,000 miles (32,187 kilometers) across six games this upcoming season, an audacious task for the players.

According to reports, the UCLA traveling football party between coaches, players, and staff is held by around 150 people. The university reports that its move into the Big Ten will create between $4.62 and $5.79 million in additional travel expenses annually. This upcoming season, a non-conference matchup will see UCLA fly 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) each way between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to play against the University of Hawaii. 

UCLA is also attempting to work with cross-town rivals USC to share flights between the West Coast and its away games to reduce the quantity of travel. Hypothetically, this could see the USC men's basketball team and the UCLA women's tennis team fly to Des Moines, Iowa (DSM) on a shared charter if both teams play the Hawkeyes.

Many other schools were impacted in the fall of the Pac-12, causing some to have to travel long distances. The University of California, Berkeley (California) and Stanford University will move to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on the East Coast. Meanwhile, the following universities will move to the Big 12 Conference:

• Arizona State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Utah

According to reports, non-revenue sports will fly commercially, while high-revenue sports will occasionally be able to charter aircraft. Student-athletes are expected to miss a significant amount of their classes. Universities typically allow classroom attention exemptions to student-athletes for road games. However, the distance covered and the vast frequent time changes may affect sleep and recovery efforts during a travel delay. For many of the student-athletes, next season will be as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

The University of Hawaii has been offering advice and assistance to the teams preparing to make these long journeys. The Rainbow Warriors frequently work with Hawaiian Airlines and have become pros in the travel game with decades of long-haul experience. Players have stated that opposing teams do not feel bad for them in the competition, so they can't let the travel get to their heads.