The UCLA Bruins football program is in an apocalyptic state, and their former conference in the Pac-12 isn’t missing the opportunity to add insult to injury on social media.
UCLA suffered an embarrassing loss to New Mexico on Friday night at a Rose Bowl that looked like it was 90% empty. After adding high-profile Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava as their starting quarterback, the Bruins have had a dreadful start to the season. After beginning with a blowout 43-10 loss to Utah, UCLA then fell on the road at UNLV by a score of 30-23. Then came the New Mexico game.
UCLA entered as two touchdown favorites against the Lobos, and somehow got annihilated 35-10 in their own backyard. And the Pac-12 was eager to not let them forget that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
UCLA left the Pac-12 along with Los Angeles rivals USC in 2022 for the Big Ten. The move was the first domino to fall in the dissolution of the Pac-12. When the conference couldn’t secure a media deal, everyone except for Washington State and Oregon State abandoned ship. The remaining two schools have somehow resurrected the Pac-12 by adding Group of Five schools and will be full for the 2026 season.
Head coach DeShaun Foster is in his second season with the Bruins. But after going 5-7 last season, the bottom has fallen out of the program. UCLA hasn’t won a conference title since 1998, fans aren’t showing up, and now the Bruins might just be happy if they can get a solitary victory in 2025.
With their football future looking so bleak, would the Pac-12 even welcome them back at this point?
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