USC and UCLA set to log massive travel miles in 2026 season
TripBalls data shows USC will travel 16,290 round-trip miles and UCLA 13,636 miles for their five away games in 2026, placing them among the nation’s top travel distances.
TripBalls’ 2026 schedule analysis places USC eighth among 138 FBS programs, with 16,290 round-trip miles for five road contests against Rutgers, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana and UCLA. UCLA follows at twelfth, traveling 13,636 miles to face California, Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota and Michigan. The shift of former Pac-12 schools into new conferences drives the high mileage, as Hawaii tops the chart with 37,232 miles for six away games, and Stanford and Cal rank second and sixth after moving to the ACC.
Auburn records the lowest total distance at 2,188 miles, while Rutgers logs the smallest travel load among Power Five teams at 4,084 miles. Overall, all 138 teams will accumulate 1,093,266 miles across 770 trips.
Why it matters
Travel distances affect team logistics, costs and player fatigue, influencing competitive balance.
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