UC Regents Vote to Approve UCLA Move to Big 10, With Conditions
The UCLA Bruins are officially on the move to the Big 10 conference.
Well, they will be for the 2024 season at least.
UCLA received the final stamp of approval Wednesday from the UC board of Regents.
The school issued a statement from Athletic Director Martin Jarmond celebrating the news.
This ends a lengthy saga after the school first announced the intention to leave the Pac-12.
Initially, it was believed that the board of Regents would be unable to prevent UCLA from jumping ship. But further evaluation uncovered that they did in fact have the power to stop the Bruins.
California Governor Gavin Newsom even got involved, threatening UCLA and demanding further explanation.
READ: GAVIN NEWSOM DEMANDS UCLA ‘EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC’ WHY THEY’RE LEAVING FOR THE BIG 10
There were further threats to block the move entirely, which obviously did not come to fruition.
READ: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LEADERS DEBATING WHETHER TO BLOCK UCLA’S MOVE TO THE BIG 10
The approval also ensures that the cross town rivalry with USC remains intact in the Big 10.
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 26: The UCLA flag during the Cactus Bowl college football game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins on December 26, 2017 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.(Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Regents Put Conditions on UCLA
The conference shift is expected to dramatically help the school’s finances, based on disappointing Pac-12 TV revenue.
But the Regents put some extra conditions on their approval that could eat into the financial benefits.
They imposed a ”Cal tax” on the Bruins, essentially requiring them to reimburse Berkeley for possible revenue losses. Since UCLA generates a significant amount of value to the Pac-12's media rights, the Regents determined that it would harm Cal financially.
As both schools are part of the UC system, this had long been considered a possibility.
But it certainly won’t make UCLA's administration happy.
For their part, the conference provided comment to reporter Jon Wilner, saying they remain “incredibly bullish” on the Pac-12.
Posturing aside, this is a massive blow to the conference’s future. The LA schools generate huge amounts of interest and revenue, which will now mostly evaporate.
This was almost always the only likely outcome. Springing the move as a surprise burned the bridge between school and conference.
The Big 10 now adds both teams in the country’s second largest media market. UCLA almost assuredly increases its national standing as well.
But team travel and opponent fit are now major considerations. The Bruins, and Trojans, will now play conference road games in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They could wind up with late November trips to Minnesota or Indiana or Wisconsin and have to deal with brutal weather conditions.
Facing consistent powerhouse programs like Ohio State and Michigan also won’t be easy.
Although they’ll now benefit from the ability to get blown out at home in their final game and still make the playoff by not playing in the conference championship.
Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad, right?