LOS ANGELES — The University of California Regents on Wednesday cleared the way in which for UCLA to hitch the Big Ten – with conditions.
UCLA, now set to depart the Pac-12 in 2024, can be required to spent $11 million to $12 million a 12 months on enhanced academic preparation, nutrition and mental health services for its athletes and $2 million to $10 million a 12 months for University of California, Berkeley, a sister school of UCLA.
A 11-5 vote by the UC Regents in favor of move was the ultimate step needed for UCLA’s move to the Big Ten, which is expected to lead to tens of tens of millions of dollars more a 12 months for the varsity.
The regents met in closed session for greater than an hour before voting at a conference center.
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In June, UCLA and Southern California announced they each were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. USC, a non-public school, faced no public hurdles. The situation proved far different for UCLA, a public school that is an element of University of California system.
Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out after UCLA’s announcement.
“It was done in isolation, it was kept away from any regental oversight or support, it was done as a right, to my knowledge,’’ Newsom, an ex officio for the Regents, told Fox 11 Los Angeles in July.
He demanded a proof from UCLA about how the deal would improve the experience from its athletes and impact its sister school, the University of California at Berkeley.
UCLA’s exit from the Pac-12 is anticipated to scale back the worth of the conference’s TV rights deal because it’ll be losing the Los Angeles market. In consequence, Cal and other Pac-12 schools would receive less money.
The financial fortunes look far different for UCLA because the athletic department manages a three-year, $100 million debt.
Projections show UCLA could increase its annual take from media rights by tens of tens of millions of dollars, with Big Ten schools having received $48.9 million each throughout the 2021 fiscal 12 months and Pac-12 schools having received $19.8 million over that very same time period, in keeping with fiscal reports
But critics have called the move a money grab and a few argue the travel to Big Ten schools within the East and Midwest would increase stress on athletes and potentially harm their mental health and academic performance.
Legendary UCLA basketball player Bill Walton publicly opposed the move, citing the negative impact on the health, each physical and mental, of UCLA’s athletes.
“I don’t consider that joining the Big 10 is in the very best interest of UCLA, it’s students, its athletes, it’s alumni, its fans, the remainder of the UC System, the State of California, or the world at large,’’ Walton said.
Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA football player and executive director of National College Players Association, assailed the move.
In a letter to the UC Regents, Huma wrote, “Irrespective of how much money is generated, UCLA cannot spend its way out of increased travel times for its athletes that may directly reduce UCLA athletes’ ability to maintain up with their academics and complete their degree.”
But Tyrone C. Howard, a UCLA professor of education who is also director of the UCLA Black Male Institute, expressed support for the move.
“If there’s worry in regards to the move harming Black male student athletes, that’s cause for a much deeper and different discussion, because they face more complex challenges than which conference their school is in,’’ said Howard, who argued the extra media revenue would allow the varsity to offer more resources for its athletes.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond received almost 4 dozen offended emails in the times following the announced move, in keeping with the Latest York Times.
Contributing: Tom Schad
