The Governor Is Annoyed About the Big Ten Decision - Part 2

From the LA Times: California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday demanded that UCLA explain how its Pac-12 exit for the Big Ten will benefit all of its student-athletes and honor its relationship with UC Berkeley — the only UC campus that will be left behind and will likely take a big financial hit in a conference weakened by big-name defections.

“The first duty of every public university is to the people — especially students,” Newsom said in a statement. “UCLA must clearly explain to the public how this deal will improve the experience for all its student-athletes, will honor its century-old partnership with UC Berkeley, and will preserve the histories, rivalries, and traditions that enrich our communities.”

Newsom made an unusual appearance Wednesday at the San Francisco meeting of the UC Board of Regents, where he serves as an ex-officio member, to join the board’s closed-door discussion on the issue.

The decision by UCLA — along with USC — to leave the Pac-12 Conference in August 2024 has left Cal and other remaining conference teams reeling over the threat of losing millions in media rights revenue, not to mention the holdovers’ viability as a major player in the rapidly shifting college sports landscape. UCLA and UC Berkeley have declined comment on the issue.

Last month, when UCLA announced its migration to the Big Ten, university Chancellor Gene Block and athletic director Martin Jarmond touted the move’s ability to secure the financial future of an athletic department facing an unprecedented $102.8-million deficit.

The expected windfall from a new Big Ten media rights deal — which is expected to yield in excess of $1 billion — could more than double the yearly payout the Bruins would have received by remaining in the Pac-12, while sparing the school from a doomsday scenario — the elimination of some Olympic sports teams — it potentially faced by standing pat with diminished resources. As part of the Big Ten, UCLA expects to benefit from increased media exposure while playing in the nation’s only conference spanning coast to coast, boosting recruiting efforts and enhancing the ability of its athletes to secure lucrative name, image and likeness deals...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-20/newsom-demands-ucla-explain-pac-12-exit.

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Our prior post on this story is at:

https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-governor-is-annoyed-about-big-ten.html.