Moving Right Along

An interview with UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond is more interesting for what he didn't say than what he did. He didn't say anything about the Regents, despite the fact that they have already had two meetings on the UCLA/Big Ten deal and will have another meeting in September. As we have noted in prior blog postings, the practical ability of the Regents to upset the deal - as opposed to the legalities - is very limited. From CBS News:

... "This is about the future and where college athletics is going," UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond told CBS News. "And you've got to operate in a position of strength if you want to excel in this environment, and that's what we intend to do." ...

"One of the challenges we have here on the West Coast is when you have late games, for example, you're not seen on the East Coast and Midwest like we should," he said. "It's like our talent deserts….being a part of a conference that spans from the Pacific to the Atlantic, you're going to have that national platform."

The Big Ten also secured a record TV deal with Fox, CBS and NBC that analysts believe is worth as much as $8 billion over the next seven years, ESPN reported. This means any school under the Big Ten will get a higher distribution from the conference, and it is projected to eventually distribute up to $100 million per year to each of its 16 members.

More money means more power when it comes to recruiting the next generation of the nations' top athletes, according to Jarmond. Especially in the new world of NIL — or name, image, and likeness — deals that have exploded after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that college athletes should be allowed to control and make money off their own brand. The historic move opened doors for athletic programs to connect their players to national brands like Nike, Puma, Door Dash, United Airlines, and more. It has also led to a race among athletic directors and program heads to sign the biggest media deals, in order to bring in more resources.  

"To win, to compete at a high level, it takes resources, period," Jarmond, who is in his third year as UCLA's athletic director, said...

Full story at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ucla-athletic-director-martin-jarmond-future-college-athletics-school-joins-big-ten-conference/. 

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You can hear the text above at the link below:

https://ia801402.us.archive.org/25/items/big-ten/moving%20right%20along.mp3.