UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin on realignment: 'None of it is in the best interest of the student-athlete'
Ben Bolch, Gwinnett Daily Post, 8-17-23
College sports administrators have touted the benefits of conference realignment for their athletes. Increased exposure. Better competition. More money for nutrition, mental health and academic support, not to mention the stability of athletic departments that otherwise might have to cut teams.
Count UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin among those who aren't buying it. Any of it.
"None of it is in the best interest of the student-athlete, no matter what anybody says," Cronin, whose team will compete in the Big Ten starting in the 2024-25 season, said Thursday. "It's in the best interest of more money to cover the bills. That's it."
Cronin pointed to all the athletic departments in the red — a list that includes UCLA, which faces a four-year shortfall of $130.8 million — and the behind-the-scenes accounting that is not widely known as factors sparking so much movement.
"The problem is the public doesn't understand the scope of why it's all even happening," Cronin said. "Like, the public thinks right now that I have the 12 guys on scholarship and they go to UCLA for free. They don't realize the athletic department at UCLA has 25 sports and 700 kids on scholarship that they have to pay the university for those scholarships. That, right there, 99 percent of the people do not know that.
"So why do these schools need all this money? There's about four athletic departments that actually make money in the entire nation because of scholarship bills and budget expenses, so this all happened because of money, that's just a reality. It's not all because of football. And what I would tell you is, this is not the end-all fix. It's far from over." ...
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