Leaks or speculation

More leaks (or speculation?) on what happened behind closed doors at the Regents last week concerning the sports realignment involving UC-Berkeley and UCLA. From the Mercury News:

The University of California regents did not finalize the so-called Berkeley tax when they gathered Thursday at UCLA, but they made plans to wade deeper into the world of college sports. Much, much deeper.

The regents have created a special committee designed to “assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities for oversight of intercollegiate athletics programs,” according to the website... As the schools prepare to enter new conferences next season, their governing board is expected to require UCLA to provide Cal with financial support. The amount has not been determined. Nor have the regents offered a clear timeline for resolution to the controversial issue, which amounts to an unprecedented subsidy between UC athletic departments...

The regents met Thursday in closed session to discuss what the agenda described as “UC Berkeley Atlantic Coast Conference Membership.” No details were provided after the fact, but the board’s upcoming calendar now includes an Oct. 11 meeting of a “special committee on athletics.”* The special committee, which was approved in May, has a two-year charter. Regent Jose Hernandez, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific and a masters from UCSB, will serve as the chair of the seven-personal committee. Chancellors Gene Block (UCLA), Carol Christ (Cal) and Gary May (UC Davis) will advise.

...There is nothing in the charter about the so-called Berkeley tax, by which UCLA would funnel millions of dollars in Big Ten revenue to the Bears as a “contribution” to their athletic department. And the University of California’s office for strategic communications did not respond to a request for comment on the committee’s role in crafting the subsidy. But sources expect the committee to delve into the issue... 

Full story at https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/09/22/uc-regents-meet-mull-confer-and-ultimately-decide-to-take-more-control-of-cal-ucla-athletics/.

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*Note: The October 11th date was already calendared for the Health Services Committee (at UC-San Francisco).