There was likely no way UCLA’s path to the Big Ten was in any real danger of not being approved, but there were some hurdles along the way to getting the final stamp of approval from the University of California board of regents. Concerns about travel for student-athletes in all of UCLA’s sports was among the primary concerns for the regents, and the impact UCLA’s departure (along with USC) to the Big Ten would have on the stat system’s other Pac-12 school, Cal.
On Wednesday night, the outline for approving UCLA’s official move to the Big Ten in 2024 was put on paper, and it will require UCLA to write a check to the Cal Berkley campus. It is recommended UCLA pay the Berkley campus anywhere between $2 and $10 million, although the exact figure could be revised following the completion of the Pac-12’s next media rights package.
The UC Regents allow UCLA to go to the Big Ten but also outline financial commitments for the Bruins re: athlete well-being and will require UCLA to give $2-5M to Cal: https://t.co/SOXkMCLhsL pic.twitter.com/kAYWjKeRMo
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 15, 2022
The regents’ outline for UCLA also mandated that UCLA work on addressing concerns regarding travel and risks for student-athletes having to travel to Big Ten destinations as often as they will be required once the Bruins join the conference.
So, with the outlined requirements now set in stone, UCLA can once again move forward with anticipating joining the Big Ten beginning in the summer of 2024. All that is left to figure out now is whether or not the big Ten will attempt any other expansion moves. Additional expansion would likely continue to move west of the standard Big Ten footprint, and that would certainly help address UCLA’s travel concerns for the regents.
And if the Big Ten just added Cal, then all of this would have been a massive waste of time.
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) December 15, 2022
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