Gavin Newsom Demands Explanation From UCLA for Big Ten Move

Ahead of the UC Board of Regents meeting on Wednesday, California governor Gavin Newsom made it clear that he wants UCLA to provide more reasoning behind its decision to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten with USC.

“The first duty of every public university is to the people—especially students,” Newsom said, via the Los Angeles Times. “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."

The governor previously expressed his thoughts on the situation, admitting that UCLA did not warn or discuss the decision with the board ahead of the announcement. The move especially gets messy due to the fact that UCLA is a public school (USC is private) and part of the University of California school system.

Because of this, Newsom also noted that the board is worried about UCLA’s partnership with UC Berkeley, especially as the conference’s media rights deal will ultimately diminish in value when it loses UCLA in 2024.

The media rights deal is partially why the Bruins decided to leave the Pac-12. UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond previously explained that part of the push for the conference move was based on the athletic department being in “significant debt.” With a new massive media rights deal in the Big Ten expected soon, UCLA will be set to earn a huge chunk of cash every year.