The University of California Board of Regents on Thursday asked for a public review of UCLA’s controversial Pac-12 exit for the Big Ten, including an assessment on how it will affect student-athletes and other UC campuses.
The request came after Gov. Gavin Newsom demanded an explanation from UCLA on its planned move in August 2024 and attended a closed-door regents meeting in San Francisco on the issue Wednesday. He has expressed concern about what he viewed as a lack of transparency by UCLA, which informed UC President Michael V. Drake but did not consult with regents. Only a handful of UC officials were notified just before the decision was announced.
UC Berkeley — the only UC campus that will be left behind in a weakened conference without UCLA and USC — will probably take a big financial hit.
“The first duty of every public university is to the people — especially students,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
Drake’s office will conduct and publicly present a report to the regents on or before Aug. 17. The report will address:
- An assessment of the effect of UCLA joining the Big Ten on UCLA and other UC campuses’ culture, operations and finances.
- An analysis of the effects of a change in conference membership on UCLA’s student-athletes, including how the campus plans to address issues related to travel, competition schedules and academic support.
- A review of the regents’ policy that allows each university to control its athletics operations, and recommendations on policy changes necessary to ensure “proper oversight of major athletics-related decisions.” In 1991, the UC Office of the President delegated authority to campus chancellors to execute their own contracts, including intercollegiate athletic agreements. But board Chair Richard Leib told The Times on Wednesday that the delegation of authority “didn’t necessarily anticipate this type of action.”
The decision by UCLA — along with USC — to leave the Pac-12 Conference has left Cal and other remaining conference teams reeling over the threat of losing millions in media rights revenue, not to mention the holdovers’ viability as a major player in the rapidly shifting college sports landscape.
UCLA and UC Berkeley have declined to comment on the issue.