LOS ANGELES — The University of California Board of Regents is expected to adopt a recommendation that UCLA pay the University of California at Berkeley $10 million a year for six years following the impending move and demise of the Big Ten Bruins. Pac-12.
The recommendation was made by UC President Michael Drake and will be voted on Tuesday during a regents meeting at UC Merced.
For the Regents to secure UCLA’s move to the Big Ten in December, 2022, the university agreed to pay UC Berkeley $2 million to $10 million because of how the move would affect the Cal athletic program.
Cal agreed to join the Atlantic Coast Conference last year after the Pac-12 couldn’t negotiate a media deal, leaving eight of its members.
In addition to the increased travel costs, Cal will see a reduction in the ACC’s media rights contract.
According to a report from UC’s president, the difference between UCLA’s annual media rights distribution from the Big Ten and UC Berkeley’s share from the ACC will be about $50 million per year.
Drake is also recommending that if there is a significant change in revenue and/or spending for either school, exceeding the 2024-25 projection of 10%, UCLA’s contribution may be reevaluated by the regents.
UCLA and the University of Southern California announced on June 30, 2022 that they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. USC is private and not part of the UC system.
The regents became involved shortly after the announcement when Democratic governor Gavin Newsom criticized UCLA’s move because Chancellor Gene Block and athletic director Martin Germond did not give the regents advance notice.
In 1991, campus chancellors were delegated authority by the UC Office of the President to execute their own agreements, including intercollegiate athletic agreements. But the regents heard at an August 2022 meeting that they retain the power to review decisions affecting the UC system, meaning they can confirm, overturn or refrain from following UCLA’s decisions.
The regents voted to move forward with the measure four months later. In addition to paying its sister schools, UCLA has agreed to make more investments for athletes, including nutritional support, mental health services, academic support during travel and charter flights to reduce travel time.
“From the beginning we said we understood we had to help Berkeley. We’re OK with that and glad it’s resolved,” Block said after the regents approved the move.
