Newsom rails against UCLA’s move to Big Ten as UC Regents meet

Gavin Newsom railed, the UC regents convened and UCLA’s departure to the Big Ten remained squarely within the political realm. But on an eventful Wednesday in San Francisco, nothing instructed the Bruins gained’t soar conferences in the summertime of 2024.

The controversial move, which grew to become official June 30, had been scheduled for dialogue Thursday at a closed session of the University of California Board of Regents.

Instead, it was switched onto Wednesday’s agenda, presumably to match Newsom’s schedule. And he reportedly made a uncommon, however nonetheless acceptable, look. As governor, he’s a Regent Ex Officio (non-voting).

The problem was listed as a dialogue and included no motion merchandise, “thus no vote can be initiated,” in accordance to a UC spokesperson.

But that didn’t cease Newsom from blustering concerning the course of and ramifications of UCLA’s move.

“The first duty of every public university is to the people — especially students,” Newsom mentioned in an announcement published by the L.A. 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.”

Without UCLA and USC anchoring the Pac-12 to the huge Los Angeles media market, the convention is preventing for survival. In a best-case state of affairs, it can stay intact however lose a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} yearly in media rights.

That may create a treacherous state of affairs for Cal, which helps 28 Olympic sports activities and is dependent upon $25 million yearly from central campus to fund athletic operations.

The move can be anticipated to place a heavy burden on UCLA athletes due to the journey calls for that include membership in a convention based mostly within the Eastern and Central time zones.

Michael Drake, the president of the University of California system, was conscious of UCLA’s move prior to it turning into official on June 30 however had no authority to cease it, in accordance to a UC spokesperson, who issued the next assertion to the Hotline earlier this month:

“UCLA leadership informed President Drake that discussions between UCLA and the Big Ten were occurring but he was not involved at all in those discussions or in any negotiations. UCLA remains best positioned to answer your questions as decisions related to athletics are formulated and executed at the campus-level. There is no requirement for a decision from the University of California Board of Regents or the Office of the President.”