UCLA to the Big Ten is still happening, now with the backing of the University of California Board of Regents.
The UC Board of Regents met Wednesday to determine whether or not the Bruins would be allowed to depart the Pac-12 — and leave the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) behind — to join the Big Ten.
The board came to the decision that UCLA will indeed be allowed to proceed with its plan to join rival USC in the Big Ten, though that approval is contingent on the Bruins meeting certain recommendations, 11 in total.
Most of those measures are in regard to the health and well-being of UCLA student-athletes, especially when it comes to the extensive travel that will be undertaken with Big Ten membership.
“UCLA will adopt and implement annual plans to mitigate the travel impacts of its membership in the Big Ten Conference,” meeting documentation reads. “Such plans will take into account the competition schedule for each athletic team and shall be designed to reduce the burden of travel on student-athletes to levels comparable to the burden they would have experienced had UCLA continued its membership in the Pac-12 Conference; these mitigation strategies shall also include enhanced education for student-athletes and coaches around sleep, mental health, and physiology, which would guide nutrition, practice, and competition schedules during and after travel.”
There are also requirements for UCLA to provide mental health services to student-athletes, as well as increased nutritional support, academic support and faculty support.
Additionally, UCLA will be required to conduct an annual survey of its student-athletes to determine if all measures have been met and whether or not more support is needed.
The Regents also recommended that UCLA be required to contribute somewhere between $2 million and $5 million to Cal, though the amount wasn’t set in stone Wednesday, with The Mercury News’ Jon Wilner reporting that that subsidy could eventually rise as high as $10 million.
According to multiple reports, the Regents approved UCLA’s move to the Big Ten by an 11-5 vote.
Following the vote, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement, “We are excited to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024 and are grateful for the Board of Regents’ thoughtful engagement in this decision. We’ve always been guided by what is best for our 25 teams and more than 700 student athletes, and the Big Ten offers exciting new competitive opportunities on a bigger national media platform for student-athletes to compete and showcase their talent.”
In a statement provided to The Mercury News, the Pac-12 Conference expressed optimism for its future, sans USC and UCLA.
“Regardless of any determination by the UC Board of Regents, the Pac-12 has been and remains incredibly bullish on the future success and growth of our Conference,” the statement reads. “We look forward to continuing to work together with our membership to provide best-in-class support for our student-athletes and athletic programs athletically and academically, and to lead on the national college athletics stage.”