Governor Gavin Newsom Comes Out Against UCLA's Move From Pac-12 to Big Ten

Newsom claimed that the UC regents were not consulted about the Bruins' decision and only became aware when the news broke to the public.

The Bruins’ move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten has sparked many reactions, and a top state official has finally weighed in on the matter.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was asked about UCLA's impending conference switch in an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles on Thursday. Newsom serves as an ex officio for the Regents of the University of California – the governing board of the entire UC system, including UCLA – and claimed that he was not made aware of the move until the rest of the public was.

"No big deal – governor, state of California – but maybe a bigger deal is I'm chair of the UC regents and I read about it," Newsom said. "It was done in isolation, it was done without any regental oversight or support, it was done without any consideration, to my knowledge."

One factor in the Bruins' decision to join the Big Ten was the significant boost in media revenue, with several outlets estimating that each school will earn over $100 million annually once UCLA and USC enter the equation. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 losing its hold on the Los Angeles market ahead of its pivotal media rights negotiations is projected to severely limit how much the remaining schools will make in the years ahead.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of those remaining Pac-12 schools that will see its athletic earning potential take a dip as a result of UCLA's decision. The Bruins and Golden Bears have not only been members of the same wider public education system for a century, but the same athletic conference as well.

Newsom addressed that Cal – and even the other UCs and private universities like Stanford – could be facing negative repercussions, but assured that his stance against UCLA's upcoming move is centered around the lack of transparency.

"Perhaps there was deep conversation with other chancellors and other presidents about the impact more broadly – not just to the UC system but to other universities including Stanford University and basically the Cal State system," Newsom said. "I have strong opinions about this for no other reason than that as a member of the regents, we were never consulted, never asked for an opinion, and they didn’t even have the decency to provide a heads up."

The Bruins’ move to the Big Ten is on the agenda at the UC regents' upcoming meeting on July 21, according to The Mercury News. However, the possible legal ramifications – if any – are still unclear.

“Trust me when I say this, we’re not going to be looking into it – we are already looking into it,” Newsom said.

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