Governor Gavin Newsom Publicly Demands UCLA Explain Pac-12 to Big Ten Move

After complaining to the media a week earlier, Newsom has made an official statement requesting a response from the Bruins.

New remarks from a top state figure have continued the discussion around the Bruins’ move to the Big Ten.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has spoken about UCLA’s conference switch from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten for the second time in a week. This time, the Bay Area native and an ex officio member of the Board of Regents for the University of California released a statement following the regents' meeting Wednesday.

“The first duty of every public university is to the people – especially students,” Newsom's statement read. “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.”

The wider benefits of UCLA joining the Big Ten have been reported extensively since the move became public at the end of June. As an incoming member of the Big Ten, the Bruins are projected to earn over $100 million annually in conference payouts alone, more than three times what they were making in the Pac-12.

That boost could prevent the school from cutting multiple Olympic sports, according Athletic Director Martin Jarmond told the Los Angeles Times.

Cal also features at the center of Newsom’s arguments regarding the situation. The Bruins and Golden Bears have been academically linked since UCLA’s creation in 1919, on top of the two schools being historic West Coast sports foes.

With UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 behind, each remaining member school will make far less money in conference payouts – including Cal.

Newsom spoke to Fox 11 Los Angeles about the Bruins decision on July 14, expressing his displeasure with the school’s choice. Throughout the interview, Newsom — who has been the governor since 2019 — repeatedly referenced the secretive nature of the negotiations around UCLA and USC’s choice.

"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 on July 14. "It was done in isolation, it was done without any regental oversight or support, it was done without any consideration, to my knowledge."

The UC regents do not appear to have any legal right to stop UCLA’s conference change. The Associated Press reported Thursday that, in 1991, the UC Office of the President delegated the authority to execute individual contracts – including intercollegiate athletic agreements – to campus chancellors.

Unless rules set by the UC president are changed, Newsom’s plea should not hold any legal ramifications regarding Jarmond or UCLA chancellor Gene Block.

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