How UCLA's Big Ten Move Instantly Erases Huge Deficit

The Big Ten move will ease the finances for UCLA athletics.

UCLA's athletic department has accumulated a large deficit of $36.6 million from 2023. Despite having one of the most well-known school brands and athletic programs, UCLA has rolled in debt over the last few years.

The good news is this deficit will soon be settled thanks to UCLA's move to the Big Ten, which in itself will give the Bruins an estimated $65-$75 million annually from media rights. This payout was a primary motive for UCLA switching over to the Big Ten alongside USC. Since, Washington and Oregon have also joined the Big Ten.

With the Pac-12 unable to bring in an effective TV deal, UCLA switching to the Big Ten will resolve this issue and bring stability to their athletic department going forward. The Pac-12 had been in talks with Apple TV for a deal that would guarantee about $23 million per year for each school, with the potential to rise with an increase in subscribers. However, this is far below what UCLA will make in the Big Ten, and was too dependent on subscriber counts.

This is not only important for UCLA to keep their athletic programs stable, but help them expand. For a school trying to put more emphasis on their student athletes with increased spending on mental health, nutrition and overall student-athlete welfare, this move could not be more important to keep UCLA athletics running at full speed rather than pulling back, per Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times.

“Like other athletic departments, financial challenges remain as a result of the pandemic which impacted revenue streams such as sponsorships and media rights,” a UCLA athletic department spokesperson said. “In this evolving college landscape, we have continued to emphasize putting our student-athletes first. This includes increasing our investments in student-athlete focused areas including mental health, team travel, nutrition and academic awards. We will always put our student-athletes first and provide a world-class holistic athletic and academic experience.”

Though the move will increase travel spending with the Bruins now having to travel away from the West Coast with way more regularity, the overall financial benefits significantly outweigh this spending increase. Overall, this season points to positive growth for Bruins athletics.