California Could Attempt to Block UCLA’s Move to Big Ten

The state of California may try to keep UCLA in the Pac-12.

The school plans to leave for the Big Ten in 2024, along with longtime rival USC, but didn’t provide advance notice to the University of California Board of Regents, which governs the University of California school system.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who chairs the Board of Regents, said that the state is looking into legal action related to UCLA’s departure.

• Newsom said the state was investigating potential actions it could take within “minutes of reading about [UCLA leaving for the Big Ten] in the newspaper.”
• The Board of Regents plans to meet to discuss potential litigation — and the possibility that the Board itself could be the subject of legal action due to UCLA’s departure.
• UCLA likely did not require formal approval by the Board of Regents and reportedly had support for the move among some members.

UCLA’s departure could also be damaging to the University of California, Berkeley. 

Big Draw

Should UCLA complete its move to the Big Ten, the move could be a very profitable one. One source told Front Office Sports that the addition of UCLA and USC could increase the conference’s $1 billion media rights by 10% to 25%. 

The two schools could also raise ticket prices by 25% to 30%.