The University of California Board of Regents can’t block UCLA’s move to the Big Ten, but it can potentially make the Bruins suffer.
Experts are wondering if the Board will follow through on its tough talk and translate anger into significant action. This could merely be bluster and a lot of venting in front of the cameras. This might be empty-calorie anger without any real weight behind it.
But: What if this anger is deeper and will be connected to a punitive action by the Board?
Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline has a sense of where this might lead if the Board is serious about punishing UCLA:
Multiple sources believe the regents will explore forcing the Bruins to subsidize Cal’s athletic department, which stands to lose millions annually in Pac-12 distributions because of the loss of the Los Angeles market.
The details of a power move by the regents are unanswerable at this point, including how the money would be redirected.
We aren’t sure they can touch Big Ten revenue; instead, they might have to hit UCLA’s state allocations.
Either way, a loss of revenue for UCLA’s athletic department could carry significant repercussions.
Why? Because the Bruins are already in debt. Huge debt. Colossal debt.
Before COVID, they were facing a multi-year shortfall of approximately $40 million. According to the L.A. Times, the bill has grown to $100 million.
That, not the desire to spend weekends in Iowa City, is why the Bruins are leaving their longtime home for a conference 2,000 miles away.
The massive windfall from joining the Big Ten will allow them, eventually, to climb into the black.
Chancellor Gene Block cares about UCLA’s athletic department only to the extent that he doesn’t have to pay for it. He saw the Big Ten move as a get-out-of-debt card and used it.
But if the Bruins are forced to divert a significant sum annually to Cal, they won’t have the resources to support their programs, including football, at the level required to thrive in the Big…
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