California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants UCLA to explain its move from the Pac 12 to Big Ten.
On Wednesday, per the Los Angeles Times, Newsom asked UCLA to detail how the shift will benefit its student athletes. He also expressed concerns about the University of California Berkeley, the only UC school left in the Pac 12.
“The first duty of every public university is to the people — especially students,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
UCLA and USC will join the Big Ten in 2024. The realignment will likely deal a major blow to UC Berkeley and other remaining Pac 12 programs.
However, joining a bigger conference will yield more revenue for the Bruins and Trojans. The schools are expected to more than double their earnings in annual media rights.
Ben Chida, Newsom’s principal advisor on education, said the governor realizes those benefits but believes the public university must be more “transparent and accountable.”
“It’s about more than sports and more than money,” Chida said. “It’s about public trust. It’s about student-athlete mental health. And it’s about honoring the partnerships, histories and traditions that have lasted a century.”
Chida added that he was disturbed to see UCLA act like a “private media corporation” during its conference negotiations.