Earlier this offseason the University of California, Los Angeles stunned the college football world, announcing it’s leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. USC also joined in on the conference realignment.
The Pac-12 was reportedly blindsided by the move. Even top college football insiders were unaware discussions were even being held.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, believe it or not, was also left in the dark.
Newsom had to read about it like everybody else.
“It was done without any regents’ oversight or support. It was done without any consideration, to my knowledge,” Newsom told Fox 11’s Elex Michaelson Thursday.
It’s not too often someone with so much power in a government office is left in the dark. But such is the state of college football right now.
The fact that both USC and UCLA kept these conversations with the Big Ten private is unfathomable. Props to both universities for keeping this all behind closed doors.
Newsom and the UC regents, meanwhile, don’t sound too happy.