UC regents approve UCLA's Big Ten move, include conditions

WESTWOOD, Calif. — UCLA is officially heading to the Big Ten after receiving approval from the University of California regents Wednesday, but the approval comes with stipulations.

More than five months after the Bruins, alongside USC, announced their shocking intention to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, the UC board of regents chair and UCOP president recommended allowing UCLA to continue its move to the Big Ten in a special meeting Wednesday on UCLA's campus. The board of regents approved the move by a vote of 11-5.

«We looked at the reality of where we are and what the alternatives were,» board of regents chair Rich Leib said. «And I think in the end we just decided that the best thing to do is the way we did it, which is conditions, but allow them to go.»

As part of the board's decision, UCLA will have to increase its expected investment in student-athlete resources and might have to provide a subsidy to the University of California, Berkeley in the range of $2 million to $10 million once a Pac-12 media deal is secured, depending on the amount of the deal. A UCOP spokesperson said the frequency of the subsidy to UC Berkeley is yet to be determined.

The board included other conditions for UCLA to address the impact of the move on athletes, including funds for academic support, nutritional support and mental health services.

According to the letter to the regents, the subsidy to UC Berkeley would be to «enhance student-athlete support on that campus.»

«Berkeley really took a hit by UCLA leaving,» Leib said. «They suffered quite a bit. We don't know how much, but we felt it was important… that we somehow make Berkeley, maybe not whole, but at least help them in that situation.»

Leib said the board is allowed