Conference realignment rumors: UCLA’s move to B1G ‘cannot be viewed as a certainty,’ per insider
By Keith Farner
Published:
Conference realignment news continue to unfold out of California, and the latest development comes from the Regents that govern the California system. UCLA’s expected to move to the Big Ten in the summer of 2024 could be hitting a road block.
It appears that the regent discussion centers on who has the power to decide a decision like this, the regents, or the president and athletics director on campus. And also the financial impact on the remaining California and Pac-12 schools, not to mention student-athlete welfare related to increased travel.
Pac-12 insider Jon Wilner reported that, “Given the developments at the UC Regents meeting and clarity over the board’s authority, UCLA’s move to the Big Ten cannot be view as a certainty. I believe the likelihood of a reversal is very low – probably 10-15%. But that’s not 0%.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that regent John Perez said that the regents retained the power to block UCLA’s move.
“All options are on the table,” he said.
“All options are on the table,” Perez repeated, “up to and including that. … We’re going to look at what all the different options look like and then the board will assert itself in terms of what its desired outcome is.”
The regents voiced concerns about UCLA’s unilateral decision, which essentially excluded them from the process, and are expected to vote on the proposal to change the delegation of authority in similar situations during their September meeting.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
