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UCLA slated to pay Cal $2-10 million to Big Ten without them

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Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

UCLA is officially — for real, this time — heading to the Big Ten after the University of California Board of Regents approved the move Wednesday. But that decision comes with a hefty cost for the Bruins.

UCLA must pay Cal-Berkeley between $2 million and $10 million, the board recommended. Cal-Berkeley is the flagship campus for the University of California system, which UCLA is part of, and the Bruins have to make the payment because they’re leaving without the Golden Bears. The initial recommendation was up to $5 million, but the board approved an amendment to increase the figure to $10 million.

“The President will return to the Regents at a future meeting, after Pac-12 media agreements are finalized, with a recommendation for a contribution by UCLA to the Berkeley campus in the range of $2 million to $5 million, to be used to enhance student-athlete support at that campus,” the board recommended. “Such recommendation will be based on the best available information on projected revenues for both campuses.”

UC Board of Regents approves UCLA decision to leave Pac-12 for Big Ten

The final hurdle between UCLA and a move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten was the University of California Board of Regents. Wednesday, that decision came in.

The board decided to sign off on the decision after going into closed session, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch. That paves the way for the Bruins to join USC in the Big Ten as both teams leave the Pac-12 in 2024. With the approval, UCLA will have to take some mitigation measures regarding travel and the well-being of its athletes, Bolch reported.

Because USC is not part of the UC System, it wasn’t affected by the decision.

Questions rose about what the board would do particularly because of the amount of travel involved and the amount of money the university would spend. The National Collegiate Players Association was among the groups to voice those concerns about joining the Big Ten in a letter to the board last week.