After months in limbo, UCLA finally has the green light to join the Big Ten.
The Bruins’ planned exit from the Pac-12 was officially approved by the University of California Board of Regents on Wednesday, formalizing one of the most seismic conference shifts in the history of college athletics.
UCLA will join the Big Ten alongside crosstown rival USC in the summer of 2024. The move will make the conference the only Power 5 league with teams on both coasts
As part of the move, the Bruins will be required to pay Cal between $2 million and $10 million depending on the terms of the Pac-12’s next media rights agreement. The regents also stipulated that UCLA must make significant financial commitments to the mental and physical well-being of its athletes.
The final vote among the regents was 11-5 in favor of allowing the Bruins to leave under those conditions. UCLA has been a member of the Pac-12 Conference in its various incarnations since 1928; the Trojans have been affiliated with the Pac-12 and its forerunners since 1922.
“We’re excited to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024 and are grateful for the Board of Regents’ thoughtful engagement in this decision,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “The Big Ten offers exciting new competitive opportunities on a bigger national media platform for our student-athletes to compete and showcase their talent.”
The Big Ten agreed to a $1 billion television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC in August, the largest of its kind in college athletics history.
UCLA and USC rank second and third in NCAA history with 140 and 132 team national championships, respectively.
