In a letter offered to the College of California Board of Regents forward of a closed-door session Thursday to debate UCLA‘s proposed transfer to the Large Ten convention, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff detailed “vital issues” he had with the transfer, together with student-athlete psychological well being, elevated journey and operational prices, and destructive impacts on each Cal’s income and the UC system’s local weather targets.
Klivakoff’s letter was offered in response to a request from the regents for the convention’s perspective on UCLA’s transfer, in line with a supply.
“Regardless of all the reasons made after the very fact, UCLA’s determination to hitch the Large Ten was clearly financially motivated after the UCLA athletic division managed to build up greater than $100 million in debt over the previous three fiscal years,” Kliavkoff wrote.
From there, he made the case the elevated income UCLA will obtain can be fully offset by the elevated prices coming from elevated journey, the necessity for aggressive salaries throughout the Large Ten and recreation assure bills.
“UCLA presently spends roughly 8.1 million per yr on journey for its groups to compete within the Pac-12 convention,” Kliavkoff mentioned. “UCLA will incur a 100% improve in its workforce journey prices if it flies business within the Large Ten (8.1 million improve per yr), a 160% improve if it charters half the time ($13.1 million per yr), and a 290% % improve if it charters each flight ($23 million improve per yr).”
Kliavkoff didn’t cite how these figures had been calculated or point out if there was real perception that UCLA would contemplate constitution journey for groups apart from soccer and basketball.
In keeping with a supply acquainted with UCLA’s inside estimates about elevated journey value, the varsity is working with the expectation that it’s going to spend roughly $6-10 million extra per yr on journey within the Large Ten vs. the Pac-12.
A transfer to the Large Ten, Kliavkoff speculated, would additionally result in UCLA spending extra on salaries to fall in keeping with convention norms. He estimated UCLA would want to extend its athletic division salaries by roughly $15 million for UCLA to achieve the common within the Large Ten.
“Any monetary positive aspects UCLA will obtain by becoming a member of the Large Ten will find yourself going to airline and constitution corporations, directors and coaches’ salaries, and different recipients somewhat than offering any extra assets for student-athletes,” Kliavkoff mentioned.
A spokesperson for UCLA declined remark.
In an interview with the New York Times, U.C. President Michael V. Drake, who was beforehand the president at Ohio State, mentioned, “No choices. I feel all people is gathering data. It is an evolving state of affairs.”
Past the monetary affect for UCLA, which is broadly understood to be the first driving think about UCLA’s transfer to the Large Ten, Kliavkoff mentioned it can additionally harm Cal, which, like UCLA, can be overseen by the UC system. With media rights negotiations ongoing, Kliavkoff mentioned it was tough to reveal the precise affect with out disclosing confidential data, however confirmed the convention is soliciting bids with and with out UCLA within the fold.
Past the monetary part of the added journey, Kliavkoff mentioned “revealed media analysis by the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, research carried out by the NCAA, and discussions with our personal student-athlete leaders,” can have a destructive affect on student-athletes psychological well being and take away from their tutorial pursuits. He added that it will even be a burden for household and alumni to face cross-country journeys to see UCLA’s groups play.
Lastly, Kliavkoff mentioned added journey runs opposite to the UC system’s local weather targets and works towards UCLA’s dedication to “local weather neutrality” by 2025.
