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Group pushes University of California regents to block UCLA's potential move to Big Ten

National College Players Association says additional travel to Big Ten schools would hurt UCLA athletes' academic performance and mental health.

Tom Schad
USA TODAY

A college athlete advocacy group is urging University of California regents to block UCLA's planned move to the Big Ten conference, citing the toll that the additional travel will have on athletes' academic performance and mental health, among other factors.

In a letter addressed to the regents and dated Wednesday, National College Players Association executive director Ramogi Huma described the school's proposed move to the Big Ten as a "short-sighted money grab." He also argued that the move will disproportionately impact Black athletes.

The board of regents is expected to rule on the potential move at a meeting next week.

"A UCLA move to the Big Ten undermines UC’s educational mission," Huma wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

"No matter how much money is generated, UCLA cannot spend its way out of increased travel times for its athletes that will directly reduce UCLA athletes’ ability to keep up with their academics and complete their degree."

UCLA announced in June that it would be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, along with fellow West Coast powerhouse Southern California.

The schools have said the move will bring added stability and national media exposure, though the most substantial benefits would be financial. According to tax records, the Big Ten distributed $48.9 million to each of its member schools during the 2021 fiscal year, while the Pac-12 distributed about $19.8 million. The Big Ten has since signed a new media rights deal worth a reported average of more than $1 billion per year.

While USC is a private school and can switch conferences at its leisure, UCLA must first receive approval from the UC board of regents, which has been discussing the matter for months. UC general counsel Charles Robinson confirmed at a meeting this fall that the regents have the authority to block the move. 

The University of California Board of Regents could block UCLA from moving to the Big Ten.

One significant concern among board members is that UCLA's move would have a negative financial impact on Cal, as the system's flagship school is staying in the Pac-12. Travel is another, as the Big Ten's current member schools are in the Midwest and East Coast.

Huma noted in his letter that, according to a Pac-12 survey, the average conference athlete dedicates 50 hours per week to their sport during the season – a figure that would surely go up with the addition of cross-country flights to schools like Maryland or Rutgers.

He also reasoned that the increased travel could disproportionately hinder the academic performance of Black male athletes, who represent 28% of Black male students at UCLA. White male athletes make up just 2% of white male students at the school.

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"This move would also reduce the ability of UCLA athletes’ family members to attend games," Huma wrote in the letter. "... It will hit the athletes from low-income homes the hardest because their families will not be able to afford airplane tickets and hotel stays to attend games that are on the other side of the country."

UCLA leaders say the additional revenue from a Big Ten move would help the school provide more resources for athletes. They have pledged to add $10 million to the athletic department budget to cover additional academic and mental health resources for athletes, as well as charter flights to limit travel time.

Huma, meanwhile, argues that only a handful of top employees – such as the athletic director and head football coach – would reap most of the financial benefits. A former UCLA football player, he has long been critical of the NCAA and advocated for a revenue-sharing system in which athletes receive a cut of the television revenue that they generate for universities and conferences. 

"Not all money is good money," Huma wrote to the UC board. "The Regents should not let a handful of people sell the soul of the UCLA athletics program for TV dollars that will be spent on luxury boxes in stadiums and lavish salaries for a few."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

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