UC to scrutinize UCLA’s Pac-12 exit after Newsom and regents demand clarity on the deal

The University of California announced Thursday it will scrutinize UCLA’s Pac-12 exit and issue a public report on the effect on student-athletes and the ripple effect on UC Berkeley and other campuses. “UCLA must clearly explain to the public how this deal will improve the experience for all its student-athletes, will honor its century-old partnership with UC Berkeley, and will preserve the histories, rivalries, and traditions that enrich our communities.” The decision by UCLA — along with USC — to leave the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten has left Cal and other remaining conference teams reeling over the threat of losing millions in media rights revenue, not to mention the holdovers’ viability as a major player in the rapidly shifting college sports landscape. UCLA’s move to the Big Ten could also affect other UC schools outside the Pac-12 — including Big West members Davis, Irvine, Riverside, Santa Barbara and San Diego. Finally, UC will examine the regents’ policy that allows each university to control its athletics operations, and offer recommendations on policy changes necessary to ensure “proper oversight of major athletics-related decisions.” Newsom and the Legislature have no authority to kill the UCLA deal, because the UC system is constitutionally autonomous.