The day after USC and UCLA announced their intent to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, UCLA chancellor Gene Block wrote to University of Washington president Ana Mari Cauce to apologize for not giving prior notice — and said the decision to leave the conference was “personally anguishing,” per a copy of the letter obtained by The Athletic via records request. Here’s what you need to know:
- USC and UCLA shook the college football landscape with their June 30 announcement that they intend to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten before the 2024 football season. The news blindsided Pac-12 leadership, from commissioner George Kliavkoff to the presidents and chancellors who form the league’s governing body.
- Cauce, Washington’s president since 2015, began her term as chair of the Pac-12 executive committee on July 1, one day after the UCLA-USC news broke.
- Block, UCLA’s chancellor since 2007, is not considered to be particularly hands-on with athletics, one of the reasons why the Bruins’ exodus was more surprising than the Trojans’.
Backstory
While USC’s departure has been a certainty since the day it was announced, UCLA’s decision to leave the Pac-12 has been met with at least some resistance by the University of California Board of Regents, which has discussed concerns related to the move on multiple occasions, including at an hours-long public hearing in August.
Advertisement
Topics discussed included the burden and cost of increased travel as well as the impact of UCLA’s departure on Pac-12 media rights revenue — and, therefore, its impact on UC system member California. Kliavkoff outlined those concerns and more in a letter sent to the Regents, obtained and reported by the New York Times, in support of the board reversing UCLA’s decision.
Block told the Regents in November that without the cash infusion from joining the Big Ten, the school would have to tighten its athletics budget and “likely” cut programs, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel reported.
UCLA chancellor Gene Block says if not for the Big Ten $$ infusion they would have to tighten their athletic budget, which "likely" would include cutting sports. Athletic department has been running a considerable deficit in recent years.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 17, 2022
The UC Regents have scheduled a special meeting for Dec. 14 to announce whether they will take any action to prevent UCLA’s move to the Big Ten.
Block’s message to Cauce
That Block felt compelled to apologize for the lack of transparency illustrates the generally congenial relationship among Pac-12 campus leaders, and his message sheds light on the bittersweet feelings generated by UCLA’s departure.
Block wrote to Cauce, in part: “I wanted to send you a personal note to express my sincere apologies that I was unable to share information with you before the public announcement. I am truly sorry about this.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for UCLA — and personally anguishing. I and many others in our Bruin community greatly enjoy the traditions and friendly rivalries that exist within our conference. I want to express the deep respect that I have for you, our other Pac-12 colleagues, and for the conference leadership.”
Advertisement
Cauce responded, in part: “This was tough all around, but friendship first! You’ve been a great colleague, and often a mentor. That hasn’t changed and [I] look forward to continuing our dinners and dialogues at AAU, APRU and maybe even the UW-UCLA game — there will be more to come.”
San Diego State reaches out
The same day Cauce received Block’s note about leaving the conference, Washington’s president also received an email from the leader of a potential Pac-12 expansion candidate: San Diego State president Adela de la Torre, who wanted to discuss “possible opportunities.”
While vacationing in Hawaii, de la Torre wrote to Cauce, in part, that she was surprised to hear of the USC-UCLA news, and “recognize that no doubt this is requiring quite a bit of soul searching within your conference. Nonetheless, I wanted to reach out to you as with every change in this athletic landscape does come new opportunities. I was hoping to see if we could set a time to discuss these possible opportunities.”
Cauce responded, records show, to arrange a time to speak.
The Pac-12 announced the same day that it would explore expansion opportunities in light of the USC-UCLA news, and San Diego State is widely considered among the most likely targets should the conference add new members.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)