UCLA cleared a major hurdle toward joining the Big Ten Conference in 2024, getting approval for the move from the University of California Board of Regents on Wednesday.
The regents voted 11-5 to affirm the Bruins’ move during a special meeting on the university’s Westwood campus. A simple majority was needed to pass.
The regents imposed conditions to mitigate the impact of the move on athletes, including UCLA investing an additional $12 million in nutritional support, mental health services, academic support while traveling, and charter flights to reduce travel time. UCLA also will have to pay Cal between $2 million and $10 million because of how the move will affect the Cal athletic program.
UCLA and USC announced June 30 that they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. USC is a private school.
College football: Cal linebacker Jackson Sirmon announced he will return for his final season in 2023. Sirmon, who played four seasons at Washington, was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022 as he led the Bears and was third in the conference with 104 tackles.
The son of Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, Jackson Sirmon scored the go-ahead touchdown in Cal’s 27-20 Big Game win over Stanford on a 37-yard fumble return.
— Steve Kroner
• Mississippi State is promoting defensive coordinator Zach Arnett to head coach to replace Mike Leach, who died of a heart condition this week.
College basketball: Former Arizona head coach Sean Miller escaped sanctions when a report from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process largely accepted the program’s…
