This post was updated May 21 at 8:42 p.m.

The 2023-2024 College Football Playoff National Championship was bittersweet.

When the University of Washington faced off against the University of Michigan, it was not a typical game. It marked the end of far more – the death of the Pac-12 Conference.

In 2022, after nearly 100 years in the Pac-12, UCLA made the controversial decision to move to the Big Ten, the oldest Division I collegiate league. Alongside rival school the University of Southern California, UCLA split off from the “Conference of Champions,” leaving behind 10 other universities along the West Coast.

UCLA’s shift to the Big Ten was a surprise to many. However, it was a necessary move. With athletics being one of the most essential parts of UCLA’s identity, the switch ensured the survival of many of UCLA’s athletic programs.

If it weren’t for its decision to leave for the Big Ten, UCLA Athletics’ financial stance likely would have forced it to cut sports from the program, according to a 2022 Los Angeles Times report. The influx of cash that comes with UCLA leaving behind the Pac-12 saved teams that would have been affected.

And an infusion of cash it was. The conference move would bring in $60 million per year for UCLA through the Big Ten’s new media deal.

The initial turnover sparked a wave of movement within the conference. Washington and the University of Oregon chose to follow suit to the Big Ten. Colleges such as Arizona State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Utah and University of Arizona moved to the neighboring league, the Big 12. UC Berkeley and Stanford joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.

UCLA’s move to the Big Ten came at a cost – and a hefty one. The UC Board of Regents’ approval of the university’s departure came with a caveat: “Calimony.”

In a 15-1 vote by the UC Regents, UCLA would have to complete forced payments to Cal. The regents pointed to UCLA’s departure as the first fallen block in the domino effect of the Pac-12’s demise, leading to less profitable migration Cal’s to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Originally set for $60 million over six years, the UC Regents decided upon $30 million over three years to be paid to the UC Berkeley athletic programs. The hope of “Calimony” is to offset the differences in both schools’ respective deals.

“It is anticipated that there will be an approximately $50 million difference between UCLA’s Big Ten contract and UC Berkeley’s agreement with the ACC. As a result, the President is proposing that UCLA contribute $10 million a year to UC Berkeley,” said UC officials in a letter to the UC Regents.

Despite the Board of Regents’ attempts to establish financial equity between the two programs, UCLA’s athletics should not bear the burden of another institution’s shortcomings. The yearly forced payments will limit the resources UCLA can use to serve its own programs to prepare for this unprecedented move.

UC Berkeley’s failure to secure a comparable deal for its athletics program is not the responsibility of UCLA. This would mark the first time that one UC institution would be held responsible for the success of another.

UCLA’s move will welcome a web of complexities.

Seasoned programs such as Michigan, Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University have consistently strong recruiting classes year in and year out. It will be difficult for UCLA to keep up, especially in sports such as football in which Big Ten programs have established prominence. Student-athletes will be traveling from California to the East Coast while also upholding academic standards. All of this will also transpire with the evolving dynamic of name, image and likeness deals in the backdrop.

UCLA needs the $60 million that it will receive from the Big Ten media deal to catch up to the rest of the conference: Revenue generated via ticket sales tells the whole story. In 2022, UCLA generated $17.5 million in revenue from tickets across all sports. Comparatively, Ohio State tallied up $59.6 million, with Michigan right behind it at $55.2 million.

This significant gap in income puts UCLA behind its strongest Big Ten competitors before its first season has even started. Therefore, taking away income from UCLA through “Calimony” only widens this gap.

Despite Cal not making the cut for the Big Ten, it is still keeping its title of being a member of a Power Five conference. In 2022, the ACC was third among the Power Five in revenue, totaling $617 million, and per-school payouts averaging between $37.9 million and $41.3 million. That same year, the Pac-12’s revenue was $580.9 million with per-school payouts at around $37 million.

Look no further than to Cal itself to understand why its athletics are unlikely to suffer. In a 2023 statement, Cal Athletics claimed its transition into full membership of the ACC is more promising than anything else. The ACC has won the most NCAA championships out of any other conference in the last two years, and the share of revenue will be beneficial to both parties.

Cal’s move to the ACC will increase revenue and bring stronger competition to its teams, so why would the university need to take profit away from UCLA?

Keeping up with the Big Ten will be no easy feat for UCLA. Chancellor Gene Block told the UC Regents in 2022 that UCLA expects to spend an additional $10.32 million each year on travel, along with mental health, nutrition and academic support resources for athletes – roughly the same amount being shunted to Cal.

The millions of dollars that will be sent up north should stay within UCLA’s athletic program and be utilized during the transition period.

With the onset of intense conference reorganization, a new recipe for NCAA athletics is here to stay: What will be cooked up is still unknown. But UCLA certainly should not be footing Cal’s restaurant bill.