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Big Ten Nears Vote on $2.4 Billion UC Investments Stake in New Commercial Entity

The proposal offers nine‑figure payouts per school to ease pressures from the new revenue‑sharing era.

Overview

  • Presidents are expected to vote as soon as early next week, with unanimous approval required for the plan to proceed.
  • UC Investments, the University of California system's pension fund, is in talks to invest about $2.4 billion for roughly a 10% minority stake with no operational control.
  • The deal would create Big Ten Enterprises to house leaguewide media and sponsorship rights while the conference retains governance authority.
  • Schools would receive at least nine‑figure upfront distributions, with initial payouts and equity shares expected to be slightly tiered and the grant of rights extended to 2046.
  • Sen. Maria Cantwell warned presidents about tax‑exempt and transparency risks, some trustees report limited briefings, and a House bill has been introduced to curb such investor arrangements.