After successful Big Ten debut, UCLA eyes something bigger

It’s a chaotic time in college sports, the rules seeming to change daily and some athletes making nearly as much money as their coaches.

At UCLA, the revenue-sharing era officially starts Friday. Athletes will undoubtedly keep refreshing their PayPal accounts to check for that first payment from the pot of $20.5 million that will be distributed in the first year.

Meanwhile, Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond will be keeping tabs on another bottom line — following up a successful Big Ten debut with something far bigger.

Having tallied 10 conference championships between the Big Ten and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — more than any other Big Ten school — UCLA could be poised for a breakthrough in its two marquee sports as part of a potentially historic year across the board for its athletic department.

The football team landed transfer Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee and the men’s basketball team brought in Donovan Dent from New Mexico, giving UCLA perhaps its best quarterback-point guard combination since Josh Rosen and Lonzo Ball nearly a decade ago.

“If you look at our athletic program,” Jarmond, who recently completed his fifth year on the job, told The Times, “there’s an energy and buzz that I feel we haven’t had since I’ve been here, and that’s why I’m most positive now.”

At a recent player-run practice on campus, Jarmond watched Iamaleava step up in the pocket and fire a 50-yard pass down the sideline to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer.

“Nico made a play that I don’t know how many other guys in the country could make,” Jarmond said, “and I was like, ‘whoa.’ Like, that’s pretty cool, you know?”

There’s lots of intrigue to behold in Westwood these days.

Fresh off a Final Four run, the women’s basketball team bolstered itself with the additions of sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, a highly coveted transfer from Utah, and freshman Sienna Betts, the younger sister of All-America center Lauren Betts. Oh, and don’t forget that softball slugger Megan Grant will make Pauley Pavilion a second home as part of her bid to become a two-sport standout.

Grant will also once again combine with Jordan Woolery as perhaps the nation’s top-hitting duo in their bid to help the softball team not only make it back to the Women’s College World Series but win the whole thing this time.

The baseball team that just made the College World Series is bringing back shortstop Roch Cholowsky, the probable No. 1 pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, and recently learned that high school pitcher Angel Cervantes will play for the Bruins next season instead of the Pittsburgh Pirates after contract negotiations ended with the recent draftee. Jarmond said he was confident the team could continue to play at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 2026 after a judge issued a stay of legal proceedings that threatened to force the Bruins to go elsewhere.

The men’s water polo team will try to defend its national championship with Ryder Dodd trying to top a season in which the freshman scored a MPSF-record 102 goals.

After finishing as runner-up to national champion Oklahoma, the women’s gymnastics team will welcome a top recruiting class plus the return of two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles.

Jarmond said he appreciates working for a university administration that understands the importance of supporting a strong Olympic sports program, particularly with the 2028 Summer Olympics headed to Los Angeles.

“This is the time to continue to invest in our Olympic sports and make sure that we have the excellence that UCLA is known for,” Jarmond said, “and we’re going to uphold that tradition.”

Unlike other schools that have imposed student fees to help offset rising athletic department costs upon the onset of revenue sharing, UCLA officials have not discussed such a move, Jarmond said. The Bruins will instead focus on revenue generation through fundraising, ticket sales, sponsorships and new creative endeavors.

The school plans to partner with an outside firm to help its athletes with content creation to boost their social media following, making them more attractive to brands that could hire them for name, image and likeness deals.

Jarmond said he’s not aware of any NIL deals involving UCLA athletes being rejected by the new College Sports Commission, though there remains a backlog of deals under review. Deals of $600 or more are evaluated by a clearinghouse called NIL Go to ensure they represent fair market value and a legitimate business purpose.

UCLA football coach Deshaun Foster speaks to reporters during Big Ten media days in Las Vegas.

(Louis Grasse / Getty Images)

The role of collectives in offering additional compensation to athletes beyond revenue sharing continues to evolve as part of a shift away from what was previously considered a hard cap on earnings.

“I’m optimistic that it’s going to work out,” Jarmond said of maximizing earnings opportunities for athletes. “I’m optimistic that we will adapt to whatever situation that presents itself based on hard cap, soft cap, whatever cap.”

UCLA is also strengthening the infrastructure of its men’s and women’s basketball teams with the hiring of an assistant general manager for each sport to help with recruiting and navigating the transfer portal.

When it comes to revenue sharing payments, Jarmond said he’s leaving it up to coaches to dictate how much each player makes. Football coach DeShaun Foster said he divvied up his team’s money based on talent, with general manager Khary Darlington and assistant general manager Steven Price assigning values for each player based on previous NFL front office experience dealing with salary structures.

“They loved that we had people explaining to them how you’re getting this money or why you’re not getting this money,” Foster said of his players, “and I think that resonated with them.”

Across all sports, the Bruins are seeking a strong encore after an initial Big Ten season that saw the school place fifth in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, its best finish since 2018. UCLA athletes posted what Jarmond called a “phenomenal” 3.22 grade-point average through winter quarter (the latest for which figures are available) despite the travel challenges presented by playing in a coast-to-coast conference.

For UCLA athletics to reach the heights that Jarmond wants, its football and men’s basketball teams must win big, and he believes the coaches and influx of talent on each of those teams will give them a chance to do so next season.

Iamaleava’s arrival has generated heightened excitement about a football team that went 5-7 in Foster’s debut season. Jarmond said two recruits he met with on their campus visits mentioned the quarterback as one of the reasons they wanted to come to UCLA.

“You know, we just have more interest and buzz, and it’s cool,” Jarmond said. “I think DeShaun has created that, and Nico and the guys.”

What excites Jarmond most is the potential to be on a victory lap that’s picking up speed.

“This is a great time for UCLA athletics,” Jarmond said, “and I feel like it’s just the beginning.”