Gavin Newsom says UC regents not consulted about UCLA leaving Pac-12

Governor Gavin Newsom says University of California regents were not consulted about UCLA leaving the Pac-12 Conference.

WASHINGTON (KTTV) - In an exclusive interview with FOX 11's Elex Michaelson, Governor Gavin Newsom said the University of California regents were not consulted about the Bruins athletic department leaving the Pac-12 Conference.

"It was done without any regents' oversight or support. It was done without any consideration, to my knowledge," Newsom told Michaelson Thursday.

Newsom said while as Governor, it's "not a big deal" he wasn't personally asked by UCLA about the conference realignment, but he did say he has "strong opinions" about the Bruins not giving the UC regents a heads-up.

Newsom also revealed he found out about the conference realignment by reading about it.

The Governor's interview Thursday comes as UCLA and USC announced last month they will leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in 2024.