LOS ANGELES — As UCLA football ushers in a new era in the premier Division I sport, the athletics department will start its next chapter.
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On Monday, in a statement addressed to the “Bruin Community,” UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced the dismissal of Martin Jarmond as UCLA’s athletics director, and the appointment of Tim Harris as CEO and AD on a “pro bono basis.”
Mentioning this seismic change in connection with UCLA football’s step forward is crucial to understand that Jarmond will be remembered for his inability to improve the university’s financial situation and adapt to the rapidly changing college sports landscape, rather than praised for helping to hire and support coach Bob Chesney and UCLA football’s potential turnaround.
“Every adversity presents a seed of opportunity and I think that’s where we sit here today,” Chesney said after Tuesday’s football practice. “(Martin) was an unbelievable friend.”
Harris, who served as the Lakers’ president of business operations during a 35-year tenure with the organization, will help position UCLA “as a leader in this evolving landscape,” Frenk said in his statement.
Chesney continued on Harris: “It sounds exciting. I don’t know enough yet. I think as we continue to go through it all, (Harris and I) will develop a relationship.”
Harris’ business and political savvy from his NBA front-office role and a passion for UCLA sports – he was the goalkeeper on the Bruins’ men’s soccer team from 1980-83 and a team captain – will help him excel where Jarmond struggled.
To be fair, when Jarmond arrived at UCLA in the summer of 2020, he “inherited a deficit with UCLA athletics,” as he told ESPN in a 2022 article. The deficit Jarmond took on was, in part, the result of longtime hamstringing agreements with Associated Students UCLA, a 15-year deal with Under Armour that was terminated after four years, a poor media-rights deal with the Pac-12 Conference, and limited profitability from Pauley Pavilion and the Rose Bowl.
Over his six-year tenure, Jarmond didn’t improve UCLA’s financial standing.
In the chancellor’s statement, Frenk said: “UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial deficit, and its current path is not sustainable.”
That deficit, stretching over seven consecutive fiscal years in which expenses were greater than revenue, per the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database, is $241.1 million.
Sinking deeper and deeper
An obstacle out of Jarmond’s control – COVID-19 – was the first impediment as UCLA’s debt peaked at $62.5 million in FY2021.
UCLA saw incremental improvement coinciding with Jarmond’s greatest win – pushing UCLA to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten. Between UCLA’s final Pac-12 and first Big Ten seasons, the school received a roughly $40 million increase in conference media-rights revenue. But expenses such as cross-country travel, increased support services for student-athletes, and competing against opponents with larger payrolls hindered UCLA in its move to a more premier conference.
In addition, UCLA was required to send an annual payment of $10 million to UC Berkeley’s athletic department for three school years, a tax dubbed “Calimony.”
Another lofty expense is UCLA’s commitment to success across Olympic sports, including funding rosters and travel to postseason tournaments, which did result in six national championships under Jarmond.
Coinciding with Jarmond’s tenure and UCLA’s move to the Big Ten, Name, Image and Likeness became more prominent. In addition, the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement allowed colleges to directly fund athletic programs. UCLA paid the full $20.5 million revenue-share cap in 2026, per CalMatters.
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Coaching contracts across numerous sports piled up under Jarmond. In football, Chip Kelly signed a two-year extension in 2023, linking him to UCLA through 2027. He stepped down after the 2023 season and took the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State. Jarmond and UCLA hired DeShaun Foster, and he signed a five-year, $15 million contract in February 2024. Foster lasted 15 games and received a buyout of greater than $7 million, per On3.
In men’s basketball, after a two-year stretch in which the Bruins went 39-28 and won one March Madness game, Jarmond extended head coach Mick Cronin with an average annual salary of $4.5 million and a contract buyout that, as of March 31, 2026, is $22.5 million, per a records request the SCNG obtained.
Jarmond himself received a five-year contract extension in May 2024. He is owed the $6.5 million remaining on his contract, including a base of $5.9 million plus a retention bonus.
As NIL became more lucrative, Jarmond believed congressional matters such as the Protect College Sports Act would curtail its impact, a source close to the school told the Southern California News Group on Tuesday. He fell behind in adapting to it. He struggled to communicate with donors.
For the past year, Jarmond was fixated on hiring a new football coach and securing a jersey patch deal, but couldn’t solve UCLA’s financial problems.
Meanwhile, his lack of effort held back UCLA in gaining control of licensing rights to its logo, which the student-run organization ASUCLA held since a 1960 agreement with the university. UCLA earned $1.1 million annually as a portion of ASUCLA’s merchandising sales. Since recapturing the licensing rights to its logo last month, the source said UCLA projects to profit $8 million to $10 million per year.
On the eve of Big Ten Media Days, Jarmond was quoted in an announcement that UCLA received more than $41 million in private philanthropic support from more than 6,500 donors during fiscal year 2025-26.
“The Bruin family has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to our student-athletes by helping us provide an elite experience both on and off the field,” Jarmond said. “As college athletics continues to evolve, our supporters have made it clear that UCLA intends to compete and win at the highest level. We are incredibly grateful to the thousands of Bruins whose generosity is helping to shape the future of UCLA Athletics.”
One week later, Cal revealed its athletics department had received $88.5 million, making UCLA’s number pale in comparison.
Hope ahead
As UCLA aims for a more fiscally responsible future, with Jarmond still owed $6.5 million, it makes the pro bono nature of Harris’ promotion all the more harrowing. Harris had joined UCLA’s athletics department as a consultant last month and quickly earned the respect of the chancellors’ and Bruins’ community.
It’s notable that Harris’ title specifically includes “CEO” as he will be tasked with helping UCLA navigate a college sports landscape defined by money.
“Tim knows what it takes to grow a world-class sports organization and global brand, and he holds longstanding relationships throughout Los Angeles and globally,” Frenk said in his statement.
Moreso, Harris brings the fervor of a former UCLA student-athlete who attended South Torrance High. Former UCLA soccer teammate Paul Krumpe described Harris as “a really good communicator.”
“I think this opportunity with UCLA is just a really good fit for a guy who loves UCLA athletics,” Krumpe told the SCNG on Tuesday. “For Tim to have that background from UCLA, but also from a professional organization – maybe one of the best professional organizations around with the LA Lakers – I think he’s a perfect fit for UCLA.”
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Ethan Hanson contributed to this report.