UC Investments Seeks to Acquire 10% Stake in Big Ten Conference: A Bold Move in Sports and Investment
University of California’s Investment Arm Seeks 10% Stake in Big Ten College Sports Conference
By Barbara Shecter | Published November 10, 2025
The University of California owns a pension fund. UC Investments now aims to buy a 10 percent stake in the Big Ten Conference. The fund moves to join one of the top and rich college sports groups in the United States.
Jagdeep Singh Bachher leads UC Investments. He works as chief investment officer and vice-president of investments. At a Toronto conference on Monday, he shared the plan. He manages a portfolio worth about US$180 billion. He said the offer was made recently. He hopes the deal will close by November 21. “We just made an offer to buy 10 percent of the Big Ten, which is the big sports conference in the U.S.,” Bachher stated. He also holds the role of chancellor at the University of Waterloo. He spoke at a conference put on by the Canadian university.
The Big Ten Conference hosts well-known sports events. It runs events like the Rose Bowl with pride. It wins money from long TV contracts, including a deal with Fox Sports. These tight links help the conference earn large revenues. They make it a strong place for investment.
Earlier reports on Yahoo Sports from October 10 noted talks to put about US$2.4 billion into the 18 schools of the Big Ten. Investors want to form Big Ten Enterprises. This group will run the conference’s commercial work. Other major funds like Apollo Global Management and Blackstone showed interest too.
Frontofficesports.com explained that the plan would spin the Big Ten’s assets into a private fund. That fund would be known as Big Ten Enterprises. UC Investments would then own 10 percent of the new company. The agreement asks all Big Ten schools to sign a grant of rights. This deal would bind the schools to the conference until 2046. Still, some university board members worry. They open debates about the plan.
Bachher explains that his bid is not just venture capital. He speaks of buying what he calls “cultural capital.” He sees sports as a key link. Sports bring together technology, media, and youth today.
“I think the future for our young generation is the one thing that glues people to technology and content: sports,” Bachher said. He mentioned the recent buzz when the Toronto Blue Jays ran to the World Series. They lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, yet the effort was memorable.
Bachher added that the chance stretches beyond old-school sports. It covers eSports, media, entertainment, and tech too. “That creates a whole unique set of opportunities… There’s an incredible opportunity set there. So that’s where I’ve been just immersed, in that whole area. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.
He spoke in a joint session with Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of Thoma Bravo. Bravo’s firm works with software investments. For the past 100 days, Bachher focused hard on sports deals. This focus shows a clear shift in the fund’s strategy.
Bachher did not share more on the bid at the Toronto event. Still, the move connects big institutional funds with college sports. The deal, if it goes through, may bring more private money to collegiate athletics and change its financial world.
Contact: Barbara Shecter at bshecter@nationalpost.com
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