Bring on that Big Ten cash.

UCLA’s approaching revenue stream can’t arrive fast enough after the school’s athletic department posted a deficit of $36.6 million for the 2023 fiscal year, the fifth consecutive year that the Bruins have run a shortfall stretching into 10 figures.

The debt figures have gone from $18.9 million in 2019 to $21.7 million in 2020 to $62.5 million in 2021 to $28 million in 2022, reflecting sustained financial struggles before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the recent run of red, UCLA’s athletic department had not experienced a budget shortfall since being $164,000 in the hole in 2004.

“Like other athletic departments, financial challenges remain as a result of the pandemic which impacted revenue streams such as sponsorships and media rights,” a UCLA athletic department spokesperson said in a statement. “In this evolving college landscape, we have continued to emphasize putting our student-athletes first. This includes increasing our investments in student-athlete focused areas including mental health, team travel, nutrition and academic awards. We will always put our student-athletes first and provide a world-class holistic athletic and academic experience.”

Happier times could be near. Once UCLA moves to the Big Ten in August, it will receive an estimated $65 million to $75 million in annual media rights payments — far outpacing what it would have made by remaining alongside USC as part of an intact Pac-12 — plus untold millions from conference disbursements as part of the Big Ten’s College Football Playoff and NCAA Tournament appearances.

— Los Angeles Times