UCLA Dismisses Athletic Director Martin Jarmond Amid Deepening Deficits

UCLA announced on Monday before the 2026 football season that Martin Jarmond, athletic director since 2020, was removed with immediate effect. Chancellor Julio Frenk named former Los Angeles Lakers executive Tim Harris as interim athletic director and chief executive, noting Harris will serve pro-bono while a permanent search proceeds.

NBC Los Angeles

Jarmond came from Boston College in May 2020 and oversaw UCLA’s move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten (formalized August 2024) and the adoption of NIL compensation models. In football, he managed three coaching changes: Chip Kelly’s departure after 2023, the brief hiring and firing of former Bruin running back DeShaun Foster after an 0-3 start in 2025, and the December 2025 hiring of Bob Chesney, whose first game is slated for the opening weekend against Cal.

Salem Radio Network News

• The athletic department has posted deficits for seven straight fiscal years, with cumulative shortfalls reported at $241 million, $219 million, and $51.8 million in different university documents.

UCLA Fires Athletic Director Martin Jarmond After Years of Deficits and Faculty Senate Warnings

• The most recent fiscal year showed a $21.6 million deficit after the Big Ten media-rights deal boosted revenue from $19.9 million (final Pac-12 year) to $61.2 million.

UCLA athletics director Martin Jarmond dismissed from position after 6 years

• UCLA secured three NCAA championship titles in the most recent season and nine championships across six sports during Jarmond’s tenure.

Salem Radio Network News

• Jarmond’s contract extension signed in May 2024 includes a $5.9 million base salary plus a retention bonus; the remaining balance owed is reported as $6.5 million.

USA Today

Sources differ on the exact magnitude of the deficit: the university’s internal audit cites a $241.1 million cumulative shortfall, the Academic Senate report references $219 million, and a separate budget brief mentions a $51.8 million debt at the end of FY 2024-25. The amount owed to Jarmond also varies; ESPN lists a $6.5 million total buyout, while other reports break it into a $5.9 million base salary plus a retention bonus.

UCLA Fires Athletic Director Martin Jarmond After Years of Deficits and Faculty Senate Warnings

• “UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial deficit, and its current path is not sustainable,” — Julio Frenk, press conference.

CBS Sports

• “I am grateful to Martin for his extraordinary service to UCLA and for his leadership over the past six years,” — Julio Frenk, press conference.

ESPN