Harris told the California Post in an exclusive interview from his third-floor corner office inside the Morgan Center on campus that he could secure a patch deal immediately, but he is holding out for the right partner. Some jersey-patch proposals have been worth as much as $20 million per year. “We could get a patch deal today,” Harris said. “We want the right patch deal, right? That’s important. It’s finding the right partner who wants to go on a journey with you, who believes in what you’re trying to do.”
The tarps at the Rose Bowl will stay until attendance consistently exceeds the roughly 54,000 capacity they create, Harris said. UCLA drew just 31,973 for its home opener against San Diego State. Harris said he assumes the tarps will not be needed for the Nov. 28 rivalry game against USC at the Rose Bowl — “we better not need them,” he said — but the real test is when the Bruins no longer regularly need them.
Reaching that point will require significantly expanding a season ticket-holder base that is below 20,000, Harris said. That means removing reasons not to come to games, such as long lines and bland concessions, and relentlessly serving current customers. Service became ingrained in Harris during his lengthy run with the Lakers as their president of business operations, a franchise that once had a 320-game sellout streak. One of his primary takeaways: serving current fans is easier than finding new ones. “The business model we had was retain and grow,” Harris said, “and that’s where we have to get to.”
Harris favors an inclusive approach centered on relationship-building. He is trying to serve athletes, students, sponsors, season ticket-holders, donors and alumni to put the Bruins on par with the Ohio States and Oregons of college football. “For UCLA football to be a big-time football program, we need everybody,” said Harris, a onetime goalkeeper for the school’s soccer team. He said UCLA must show the Bruin community that it has a plan, explain that plan clearly and make people feel welcome to participate. He may also devise a slogan — It takes everybody? All in the Den? The new UCLA way? — to reflect his vision.
Admitting students to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games for free was something Harris said he wanted to do from his first day on the job late last month. “I just have a philosophical belief that college students are part of the college experience both ways,” Harris said, “meaning this is not a one-way street.” He cited a student who supported quarterback Nico Iamaleava at the Rose Bowl and then ran into him in class the next week, sharing a conversation about the game. Harris called that an important relationship to unlock for both student-athletes and students.
Harris also wants to provide accessibility across the fan base, from budget tickets to premium seats at midfield. But he is not willing to cheapen the feel of UCLA athletics. “Can I sit on the 50-yard line, 20 rows back, for $25?” Harris asked. “No, because if we do that, then we’re not acting like a big-time football team because big-time football teams don’t charge $25 for seats on the 50. We want to act like a big-time football team, so what that means is we’re going to offer optionality and then you just choose what fits your budget or need, right?”
Harris said he hears everywhere he goes about what a great job he is doing, which he attributed to the honeymoon phase of the job. “Football team’s doing great, we’ve got this amazing coach who’s passionate and motivational,” Harris said, referring to Bob Chesney and his undefeated Bruins. “You know, everything is up.” That includes Harris’s profile after making so much news.