It never truly feels like a college basketball season until Mick Cronin fires off one of his trademark rants.

Last year, after UCLA joined the Big Ten and found itself traveling everywhere, from Nebraska (1,500 miles from L.A.) to Maryland (2,640 miles) to Rutgers (2,750 miles), plus a trip to New York in the first two months, Cronin let everyone know exactly how he felt.

And guess what? He’s back at it.

This time, the tipoff time set him off. With UCLA just two days away from a nonconference showdown against Gonzaga on ESPN, Cronin used his Wednesday media session in Westwood to voice his frustration over the unusually late start.

“Don’t get me started, trying to stay positive,” Cronin said via reporter Theo Lawson. “If I would’ve known that – I don’t know what I could’ve done. I mean, it’s ridiculous. Why don’t we just play at midnight?”

That was his response after finding out UCLA’s game at Climate Pledge Arena would tip off at 8:30 p.m., a decision that, to him, sounded completely absurd. One reporter then asked Cronin if the late start was going to change anything about UCLA’s game-day prep.

“No, it’s just like a weekday,” Mick Cronin replied. “But on a Saturday, I mean what are we doing? It’s so disappointing, it’s so crazy. Make these kids get back at that time of day. … Let’s tip it off at 11:30 (p.m.). My dad’s real happy about it. He’s 84, he’s going to have to take two naps on Saturday to be able to watch us play Saturday night. I mean what are we doing? No words, I’ve got no words. It just makes no sense. How is that good for anybody?”

Even though the game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m., there is a real chance it could be delayed or, in the worst case, shifted to ESPN News. And the reason behind this could frustrate Cronin even more. ESPN’s main channel is already packed.

At 6:30 p.m., it is airing Arizona against Alabama, a matchup between the top team in the country and the No. 12 team. That game might also start late because, before it, ESPN has to broadcast Indiana against Kentucky at 4:30 p.m., which airs immediately after a 2:30 p.m. meeting between No. 19 Kansas and NC State.

And as Theo Lawson pointed out, the Zags have been through this already. Mark Few’s team tipped off at 9 p.m. against Arizona State and still cruised to a 77–65 win. Few did not sit down for his postgame press conference until after 11:30 p.m, which shouldn’t be happening in the first place.

But in the NIL era, where money drives everything, programs have little choice but to follow the broadcaster’s timetable. In this case, that broadcaster is ESPN. And while it’s easy to sympathize with Mick Cronin about the late start, even he admitted the program will make more money playing Gonzaga, Arizona, and California than it did from the Players Era Festival. Late-night games are part of the price.

That said, this is only the start of the problems for Mick Cronin and UCLA.

Can UCLA Thrive Under Mick Cronin in a Tough Big Ten Run?

The Bruins are 2–0 to start their Big Ten season, but they know the conference schedule ahead won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination. They have already lost to No. 1 Arizona and to California, who are not even ranked, and now they are on their way to face Gonzaga, the eighth-best team in the country right now.

Granted, the Gonzaga game is a nonconference test, but with UCLA sitting at 0–1 against ranked opponents this season, another loss wouldn’t be surprising. And if that happens, the Bruins will be reminded of the reality ahead. The Big Ten has nine ranked teams at the moment, including UCLA.

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UCLA could tumble out of the rankings with a loss to Gonzaga, but Mick Cronin believes this kind of scheduling will only make them better. “I don’t think you can truly bond until you struggle together … you have to struggle together and help each other fight through tough times to form a real bond,” he said.

With so many ranked matchups waiting for them in Big Ten play, the Bruins might not climb back into the top 25 if they lose to Gonzaga. But Cronin knows what’s at stake. If you don’t grow through these tough games now, you fall apart when the big dance begins.

It’s a big test for the Bruins, but with Mick Cronin in charge, you know they’re going to leave everything on the floor.