UCLA fans are in for a tough fight tonight, as heavyweight Penn State clashes against them today. However, fans seem to be giving up on the failing already before the action even starts. That’s all because of how Martin Jarmond has handled UCLA football in his 5 years of being the AD. Fans aren’t holding back on letting that sentiment be expressed loud and clear. They want action against the AD now, after years of cheering for a struggling UCLA program.

UCLA has yet to find its footing in the 2025 season. The team is still searching for its first win, the head coach has been fired, and even the most prized recruit in the history of the program can’t seem to breathe life into the program. Despite all these glaring red flags, Martin Jarmond is still the AD after signing a contract extension. It runs through 2029, when he will earn $2.1 million. But UCLA alumni have had enough of the AD. They decided to have a plane fly with a banner reading, “Fire UCLA AD Martin Jarmond.” That’s the level of anger brewing among troubled fans.

It’s been a long time since UCLA could put up a respectable show on the gridiron. Jarmond’s presence in UCLA football doesn’t make sense to a lot of people. A group of NIL boosters detailed their complaints with the AD’s handling of the football program to The LA Times. One of them spoke about a dinner conversation he had with Jarmond, where he set a really low bar for UCLA football’s success. According to Jarmond, UCLA had been bringing in 7-8 wins on average, and that is how high expectations should be. When it comes to postseason success, the Bruins have been a complete failure during Jarmond’s tenure. Since he was appointed AD, UCLA has won only 1 bowl game in 2023. Then, Chip Kelly left UCLA, throwing the Bruins once again into limbo.

UCLA has brought in 6 national championships under Michael Jarmond. If you zoom out, UCLA athletics is functioning okay under Martin Jarmond. But his dedication to the improvement of the football program is now coming under the scanner. Andy Staples, who had suggested Ed Orgeron replace DeShaun Foster as HC, had warned about this situation. If UCLA wants a good coach, it’ll have to show that this is a serious program. In a roundtable piece on UCLA Wire, multiple editors had stressed the same point. “UCLA head coaching candidates need to know the school is serious about football. Keeping Jarmond on doesn’t convey that message,” the publication’s editor wrote flat out.

Alumni and NIL donors are now losing their limits. It seems near-criminal to hope for a win against a Top-10 squad like PSU, considering that UCLA has 0 wins in the season. The message is now out for everyone to see. Martin Jarmond’s stay is harmful for the program, and alumni are doing their best to help that resonate in the Rose Bowl.

UCLA alumni predict doom for program, courtesy of Martin Jarmond’s antics

UCLA fans seem to be losing patience and hope. “Kickoff is at 12:40, we’ll be losing by 12:45, I’ll be ready to leave by 12:50,” one alum told Bruins insider Ira Gorawara. Some have even lost hope of any incoming change and are convinced Jarmond will continue to stay despite these demands. ‘Fire Martin Jarmond’ shirts will be seen in heavy dosage in the Rose Bowl today. Surprisingly, Martin Jarmond’s buyout is priced at only 7 million. UCLA football is winless after a month into the season. If the Bruins lose yet another game, will the board then get to work on securing that amount?

Some fans have lost hope in UCLA football altogether. “He ain’t going nowhere so they wasting money,” one alum told Gorawara on the flying marquee. Jarmond hadn’t done much to change UCLA football during the first leg of his contract. And the school has instead signed him until 2029. The sentiment of anger toward Martin Jarmond is now easily visible in Westwood. The question is, when will UCLA take action?

“What we’re seeing isn’t just a rough patch. It’s institutional apathy. And if the administration doesn’t care, why should fans and recruits?” A former UCLA alum and season-pass holder told the LA Times. It’s one thing to be ignored by the nation. And it’s a completely different loss when a program’s loyal fans are giving up on its survival. Martin Jarmond has no excuses to stay on after the Bruins’ state in 2025. But the AD is yet to join the league of fired personnel this season.