CHICAGO – UCLA head coach Bob Chesney and student-athletes Nico Iamaleava, Cole Martin and Sammy Omosigho will represent the UCLA football program at Big Ten Football Media Days at the Hilton Chicago on Wednesday, July 29.
Chesney, The Angelo Mazzone III UCLA Head Football Coach, begins his first season leading the Bruins in 2026. He arrives in Westwood after two seasons at James Madison, where he guided the Dukes to a 21-6 record, a Sun Belt Conference championship and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025.
Iamaleava, a 6-foot-5 quarterback from Long Beach, Calif., enters his fourth collegiate season and second at UCLA in 2026. Through 29 career games and 26 starts, he has completed 449 of 702 pass attempts (64.0%) for 4,858 yards and 34 touchdowns while adding 934 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Iamaleava helped UCLA to a three-game winning streak in the middle of the 2025 season, highlighted by the Bruins’ first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 with a 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State. Iamaleava accounted for a career-high-tying five touchdowns in the victory while throwing for 166 yards and rushing for 128, earning several national weekly honors.
Martin was one of three UCLA defensive players to start all 12 games last season and figures to once again be a key fixture in the secondary for his hometown team. The Pasadena, Calif., product helped UCLA’s secondary allow just 196.6 passing yards per game in 2025, the 34th-fewest in the nation and a 73-spot improvement in the national rankings from the previous season, when the Bruins surrendered 244.7 per game. Martin finished fourth on the team with 65 total tackles (31 solo, 34 assists) while adding 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one interception. He also contributed on kickoff returns, totaling 164 yards on seven attempts.
Omosigho, a versatile transfer linebacker from Oklahoma, was a regular contributor for the Sooners’ defense over the past three seasons, appearing in 36 career games. In a reserve linebacker role in 2025, he ranked fifth on the team with 50 total tackles (28 solo, 22 assists) while adding 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Big Ten Football Media Days will feature multiple interviews with members of the broadcast, print and online media, including the conference’s television partners. Fans can watch Chesney on the Big Ten Network set Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. PT, followed by Iamaleava, Martin and Omosigho at 2 p.m.
Big Ten Network will carry live coverage of all 18 schools throughout the three-day event, July 28-30, at the Hilton Chicago, beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday and 10:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday and Thursday. Coverage will include press conferences with each head coach, analysis of each team and remarks from Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. Coverage will be available on Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app, as well as the Big Ten Conference’s social media channels.
UCLA begins its first season under Chesney on Saturday, Sept. 5 versus California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley at 7:30 p.m. (PT). The Bruins’ home opener against San Diego State on Saturday, Sept. 12 at The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
UCLA’s Ticket Information
Season ticket packages for UCLA's upcoming football season are available. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information. Single-game home tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information about tickets, call UCLA Athletic Sales & Service at (310) 206-5991 or via email at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu.