The SEC and Big Ten’s “advisory group” is a secret threat to the NCAA: Figure this out, or we’ll leave on our own.
In a 259-word statement released on Friday, the SEC or Big Ten sent a message to college sports that could be read between the lines: We can do this.
Some groups have waited too long, like the SEC and the Big Ten. Now they’re given the power to change the world around them.
To put it simply, the two most important conferences in the world told everybody else to leave.
They are going to decide for themselves what will happen with college sports in the future. They are no longer waiting for Congress or the NCAA to step in.
The SEC as well as the Big Ten will probably steer college sports into the future, but they will certainly have an impact.
They have access to most of society’s money, talent, facilities, brands, and people who can help them hire.
It’s okay if the process makes people feel bad or hurts their pride. If that means bargaining with players as a group and paying for their skills by sharing in the profits, then that’s also an option.
Careful language was used in the joint announcement, such as creating an “advisory group” to deal with “significant difficulties facing college athletics.” This is not an announcement of a timetable or a new version of a doomed “alliance.”
The two people are going after bigger issues; they made sure to mention “recent rulings from courts, pending litigation, and a patchwork for state laws.”
That’s really what this is all about getting rid of the stress of a never-ending line of lawsuits about things like name, image, likeness, antitrust, transfers, and more.
The main goal of the two leagues is to change what’s left of the college model. Not happy with it? You don’t have to, though.
The SEC and Big Ten could hold their national championships with all 34 teams if the NCAA membership is opposed to their changes.
They were told that was possible by the networks as well as the market itself. SEC chairman Greg Sankey has also hinted at this path in the past.
That could also mean that Friday’s release, which is like a velvet hammer, causes the two leagues to split up in a mess.
It’s just not likely to be among that is looked into right away. Sankey and Tony Petitti, who is the commissioner of the Big Ten, would like to make changes within the structure first.
The SEC commissioner provided clues that have led us to this point. In June 2023, he said that the NCAA Board of Governors was making a mistake by not having enough Power Five representatives.
Recently, the state of Tennessee sued the NCAA, which showed that the NCAA might not be around for much longer if it doesn’t change. The “Power Two” will alter things for them if nothing else does.
Given his new job as convention commissioner in May, Petitti likely just needed some time to get used to it. The funny thing is that the SEC and Big Ten have always been rivals.
Mike Slive and Jim Delany, who were both former commissioners, looked at each other with respect from afar, but their legislative or financial goals were completely separate.
They can’t stay away from brands now that too much wealth and influence are on the line. These two conferences now have most of the best rivalries that are worth watching.
Those rivalries lead to higher TV ratings, which lead to more money coming in. Thank you, for rearranging the conference.
These huge beasts are ready to take over college sports. The NCAA will be responsible for cleaning up the mess if they can’t.
And it’s becoming clearer that the NCAA can’t handle this present mess. This is mostly because the group in charge of college sports has caused a lot of the oil spills.