Big Ten and SEC form advisory group
Looks like the Power 2 is coming sooner than expected:
February 2nd, 2024 at 12:59 PM ^
"Advisory."
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:02 PM ^
Hopefully, Petitti will bring some integrity and sportsmanship to this new competition. /s
But, yeah, seems inevitable. A league separate from the NCAA is where this has to be headed. Then a player's union and a CBA to protect the players, stabilize player movement and put a stop to this individual NIL weirdness.
I would imagine people at Florida State and Notre Dame aren't too happy right now.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:08 PM ^
When, not if, this happens ND will join the B1G and FSU (and prolly Miami) will join the SEC.
My guess is this will be a football only carve out. Basketball will be next but with different schools IMO.
Say bye, bye NCAA. You’ve outlived your usefulness.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^
Feels like FBS football has needed to go this way for at least a decade now. How many rivalries and how many other sports have we ruined by chasing football dollars? Its a lot. If you can get football to be its own club with its own rules, maybe the rest of D1 sports can get back to being more regional in nature like it should be
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
I think they both will be a part of major CFB for a long time. FSU got screwed last year, but super 2 or not the longer that major teams with large fanbases are outside the Big Ten and SEC, the longer those 2 have to keep a playoff open to outside teams, and that's good for CFB.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^
What schools are those? Miami, FSU, Clemson, and ND? Pretty easy for four teams to join in.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:17 PM ^
I'm not even sure Miami belongs but yea, that's pretty much it. I guess you can make an argument for UNC, and maybe the 4 corner schools that just left the P12 -> B12.
If you go back to every major national champion from 1985 to now, the only ones who aren't in the Big Ten/SEC currently are the ones you mentioned (but ASU was oh so close in 1996) and GT/Colorado splitting the 1990 Title. 1984 was BYU, 1982 SMU claims one (both polls put them #2), 1976 was Pitt. 1959 was 'Cuse, and GT split one in 1952. Outside of those 5 years, every national champ in the AP or Coaches' going back to (and including) 1947 is in the Big Ten and SEC (or is ND, Clemson, Miami or FSU). In addition to 1982 SMU and 1996 ASU, the oh-so-close crowd includes the less close VT in '99 and TCU in '22.
I think GT is punching below their weight, but otherwise yea I think you've basically got your super league once you get Clemson, ND and FSU in. The Big Ten and SEC are "major college football." The one thing is, if any major, competitive, recent champ opts out - like if you piss off your membership by trying to sabotage their title run - then your enterprise basically doesn't have a monopoly on the title race. So as long as Clemson, ND and FSU are out, that's the situation you're in.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:05 PM ^
Can't vacate our wins if the NCAA stops existing
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
An interesting point / perspective. The College Football Playoff is not governed by the NCAA. So, are those games - in a way - considered exhibitions? Certainly, the wins / losses are counted - but, certain rules of competition have been changed for bowl games.
My guess and hope is - what's in the rear view mirror is mostly going to stay there.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:28 PM ^
They will move on to the next shiny object. Without Harbaugh, they will be bored with Michigan.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:06 PM ^
Good.
FUCK THE NCAA AND FUCK THE B1G 10.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
This news would seem to accomplish only your first goal.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
This has the potential to be a good thing. The role of the NCAA in football has consistently declined over the years (since the creation of the BCS) and selective enforcement of poortly written rules and guidelines just continues to increase the frustration member institutions have with that body.
I think the charter of this effort should be pretty clear. Develop a recommendation which addresses the immediate issues of:
- Revenue sharing (from media agreements),
- Incorporates both revenue and non-revenue generating sports,
- Includes Title IX items,
- Provides clarity regarding NIL - the rules, guidelines, and practices,
- Recommends any changes to the current transfer portal rules / guidelines,
- Rule suggestions - e.g. Competition Committee and Sideline to helmet communications is an obvious one to me.
The B1G and SEC are the two biggest seats at the table. I'm not implying that "whatever they come up with" would be adopted by the ACC or Big 12, as well as G5 conferences - however, it would be a good place to start. And - any recommendation must (IMO) - reflect the entire athletic departments of these schools - not just football and basketball.
To no suprise - the real issue is going to come down to dollars - money. The B1G and SEC are probably 75%+ of college football media revenue. Getting everyone else "in the sandbox" to play nicely with each other - without feeling overwhelmed / bullied, will not be easy. It's an Art more than a Science.
P.S. - one additional aspect would be - What is the commitment the player has to the institition that offers a scholarship? First transfer is "free" - immediate eligibilility. Second transfer - if not a graduate level transfer - requires sitting out competition for one year. The "free agency" has to come under some sort of control.
Just one more thing to grab the popcorn for.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:35 PM ^
I would be surprised if this has anything to do with any sport other than football
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:50 PM ^
Title IX forces them to care about sports other than football, whether they want to or not.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:53 PM ^
Football is certainly the revenue driver. Men’s basketball and The Dance are under the control of the NCAA.
Revenue sharing from media agreements, IMO, is the real deal.
Perhaps the approach should be - identifying or quantifying - the revenue associated with each sport. The BTN broadcasts a variety of sports that generate lesser revenue than football - wrestling and gymnastics are teo examples.
Title IX is the item that needs to be addressed. Maybe the approach to media revenue sharing is a blend - which I would describe as “base plus revenue share by sport”. So, every student athlete receives “base” - with athletes in the sports that generate “higher revenue amounts” to be allocated in a proportional model.
I support ALL student athletes. The scholarship has value to me. Media agreements generate astronomical revenues. What type of of solution can be drafted to reflect all sports?
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:34 PM ^
7. Rule reform - no more capricious and arbitrary vague "sportsmanship" clauses that allow selective enforcement of rules and blowing some rules way out of proportion while ignoring others.
Strict rule of law and equal protection under the law. There is a reason they put that stuff in constitutions. To keep an entrenched power bureaucracy from playing favorites.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
But will Notre Dame be invited?
I know what the responses to this post will be :)
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
TO HELL WITH NOTRE DAME!!
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Finer words have rarely been spoken.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:26 PM ^
Oh man, the NCAA is so gonna suspend somebody for this.
I hope this goes better than the “historic alliance” between the ACC, PAC 12 and B1G. Or maybe I don’t. It took less than 3 years of that alliance for the B1G to destroy the PAC12, so maybe the SEC is next?
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:07 PM ^
That "historic alliance" was never an actual thing. The fact that Kevin Warren was able to hoodwink the Pac-12 and the Big XII into an amorphous handshake deal (they never signed any kind of agreement) based on the presumption that Warren was looking out for anyone but the B1G is the reason why we're going from a Power 5 to a Power 2.
This, on the other hand, feels more real. They're probably going about it very delicately (notice how they don't identify any concrete objective of the advisory group) to avoid running afoul of antitrust law, but make no mistake: the B1G and SEC smell blood in the water and are busy plotting to take over the entire enterprise of big-time college athletics, co-opt or sideline the other conferences, and ultimately destroy the NCAA.
I, for one, welcome our new network TV overlords.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:30 PM ^
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:33 PM ^
While completing the transition to a professional sports league is inevitable at this point, I can't help feeling a bit sad.
Team 144 still felt like a team of college players. Maybe that's an illusion, but that feeling makes it something to cherish.
I'm not sure how long we can hold onto that before it just feels like a pro team that happens to be owned by the University we attended.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
You can see how its a mixed field out there right now. Michigan (and others surely) felt like a traditional college team. Places like Miami, TAMU, and maybe OSU this year can feel like the G League
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:38 PM ^
I love Team 144, but it is a total illusion that they were just college players.
No top player for a P5 team is just a college player.
February 2nd, 2024 at 11:15 PM ^
I think even for non revenue athletes at big time schools, this is true. They are full time athletes, training annd dreaming for the Olympics or for professional careers. It's probably true for most D1 athletes, even FCS mid majors
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:38 PM ^
It looks like the NCAA is going bye bye, I wonder what this will mean for college basketball?
Will there now be another tier of D1 level sports?
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:33 PM ^
I have been guessing for quite some time that this whole scenario with the Big Ten and SEC will play out similarly to what happened with the English Premiere League in 1992. Here is a quick rundown of what happened there - see if it sounds familiar:
The Premier League was formed as a breakaway from the Football League (now known as the English Football League or EFL) for primarily financial and commercial reasons. The top clubs in the Football League, driven by the desire for increased television revenue and greater control over their own commercial ventures, sought to establish a more lucrative and independent league.
The clubs envisioned the Premier League as a platform that could negotiate its own television broadcasting deals, allowing individual clubs to earn more substantial revenues from broadcast rights. This departure from the traditional centralized broadcasting system of the Football League was a key motivator for the breakaway.
The creation of the Premier League also gave clubs greater autonomy in negotiating sponsorship and marketing deals, further enhancing their financial independence. The move was a response to the changing landscape of football, driven by the increasing popularity of the sport on television and the potential for significant financial gains.
By breaking away and forming the Premier League, the top clubs aimed to capitalize on the growing commercial opportunities in football and secure more control over their financial destinies, marking a significant shift in the business model of English football.
I think they end up creating a ~50 team league if its for all sports, or a much more exclusive ~40 team league if its football-only:
- 18 Big Ten schools
- 16 SEC schools
- Notre Dame
- Select ACC Schools: Clemson, FSU, UNC, VT, Louisville, Pitt(?), Duke(?), Cal(?)
- Select Big12 Schools: OSU, Utah, WVU, Kansas(?), BYU(?), Arizona(?), ASU(?)
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:42 PM ^
NCAA fumbled quite possibly the biggest bag in the history of bags.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:45 PM ^
In the one sense, yes, this likely portends significant changes and may be the first step in the coming dominance and leadership role of the B1G and SEC in the future reformed world of collegiate athletics.
On the other hand, that statement was almost complete drivel with nothing of substance (which is to say, the exact type of statement one comes to expect from these types of institutions). It is not at all clear what this group is set to do. And, not to mention, a future college athletics landscape where one of the leading figures is the current B1G commissioner is not one I want to live in.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:49 PM ^
I've said since all the realignment that we will soon have an AFC/NFC type model in college football with only the B1G and SEC surviving and making two super conferences that will form an NFL style playoff.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:50 PM ^
B! 1! C!
B! 1! C!
or would it be: S! E! G! .. S! E! G!
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:57 PM ^
Cool, is the SEC going to share with the BIG how they've gotten away with all this shit for years?
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:08 PM ^
Michigan would be wise to listen re: paying players.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:49 PM ^
They're competitors so if people think it's going to be all kumbaya between the schools and conferences, I think they're wrong. The SEC is used to getting their way. It would surprise me if whatever they come up with is truly equitable.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:24 PM ^
NCAA response: Sherrone Moore is suspended for 3 games.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:35 PM ^
Everything in College football moves slow. I wouldn't take this to mean that MAJOR changes are imminent. If a super league of sorts is to be made there are plenty of schools/teams in both of these conferences (looking at you Rutgers and Vandy) that will have to be jettisoned. That will not be easy. Hopefully, this is a first step on the path, but I'm not sure much will come of it in the short term.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:48 PM ^
I give it until 2030 at the most - and even sooner if ACC schools learn how to get out of the GOR.
If the ball gets rolling on a B1G-SEC alliance even sooner, I could see some schools ponying up the get out of conference shackles to join.
February 2nd, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^
It moves slow until it doesn't. The Pac-12 went from nine members ready to vote on a new TV deal to essentially defunct in a matter of a few hours.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:50 PM ^
"These challenges, including but not limited to recent court decisions, pending litigation, a patchwork of state laws, and complex governance proposals, compel the two conferences to take a leadership role in developing solutions for a sustainable future of college sports."
Translation: "To the NCAA: We smell blood in the water. Your organization is teetering, and we're going to be the ones who knock it over and decide what comes next. To the other conferences and their member schools: You will fall in line with whatever we decide, or you will be left behind. Welcome to the Brave New World."
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:54 PM ^
Fuck Pettiti
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:15 PM ^
I found Seth and Brian's takes on yesterday's WTKA Roundtable about why Warde is not the right AD to help Michigan navigate though the issues facing big-time college sports both very reasonable and disheartening, so when I saw a headline posted on this topic on the Washington Post's website a few minutes ago on my initial reaction was hopeful.
Then I read the second paragraph of the article and came to my senses -- Michigan cannot rely on anyone else to lead this, especially Tony Petiti.
“The Big Ten and the SEC have substantial investment in the NCAA and there is no question that the voices of our two conferences are integral to governance and other reform efforts,” Tony Petitti, the Big Ten’s commissioner, said in a joint statement.
Article here: Formally now, the SEC and Big Ten are teaming up to figure it all out
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:15 PM ^
If you’re wondering what the smart money in both conferences think of the NCAA’s chances in the Tennessee and Virginia lawsuit, seems like you’ve got your answer here. Fortune favors the prepared.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:24 PM ^
Can't wait for EA's "Big Ten SEC Advisory Group 26" to come out.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:44 PM ^
And so it begins. Or ends, depending on your perspective.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:15 PM ^
Let me guess, the big ten's reps in this council are all from Ohio State, Penn State and MSU, with maye a side of Wisconsin or Illinois.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:18 PM ^
Fuck the NCAA.