Clemson Football: What could the SEC/Big Ten advisory board lead to?
By John Chancey
Life after the NCAA
It would take too long to explain all my opinions about the NCAA, but I will sum it up in a few bullet points:
The NCAA knows its current business model is on very shaky ground legally.
Their lack of enforcement of rules is to avoid lawsuits that could end the cash cow that the schools have been profiting from for decades.
The only way the schools can get an anti-trust exemption is to recognize the players as employees and engage in collective bargaining (ie a player’s union).
The new NCAA president, Charlie Baker, has proposed that the NCAA allow for a new classification that would give schools the ability to pay players. It is just in the idea stage but it was likely meant to be a conversation starter.
It appears that Power Two has taken Baker’s cue and started a conversation of their own.
NEWS: Big Ten & SEC are creating a joint advisory group of presidents & ADs in an urgent mission to find solutions & steer college sports into the future.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 2, 2024
“Pressures are mounting,” SEC’s Greg Sankey tells @YahooSports. “We are not going to be status quo.”
This could be the two conferences joining together to provide leadership for the good of all. You know, guide everyone through this mess of NIL, tampering, enticing, lawsuits, coaches retiring, coaches leaving, etc.
If you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona that I bought from George Strait that I would like to sell you.
Why would the Power Two want to perhaps engage in such a big change by themselves, instead of being in lockstep with all the other conferences? Control would be the main reason.
If this new classification proposed by Baker were to be created under the umbrella of the NCAA, the Big Two could only regulate their own memberships. They wouldn’t have to admit any new members, but they couldn’t prevent other schools (like Clemson or Florida State) or other conferences (like the ACC or Big 12) from joining the new classification and engaging in direct competition.
If the SEC and Big Ten were to break away together and then incorporate as a new athletic association, they would have the ability to decide who would join the new association.
They would have more control over their business, which usually means more profits.
This kind of control would make a lot of their schools happy, though there might still be a few saying some of these things are not like the others.
Next: A True Super League