College Sports Tomorrow Super League of Extraordinary Teams

[texascpa]

If some schools are paying their players and some are not, this could very well effect recruiting. There’s also bills in Congress that will probably limit the transfer portal and put regulations on NIL. This group would be smart to get Nick Saban and Coach K involved.

I just can't imagine laws limiting either of those passing constitutional scrutiny.

 

[CU44SE]

This sounds exactly like the idea I have been pitching. The major problem I can’t get around and as I have mentioned multiple times. There are too many mouths to feed in college. SEC and BIG 10 teams would ultimately need to take a pay cut to do this. And then that’s cutting out all the conferences and conference commissioners who make money.

I have a very hard time seeing Big 10 and SEC buying in until their tv contracts expire and maybe there is less money out there for media deals. They are not going to be walking away from their current deals to join any initiative.

 

[FloridaCuse]

This sounds exactly like the idea I have been pitching. The major problem I can’t get around and as I have mentioned multiple times. There are too many mouths to feed in college. SEC and BIG 10 teams would ultimately need to take a pay cut to do this. And then that’s cutting out all the conferences and conference commissioners who make money.

I have a very hard time seeing Big 10 and SEC buying in until their tv contracts expire and maybe there is less money out there for media deals. They are not going to be walking away from their current deals to join any initiative.

The only way I see it could happen with the B1G and SEC is if enough of the college presidents of their members are interested in doing it for the overall good of major college athletics, and their revenue is not diminished. Clearly there would have to be buy-in from the current media partners of the conferences but there are ways to replace their current contracts with new ones under this structure that are more valuable. I wonder if John Wildhack with his media expertise and contacts is working with Chancellor Syverud on this. Don't forget a key aspect of the proposal is to resolve all lawsuits against the NCAA and the member institutions regarding paying the players, NIL, and portal rules so there is some incentive for all potentially affected schools.

 

[Tango32]

This will never happen without backing from BIG 10 / SEC schools and they have very little incentive to do so. Those schools are not kicking out the legs of their own throne. Texas and OU didn't pay a 100 million exit fee just to set it on fire and join a super league. This doesn't have a chance of materializing until the NCAA is in very blatant immenent death.

 

[FloridaCuse]

This will never happen without backing from BIG 10 / SEC schools and they have very little incentive to do so. Those schools are not kicking out the legs of their own throne. Texas and OU didn't pay a 100 million exit fee just to set it on fire and join a super league. This doesn't have a chance of materializing until the NCAA is in very blatant immenent death.

The NCAA's death could be soon. But this proposal may materialize as major pushback if the B1G/SEC try to monopolize college football and exclude everyone else.

 

[CU44SE]

The only way I see it could happen with the B1G and SEC is if enough of the college presidents of their members are interested in doing it for the overall good of major college athletics, and their revenue is not diminished. Clearly there would have to be buy-in from the current media partners of the conferences but there are ways to replace their current contracts with new ones under this structure that are more valuable. I wonder if John Wildhack with his media expertise and contacts is working with Chancellor Syverud on this. Don't forget a key aspect of the proposal is to resolve all lawsuits against the NCAA and the member institutions regarding paying the players, NIL, and portal rules so there is some incentive for all potentially affected schools.

I’ll be honest I only read the snipets and didn’t read the entire article yet. But I was about to add to my post, this is only for football but college basketball portal is a disaster. I think this needs to be encorporated into college basketball. No way basketball can maintain the status que either. Every school wants to jump to D1 becaus of the potential money they can make by making the tournament. 360 teams is way too many teams in D1. It will hurt March Madness, but it’s necessary.

 

[Tango32]

The NCAA's death could be soon. But this proposal may materialize as major pushback if the B1G/SEC try to monopolize college football and exclude everyone else.

I think it happens but I don't think we're that close

 

[NJneer12]

I can see a middle ground happening where the 140 or so teams (by the time this gets implemented) where it separates in 3 divisions. This is the only way I see the B1G and SEC joining. They can get a bigger piece to start the new league. But relegation and promotion will ultimately change it.

Top League, 2-10 team divisions.
A League, 7-10 team divisions
Group League, 5-10 team divisions

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Thank goodness private equity and billionaires are coming forward with solutions.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Can they fix college basketball while they’re at it?

 

[texascpa]

Thank goodness private equity and billionaires are coming forward with solutions.

Not sure why that's an issue. I'd rather it be them than the strong arm of the millionaire congresspersons we have.

 

[Sherman20]

Here’s the article.

Inside the CFB 'Super League' pitch some execs see as a way to save the sport

A group of influential sports leaders and college presidents are pitching a drastic change to the current CFB model as the best way forward.

theathletic.com

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Not sure why that's an issue. I'd rather it be them than the strong arm of the millionaire congresspersons we have.

I'm not advocating for a government solution.

Private equity never has solutions. That's not what they're about.

 

[FloridaCuse]

I’ll be honest I only read the snipets and didn’t read the entire article yet. But I was about to add to my post, this is only for football but college basketball portal is a disaster. I think this needs to be encorporated into college basketball. No way basketball can maintain the status que either. Every school wants to jump to D1 becaus of the potential money they can make by making the tournament. 360 teams is way too many teams in D1. It will hurt March Madness, but it’s necessary.

I agree. They may not reorganize the CBB the same way but the labor issues are the same -- salaries, NIL, portal. They'd have to some type of collective bargaining agreement there also. Maybe they're just starting with football.

 

[FloridaCuse]

I can see a middle ground happening where the 140 or so teams (by the time this gets implemented) where it separates in 3 divisions. This is the only way I see the B1G and SEC joining. They can get a bigger piece to start the new league. But relegation and promotion will ultimately change it.

Top League, 2-10 team divisions.
A League, 7-10 team divisions
Group League, 5-10 team divisions

I don't see the other P5/P4 schools ever agreeing to put voluntarily putting the B1G/SEC on a different planet. They'd want equal access to the top tier playoffs even if they can't get the same money.

 

[NJneer12]

I don't see the other P5/P4 schools ever agreeing to put voluntarily putting the B1G/SEC on a different planet. They'd want equal access to the top tier playoffs even if they can't get the same money.

Only to start. Then.."But relegation and promotion will ultimately change it."

It being the top 2 divisions. If the bottom 2 or 4 teams are being relegated out of Top League, it won't be all B1G SEC after the 1st season.

For playoffs. Either create an avenue for the A League. Or make Top League 4-10, A League 5-10, Group League 5-10.

What I'm ultimately saying is this is a global idea where details and money and contracts can all be worked out.

It needs to happens.

 

[sutomcat]

Can they fix college basketball while they’re at it?

A key part of the proposal is to do the 7 10 team divisions for football only. With other sports either retaining the current setup or preferably, going back to before realignment changed everything.

That part has to be of interest to the B1G.

They could go back to the core B1G team for basketball and all other sports besides football.

Maryland goes back to the ACC for everything but football. Rutgers goes back to the A10 for everything but football. The P12 comes back and UW, Oregon, USC and UCLA go back to it for everything but basketball.

Dramatically lover travel costs. More games against historic rivals. Far less travel for fans. Far less travel and stress on athletes.

If this happened, the ACC would go back to how it looked before we joined. We would almost surely rejoin the New Big East for all sports except football. As would BC and Pitt.

Even the SEC, which on the surface doesn’t gain much with this, does indeed gain a lot. I am almost sure the original SEC schools would love to play each other a lot more, and would be happy to get rid of the B12 and SWC teams they have taken on to get more money. As long as the money stays the same, it would be a great thing for them. All their big rivalry games would be played every year.

And yes, I think the SWC and the old Big 8 would ideally come back. Restoration of tons of great rivalries.

West Virginia would come back east and start playing Pitt each year. Penn State would too. We would see the Eastern football league (really a division) all fans from this area have dreamed about and lamented was never going to happen.

It would be a tremendous thing for college sports.

 

[elimunelson]

A key part of the proposal is to do the 7 10 team divisions for football only. With other sports either retaining the current setup or preferably, going back to before realignment changed everything.

That part has to be of interest to the B1G.

They could go back to the core B1G team for basketball and all other sports besides football.

Maryland goes back to the ACC for everything but football. Rutgers goes back to the A10 for everything but football. The P12 comes back and UW, Oregon, USC and UCLA go back to it for everything but basketball.

Dramatically lover travel costs. More games against historic rivals. Far less travel for fans. Far less travel and stress on athletes.

If this happened, the ACC would go back to how it looked before we joined. We would almost surely rejoin the New Big East for all sports except football. As would BC and Pitt.

Even the SEC, which on the surface doesn’t gain much with this, does indeed gain a lot. I am almost sure the original SEC schools would love to play each other a lot more, and would be happy to get rid of the B12 and SWC teams they have taken on to get more money. As long as the money stays the same, it would be a great thing for them. All their big rivalry games would be played every year.

And yes, I think the SWC and the old Big 8 would ideally come back. Restoration of tons of great rivalries.

West Virginia would come back east and start playing Pitt each year. Penn State would too. We would see the Eastern football league (really a division) all fans from this area have dreamed about and lamented was never going to happen.

It would be a tremendous thing for college sports.

It would be great. I think it comes down to the BIG/SEC not losing a dime in this scenario. Maybe this splinters those conferences if the bigger brands within them are given a kiss at the expense of the lower rung guys like Vanderbilt/Rutgers. At some point a collective league makes most sense for the big dogs provided they get the maximized amount of money.

 

[Dcuse]

A key part of the proposal is to do the 7 10 team divisions for football only. With other sports either retaining the current setup or preferably, going back to before realignment changed everything.

That part has to be of interest to the B1G.

They could go back to the core B1G team for basketball and all other sports besides football.

Maryland goes back to the ACC for everything but football. Rutgers goes back to the A10 for everything but football. The P12 comes back and UW, Oregon, USC and UCLA go back to it for everything but basketball.

Dramatically lover travel costs. More games against historic rivals. Far less travel for fans. Far less travel and stress on athletes.

If this happened, the ACC would go back to how it looked before we joined. We would almost surely rejoin the New Big East for all sports except football. As would BC and Pitt.

Even the SEC, which on the surface doesn’t gain much with this, does indeed gain a lot. I am almost sure the original SEC schools would love to play each other a lot more, and would be happy to get rid of the B12 and SWC teams they have taken on to get more money. As long as the money stays the same, it would be a great thing for them. All their big rivalry games would be played every year.

And yes, I think the SWC and the old Big 8 would ideally come back. Restoration of tons of great rivalries.

West Virginia would come back east and start playing Pitt each year. Penn State would too. We would see the Eastern football league (really a division) all fans from this area have dreamed about and lamented was never going to happen.

It would be a tremendous thing for college sports.

Dream scenario for us.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Does this somehow get Syracuse basketball back to Big East? If yes...I'm in

barf

 

[OrangeinBoston]

The NCAA's death could be soon. But this proposal may materialize as major pushback if the B1G/SEC try to monopolize college football and exclude everyone else.

Don't be too sure. Charlie Baker, our former moderate Republican governor and well-regarded, is no dummy.

 

[elimunelson]

Don't be too sure. Charlie Baker, our former moderate Republican governor and well-regarded, is no dummy.

NCAA won't die because the conferences themselves don't want to have to recreate the actual administration of the tournaments, etc. It's not as easy as one would think. A clearinghouse of sorts is still needed at the end of the day. NCAA runs fencing tournaments, field hockey, water polo. NCAA is very important administrator of things beyond football

 

[sutomcat]

It would be great. I think it comes down to the BIG/SEC not losing a dime in this scenario. Maybe this splinters those conferences if the bigger brands within them are given a kiss at the expense of the lower rung guys like Vanderbilt/Rutgers. At some point a collective league makes most sense for the big dogs provided they get the maximized amount of money.

I agree.

My opinion only here.

I think the days of 20% or more revenue increases year by year for the B1G and SEC are coming to an end.

I think when these incredibly lucrative contracts with ESPN and Fox expire, the Big Two are going to be very fortunate to get what they are getting right now.

The cable model is changing and all those people who have been paying really high prices for live sports (and don't care about them) are not going to be there.

Yes, these conferences have large passionate fan bases who do care and will pay to see their teams. But even ESPN/Disney is not going to be able to keep the SEC Network distribution close to where it is today. The same with the ACCN, the B1GN, ESPN, ESPN2, etc.

The next 4-6 years are going to be the high point for these conferences (and really all college conferences).

If Chancellor Sveryud is right and the NCAA loses the cases pending and athletes are going to need to share in TV revenue (and get back paid for abuses in the past), the good times will end shortly after those cases close and the courts find in favor of the athletes.

Agree, ESPN and Fox are going to need to be supportive of this.

My hope is that when the contracts come up, ESPN and Fox are going to have bad news. But it might be the same bad news if they stay in their bloated post expansion states or go back to how things used to be.

If the SEC and B1G are going to get the same money regardless, maybe they will opt in. They get a lot of big benefits and won't have to pay a price for doing it.

I haven't read Eric's argument closely on why moving to this quickly will help in the lawsuits but hope that is true as well. Then maybe there is hope we can get to a better place for college sports and not have to wait 5 or 6 more years to get it.

 

[cusefan88]

barf

Non-football sports should be regional again.

 

[NKR1978]

I just can't imagine laws limiting either of those passing constitutional scrutiny.

Exactly. The Courts have already ruled that players have an absolute right to NIL. The only way I can think of that it could be legally regulated would be for the players to form a union and for collective bargaining to take place. I imagine even the players want more stability with respect to the portal and transferring, but that can't come from the NCAA.

The only thing Congress could look at would be whether the B1G and SEC are violating any antitrust laws.