Image Courtesy: DecaturDaily.com
Per ESPN and multiple sources, the Big Ten and SEC have formed a joint advisory group of university presidents, chancellors, and athletic directors to “address the significant challenges facing college athletics” such as with name, image, and likeness, and the transfer portal. The power has shifted to the two conferences as the wealthiest in all of collegiate sports. Now that athletes can transfer two times without the penalty of sitting out for a season, free agency has truly entered college sports. Collegiate sports are now even more like professional sports now with money being passed around at an all-time high without much control of NIL. So, Big Ten and SEC leaders will have to be smart when making decisions on how things will look going forward.
According to the article, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti formed the group in response to recent Supreme Court decisions, pending litigation, state laws, and governance proposals. The advisory group will go forward “as a consultant” integral leaders of the collegiate sports landscape but it will not have the authority to make changes.
This advisory group being formed could be the first seed of the two conferences moving away from the NCAA’s control some time in the near future as the landscape continues to change every day.
