The Big Ten and SEC have formed a joint advisory group to "address the significant challenges facing college athletics" the conferences announced on friday.
The two conferences -- informally known as the Big2 -- may be the first step in formalizing arelationship between the two conferences with the wealthiest television contracts with FOX and ESPN, contracts which provide their member institutions with $30 million to $40 million per school more that the ACC or Big 12 schools receive.
What motivated formal talks between the two conference?
My hunch is the most recent anti-trust law suit House v the NCAA in which current and past student-athletes are demanding a share of television revenues.
This and past anti-trust losses have the attention of both SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and BIg 10 commissioner Petitti not to mention a myriad of state laws pertaining to NIL or NCAA director Charlie Baker's efforts for congressional intervention.
According to ESPN's, Heater Dinitch, "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," Petitti said in a statement. "We recognize the similarity in our circumstances, as well as the urgency to address the common challenges we face."
Dinitch wrote the Big Ten-SEC advisory group "will act as a consultant to the leagues but won't have authority to implement changes. Its composition and timetable and the specific issues it will tackle are still unclear. What it has done, though, is further bind the two behemoths together."
Stand by as this could be a significant step.
"We do not expect to agree on everything but enhancing interaction between our conferences will help to focus efforts on common sense solutions," Sankey said.
The two conferences -- informally known as the Big2 -- may be the first step in formalizing arelationship between the two conferences with the wealthiest television contracts with FOX and ESPN, contracts which provide their member institutions with $30 million to $40 million per school more that the ACC or Big 12 schools receive.
What motivated formal talks between the two conference?
My hunch is the most recent anti-trust law suit House v the NCAA in which current and past student-athletes are demanding a share of television revenues.
This and past anti-trust losses have the attention of both SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and BIg 10 commissioner Petitti not to mention a myriad of state laws pertaining to NIL or NCAA director Charlie Baker's efforts for congressional intervention.
According to ESPN's, Heater Dinitch, "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," Petitti said in a statement. "We recognize the similarity in our circumstances, as well as the urgency to address the common challenges we face."
Dinitch wrote the Big Ten-SEC advisory group "will act as a consultant to the leagues but won't have authority to implement changes. Its composition and timetable and the specific issues it will tackle are still unclear. What it has done, though, is further bind the two behemoths together."
Stand by as this could be a significant step.
"We do not expect to agree on everything but enhancing interaction between our conferences will help to focus efforts on common sense solutions," Sankey said.
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