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13. Preserve rivalries; geography-based conferences via pooled media rights

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Insiders (sourced entries)

Mentioned

Cody Campbell (2025, pooled rights to allow regional realignment); Maria Cantwell (2026, amend the Sports Broadcasting Act).

Cody Campbell, Texas Tech regents chair; former Texas Tech player · · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink
“This has resulted in the loss of traditional rivalries and has ballooned travel expenses and time away from the classroom, especially for the non-revenue sports.”
Argued that conferences competing for media deals led to coast-to-coast leagues, lost rivalries and heavy travel; pooled media rights could reset conferences along geographic lines.
Source: CBS Sports (quoting Campbell's column): Can Nick Saban and a Texas billionaire fix college sports? What we know about their vision
Conference realignment Rivalries & tradition Scheduling & calendar
Cody Campbell, Texas Tech regents chair; former Texas Tech player; later co-chair of Trump's college sports commission · · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink
“This isn't about left or right; it's about right and wrong. The NCAA is broken, but handing the keys to a few fat cats is worse.”
Warned that giving the Big Ten and SEC an antitrust pass would create a 'gilded monopoly' super conference that starves everyone else; he favors pooled media rights under the Sports Broadcasting Act and geographically sensible conferences.
Source: CBS Sports (quoting Campbell's column): Can Nick Saban and a Texas billionaire fix college sports? What we know about their vision
Structure: super league & divisions Conference realignment Governance & legislation
Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator (D-Wash.), Commerce Committee ranking member · · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink
“We agree today that college athletics are in crisis, and we agree that the system is broken and unsustainable”
Co-sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act; called the system broken and pushed amending the Sports Broadcasting Act to pool media rights and 'grow the pie'.
Source: U.S. Senate Commerce Committee (Democratic press release): Committee Hears Powerful Testimony Bolstering the Need to Fix College Sports Crisis
Governance & legislation Pay, NIL & revenue sharing

Mentioned

Lyle Larson, Mike Sherman and Mack Brown (2011, keep Texas–A&M); Bill Byrne (2012).

Lyle Larson, Texas state representative (R-San Antonio), Texas A&M graduate · · BCS (2006-13) · permalink
“Clearly, this can be accomplished if all involved are willing to put their egos aside.”
In a letter to UT and A&M leaders, urged keeping the rivalry as a nonconference game, citing South Carolina–Clemson and the old Texas–Oklahoma series.
Source: The Daily Texan: Quotes to note: Tuition increases and the A&M rivalry
Rivalries & tradition Scheduling & calendar
Mike Sherman, Texas A&M head coach · · BCS (2006-13) · permalink
“I hate to see the end of anything that has such rich history and tradition come to an end”
Lamented the end of the Texas–Texas A&M Thanksgiving rivalry due to the SEC move.
Source: The Daily Texan: Quotes to note: Tuition increases and the A&M rivalry
Rivalries & tradition Conference realignment
Mack Brown, Texas head coach · · BCS (2006-13) · permalink
“These kids and I aren't involved with that. And the coaches. That's bigger than us. That's about administrators and that's about fans.”
Before what was then the last Texas–Texas A&M game, said realignment decisions were made by administrators and fans, not players and coaches.
Source: The Daily Texan: Quotes to note: Tuition increases and the A&M rivalry
Rivalries & tradition Conference realignment
Bill Byrne, Texas A&M athletic director · · BCS (2006-13) · permalink
“I'm very foolish. I assumed -- and it was a rash assumption on my part -- that our friends over in the state capital would want to continue playing us. It turns out they didn't think we were as much of a rival as we thought of them.”
Called A&M's SEC move 'brilliant' for stability but said he wrongly assumed Texas would keep playing the rivalry game.
Source: NBC Sports (citing Birmingham News): Texas A&M AD on Big 12: 'I regret that it is coming to an end'
Conference realignment Rivalries & tradition

Mentioned

Jack Swarbrick (2023): realignment decisions "lost [their] way."

Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame athletic director · · NIL/portal (2021-23) · permalink
“I think the decision-making lost its way in terms of the focus on the student-athlete and what's primarily best for them, but we are where we are.”
On The Dan Patrick Show, Swarbrick called realignment 'a complete disaster' driven by money and said decision-making had lost focus on athletes. He urged more regional scheduling and said athletes don't need to become employees.
Source: New York Post: Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick blasts realignment: 'A complete disaster'
Conference realignment Scheduling & calendar Employment & unions

Skeptic of pooling

Greg Sankey (2026) questioned voluntary pooling.

Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner · · 12-team/revenue-sharing (2024-26) · permalink
“I think the notion that we would simply rush to say we support is not the appropriate position.”
On The Paul Finebaum Show, denied any SEC–Big Ten merger or super league plan, calling claims by Protect College Sports Act backers 'not consistent with the truth'; declined to endorse the bill yet and questioned voluntary media-rights pooling.
Source: Associated Press: SEC's Sankey says superleague idea 'not consistent with the truth'
Structure: super league & divisions Governance & legislation

From outside the sport

Outside proposals

Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.