Conference realignment
15 entries tagged Conference realignment, newest first. Open in the filterable browser.
“I have experienced the impact of NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment, evolving eligibility rules, and the many changes shaping modern college athletics.”
Testifying on the Protect College Sports Act, said a national NIL framework would remove 'gray area' for athletes and that behind every policy debate are real students; noted coaching turnover disrupts development.
“It's not sustainable the way we are. It's just a matter of time.”
Predicted college football will consolidate into one 40–50-team 'super league', possibly 'the best era for college football'; warned that 'the adults have left the room.'
“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.
“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.
“If you want to go to a college, it should be because you want to play football there, not because somebody pays you more than the other guy”
Said he has no problem with players earning money but NIL arrived without limits or uniformity; the portal erodes team bonds; called college football 'kind of upside down'.
“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.
“I will tell you what we've seen is that the longer we wait for our media deal, the better our options get”
Two weeks before the Pac-12 collapsed, insisted schools were committed and that waiting would improve the league's media deal.
“I also think that it's important we also kind of put up guardrails in place for the teams and the coaches and everyone to understand the do's and don'ts of it.”
Softened on NIL, calling parts of it 'really cool' but urging guardrails; predicted realignment would settle into at least three major conferences.
“This whole thing has been a complete articulation of deception”
After Texas and Oklahoma moved toward the SEC, sent ESPN a cease-and-desist letter accusing it of encouraging other conferences to poach Big 12 members; called the process deceptive.
“to adapt, react and take advantage of this new world media order that's coming in a way others can't.”
Boasted around 2018 that the Pac-12 could exploit the 'new world media order' better than rivals, a claim AP noted aged badly after the 2023 collapse.
“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.
“Turning them into professional athletes is not the solution to the challenges we face right now.”
Emmert defended the new $2,000 cost-of-attendance stipend as support for students, not pay for play, which he said was not up for discussion. He also warned that realignment was causing damaging cross-country travel and fear-driven decisions.
“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.
“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.
“Number One, I think there was a tsunami of Texas political pressure from Texas A&M and Baylor”
Explained why his 16-team 'Pac-16' superconference plan with Texas and Oklahoma failed: Texas political pressure, national fear of dominoes, and Pac-10 principles such as equal revenue sharing.
College FootballNFL · later