cleveland
CHICAGO Wakey wakey, dont trust Sankey.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti wants to be friends with his SEC counterpart (commissioner Greg Sankey) and save college football at the same time.
But he cant do both.
In fact, unless Petitti snaps to and stands up to Sankey, then Ohio State football fans can kiss the college football world they love or whats left of it, at least goodbye.
You think its hard to recognize now, with West Coast teams playing Big Ten football, high school recruits commanding unchecked riches (good on them, but we need rules) and the transfer portal sucking continuity out of the sport? Just you wait.
Sankey said last week at SEC Media Days that his league an NCAA exit.
And if the Big Ten follows his lead, as it did during conference realignment, then our beautiful, regional, whimsical sport will become something else.
Were talking corporatized super conferences, already complete with jersey patch sponsorships.
More private equity money, fewer reasons to share it with other athletic programs.
The future looks bleak unless somebody intervenes.
And our best hope is Petitti, who spent 45 minutes at Tuesdays Big Ten Media Days press conference painting college footballs two most powerful rivals as partners in the fight for a fair, balanced future.
Never mind that the Big Ten and SEC both released statements against the initial Protect College Sports Act, supported by all other power conferences, upon its introduction.
And dont fret over Sankey and Smart discussing southern football secession last week.
Petitti sees the path to a solution, even if it feeds into the SECs power play.
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Can we come together? Petitti wondered Tuesday.
Its not breakaway (from the NCAA), but is there another path where, if you cant solve it in the Bill, and if you cant solve it with your colleagues, is there some path where you have to have conference-based rules? Thats not necessarily breaking away.
It doesnt mean youre not going to play anybody else.
But is there a path to have rules that we can at least operate from the conference? I dont know, commish.
Is there? As Smokey Bear reminds us, only you can prevent the firestorm Sankey and Smart are insinuating.
The Big 12 and ACC are rooting like heck for somebody to preserve whats left of the status quo, via jargony legislation or otherwise.
But they lack the leverage to entice Sankey and his SEC cohorts into action.
And for a long time, nobody could change Sankeys mind.
When the SEC nabbed Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12, the Big Ten had to swoop USC, Oregon, Washington and UCLA from the PAC 12 to keep pace.
Sankeys league had won 12 of the previous 16 national titles, so Sankeys league dictated terms.
But when Petitti addressed reporters on Tuesday, he stood next to three College Football Playoff championship trophies won by three different Big Ten schools over the last three seasons.
Michigan beat Washington in 2023; Ohio State beat Notre Dame one year later; Indiana beat Miami last year.
Notice a theme? The SEC hasnt appeared in a championship game since 2022 (Georgia), which punctuated the first season where Name, Image and Likeness laws allowed teams to pay players.
Must be a coincidence.
Now that the Big Ten can pay players, it holds more power.
It doesnt have to follow the whiny, woebegone SEC.
It could even, potentially, wield that leverage in these discussions and shape a sensible future for the sport.
Go ahead, try it.
Remind SEC leaders that, if they played in their own league three years ago, history would barely notice.
Tell them the SEC needs the Big Ten now, not the other way around.
And the next time Sankey calls, tell him to listen for once.
It might do college football some good.
I think every league is going to be in the position to say, what are we going to do (is) better than what we have now? Do we have to do it ourselves? Petitti said.
I think breakaway is a word that creates a lot of emotion.
Its not -- Ive never heard that anybody doesnt want to play anybody else.
We want to schedule more good games that our fans expect.
We just got to get to a system that allows us to do that.
No.
Not we, commish.
You.