Talk of SEC or Big Ten departing college sports is foolish, unrealistic

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The college football offseason has been filled with polarizing topics and heated debates. From eligibility lawsuits and playoff expansion to rule changes and NIL concerns, there has been no shortage of storylines. However, the latest buzz surrounding the SEC may be the most ambitious proposal yet.

According to multiple reports, there has been discussion about the SEC potentially forming its own collegiate sports league. Or even partnering with the Big Ten to create one away from the NCAA. On the surface, the concept sounds like something that could rival professional sports leagues in both revenue and influence.

The reality, however, is far less practical. For college football, college basketball, or anything.

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Several major obstacles stand in the way of the SEC, Big Ten, or any other conference breaking away from the NCAA. While the idea of negotiating independent television contracts and controlling their own operations may sound appealing, the financial and legal realities are much more complicated.

These are universities, not private businesses

College athletics do not operate like professional sports franchises.

While athletic departments generate substantial revenue through television contracts, ticket sales, sponsorships, and merchandise, many schools still rely on public funding and institutional support. At one point, more than 90% of athletic programs required significant subsidies to remain operational. In fact, there was a time when the Texas Longhorns were one of the only programs capable of fully supporting themselves through athletic revenue alone.

Revenue-sharing agreements and booming media deals have reduced some of that dependence, but many Division I athletic departments still rely on institutional support for anywhere from 25% to 70% of their operating budgets.

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Power Four programs generally sit on the lower end of that spectrum, but even within those conferences, financial disparities remain significant. If a breakaway league were formed, could a program like Arkansas realistically generate enough resources to compete with the financial powerhouses at Alabama, Georgia, or Florida year after year?

There’s also the matter of government oversight.

Federal lawmakers have already introduced legislation aimed at preventing the formation of college sports “super leagues.” State governments would likely have concerns as well, particularly if public universities were exposed to greater financial risk. The odds of lawmakers simply stepping aside and allowing a massive restructuring of college athletics seem extremely low.

Even if conferences agreed to spending caps, another major issue would remain: NIL.

NIL spending chaos

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko recently stated that multiple programs are already exceeding their NIL budgets. According to Elko, NIL spending has become increasingly difficult to control.

That doesn’t mean student-athletes are undeserving of compensation. The problem is sustainability.

As playoff appearances, bowl games, and championship runs become more financially valuable, schools will face even greater pressure to spend aggressively on recruiting and roster retention. The incentives to increase spending will only grow.

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A breakaway league would not eliminate that problem — it would likely intensify it.

The SEC, Big Ten, ACC, or any other conference considering a split would not only have to fund athletic operations but also support increasingly expensive athlete compensation models. If schools cannot consistently meet those financial demands, what prevents programs from seeking a return to a more traditional NCAA structure?

That is the harsh reality facing anyone who believes a breakaway super league is imminent.

College athletics still lacks a stable, long-term solution for regulating NIL spending. If conferences cannot fully manage those costs within the current system, it’s difficult to see how breaking away would suddenly make the challenge easier.

A dream that remains unlikely

At the end of the day, the chances of a conference like the SEC or Big Ten successfully breaking away from the NCAA remain slim.

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Could it work under the right circumstances? Possibly. If the finances aligned, the legal hurdles were cleared, and schools could maintain competitive balance, a breakaway model might succeed.

But that’s a long list of assumptions.

For now, serious discussion of a college sports super league feels more like a thought experiment than a realistic plan. Unlike the NFL, NBA, or MLB, college athletics operates within a unique framework that involves universities, state governments, federal oversight, donors, students, and countless other stakeholders.

There is simply far more at stake than television revenue.

For those dreaming of an SEC-led super league, all I can say is this: good luck — and dream big.

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