Sources: Big Ten, SEC to talk possible scheduling partnership

[BleedGopher]

Per ESPN:

Big Ten and SEC athletic directors will discuss a possible partnership in football scheduling, along with their preferences for automatic bids, in the next iteration of the College Football Playoff.

The discussion is to take place at an in-person meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, next week, multiple sources from both conferences told ESPN on Monday.

The meeting is a continuation of the Big Ten-SEC joint advisory group, which was formed in February and includes the leagues' university presidents, chancellors and athletic directors. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti are scheduled to meet with the athletic directors for one day.

"There is hope that we can definitely move the needle and make some progress on different things," one Big Ten source said.

The future scheduling partnership could hinge on whether the SEC eventually decides to go to nine conference games -- a topic one SEC source said hasn't been a focus of conversations lately. Some Big Ten athletic directors could push back on any agreement if the SEC doesn't move to nine games, because the Big Ten already plays nine league opponents.

"If we're all going to figure this out," one source said, "we've got to be on equal footing."

Sources in both leagues told ESPN on Monday they would prefer to have potentially four automatic bids each to the playoff when the next contract begins in 2026. CFP leaders haven't determined yet what the playoff will look like beyond this season and next. Some said they need to know that before making any decisions about future scheduling partnerships.

"I'm for anything that gives us the maximum number of postseason opportunities," one SEC source said. "I don't count bowl games as postseason opportunities."

Sources: Big Ten, SEC eye schedule partnership

SEC and Big Ten athletic directors will meet next week to discuss a possible partnership in football scheduling and preferences for automatic bids, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[upnorthkid]

4 teams each guaranteed is asinine. 3 fine. But we don’t need 2/3 or the field to be those 2 conferences every year. Make it top 3 and play a 3rd vs 4th place game and the top 2 are in for sure

 

[MNfootballfan]

My dream is something along this lines. I would love to see the SEC and Big Ten to grow to whatever the magic number is 18 - 20 - 24...

Break the Big Ten and SEC into divisions and then have a neutral scheduling committee create the schedules.

Year 1 - Big Ten East plays the SEC East
Year 2 - Big Ten East plays the SEC West
Etc

This would be similar to how the NFL creates scheduling - would be awesome as a fan, not so much for the Gophers. We could trade games with Nevada and Rhode Island for other P5 schools.

 

[axe2grind]

At this point, let's scrap the college playoff and just go NFL model. I'd propose the following:

1. Big Ten champ vs. SEC champ Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Pomp Circumstance. The day that was made for college football.
2. Other bowl games are decided between SEC and Big Ten schools by order of finish and are played before the Rose Bowl (or rotating Bowl gamer, personally I'm rooting for the Rose Bowl 100% of the time)

Go to an 11-game schedule and focus on divisions to:
1. Keep regional rivalries
2. Have schools have something to play by winning their division
3. Big Ten TV rights would be huge for playoffs; Big Ten and SEC get bigger TV rights.
4. Make New Years Day Great Again! Rose Bowl parade, best two college teams between SEC and BigTen play.


Scheduling:
4 divisional games
3 other Big Ten divisional games based on where you finished the prior year. #1 in Division 1 plays #1 in Division 2
2 other Big Ten games (possible for rivalry purposes or just random games
2 non-conference games

Or
5 games of another Big Ten division (rotate each year - will play other Big Ten teams once every 3 years)
2 non-conference games

Playoffs and Championship

8 teams Week 1 Big Ten Playoffs Round 1: (Week before Thanksgiving start)
4 teams Week 2 Divisional Round
2 teams: Week 3 Big Ten Championship: (first Saturday in December)

New Year's Day:
Bowl Games
NY Day = Big Ten vs. SEC Championship game. Make it a trophy game.

Divisions (I'm sure you can make this better, but here is a shot regarding regional)

Division 1:
Oregon
UCLA
USC
Washington
<Add a new team>

Division 2:
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
<Add a new team>

Division 3
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue

Division 4
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

Thoughts?

 

[axe2grind]

My dream is something along this lines. I would love to see the SEC and Big Ten to grow to whatever the magic number is 18 - 20 - 24...

Break the Big Ten and SEC into divisions and then have a neutral scheduling committee create the schedules.

Year 1 - Big Ten East plays the SEC East
Year 2 - Big Ten East plays the SEC West
Etc

This would be similar to how the NFL creates scheduling - would be awesome as a fan, not so much for the Gophers. We could trade games with Nevada and Rhode Island for other P5 schools.

I think I was writing up my post when you posted. I'm 100% on board with you.

 

[Sparlimb]

I think we're still moving towards 32 teams in each conference. Which then becomes double the size of the NFL.

 

[MNfootballfan]

I think I was writing up my post when you posted. I'm 100% on board with you.

I love your write up more...

I agree 100% with a lot of with what you said and I totally know that this wouldn't be great for my favorite college football team but as a fan it would be amazing - always having a P5 game on.

 

[SeaBee_Gopher]

I prefer the current SEC model by far. I'd rather have only 8 conference games and four non-con with two from P4 and two below (preseason) until something changes in NIL or revenue sharing to make the money and recruiting more equal. Where is Minnesota going to find wins otherwise? It is more fun when Minnesota can actually win some games. They'll have a much better chance in the non-con games on average and it's fun playing some different teams you rarely see. I liked the home-and-home with UNC even though it did not go our way. It will go our way more in the future with the large revenue discrepancy between the B1G and the rest of non-SEC college football.

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

I have no interest whatsoever in watching the Gophers lose.

I'd pass legislation to destroy Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, etc. if I could. But...if a small state like Alabama wants a minor-league team, that's fine.

Just get Minnesota out of the Big Ten !!! We have the Vikings.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Bordering on duopoly power. Regulators could/should step in and break the big conferences apart but….I’m not gonna hold my breath. We don’t seem to have a taste for it/don’t care. Just gimme ma football.

 

[PMWinSTP]

At this point, let's scrap the college playoff and just go NFL model. I'd propose the following:

1. Big Ten champ vs. SEC champ Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Pomp Circumstance. The day that was made for college football.
2. Other bowl games are decided between SEC and Big Ten schools by order of finish and are played before the Rose Bowl (or rotating Bowl gamer, personally I'm rooting for the Rose Bowl 100% of the time)

Go to an 11-game schedule and focus on divisions to:
1. Keep regional rivalries
2. Have schools have something to play by winning their division
3. Big Ten TV rights would be huge for playoffs; Big Ten and SEC get bigger TV rights.
4. Make New Years Day Great Again! Rose Bowl parade, best two college teams between SEC and BigTen play.


Scheduling:
4 divisional games
3 other Big Ten divisional games based on where you finished the prior year. #1 in Division 1 plays #1 in Division 2
2 other Big Ten games (possible for rivalry purposes or just random games
2 non-conference games

Or
5 games of another Big Ten division (rotate each year - will play other Big Ten teams once every 3 years)
2 non-conference games

Playoffs and Championship

8 teams Week 1 Big Ten Playoffs Round 1: (Week before Thanksgiving start)
4 teams Week 2 Divisional Round
2 teams: Week 3 Big Ten Championship: (first Saturday in December)

New Year's Day:
Bowl Games
NY Day = Big Ten vs. SEC Championship game. Make it a trophy game.

Divisions (I'm sure you can make this better, but here is a shot regarding regional)

Division 1:
Oregon
UCLA
USC
Washington
<Add a new team>

Division 2:
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
<Add a new team>

Division 3
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue

Division 4
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

Thoughts?

How many schools are willing to give up a regular season home game? Getting those 11 games in without the bye week seems tough...do they start a week earlier than now? Are you suggesting they scrap the 12 team playoff for the championship?

 

[swede2]

The NFL model works if there's a way to create parity. The NFL has parity because of the salary cap and the draft, and guaranteed regional representation in the playoff system. How does the collegiate game achieve those necessary controls? Regional representation is the easy part but what about the cap and draft? The answer: The schools get out of the football business and license the school name, mascot, imagery, traditions and FB facilities to third party operational entities that run the football programs. Of course, the athletes are no longer "student" athletes although in the revenue sports, it seems that the athletes are only nominally students these days, any way.

 

[axe2grind]

Bordering on duopoly power. Regulators could/should step in and break the big conferences apart but….I’m not gonna hold my breath. We don’t seem to have a taste for it/don’t care. Just gimme ma football.

How many schools are willing to give up a regular season home game? Getting those 11 games in without the bye week seems tough...do they start a week earlier than now? Are you suggesting they scrap the 12 team playoff for the championship?

Yes, I think forget about the 12 team championship and just focus on conference playoffs to conference championship. Then do the Big Ten vs. SEC at the end. Feels like we are moving towards two major conferences anyways.

 

[TruthSeeker]

The end game is a Big Ten Playoff and SEC Playoff. The two winners will play each other for the national championship.

Once the other leagues dissolve, and they will when the media rights are up again, that'll be your result.

 

[axe2grind]

The NFL model works if there's a way to create parity. The NFL has parity because of the salary cap and the draft, and guaranteed regional representation in the playoff system. How does the collegiate game achieve those necessary controls? Regional representation is the easy part but what about the cap and draft? The answer: The schools get out of the football business and license the school name, mascot, imagery, traditions and FB facilities to third party operational entities that run the football programs. Of course, the athletes are no longer "student" athletes although in the revenue sports, it seems that the athletes are only nominally students these days, any way.

I don't know the answer, but could each conference pass rules that limit the number of transfers each school can bring in, the amount of NIL money paid out, etc.?

Maybe college athletics is just going to be for the top tier football schools going for championships and the rest of us just look forward to our rivalries. (I feel sad typing that...)

 

[Allshade]

At this point, let's scrap the college playoff and just go NFL model. I'd propose the following:

1. Big Ten champ vs. SEC champ Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Pomp Circumstance. The day that was made for college football.
2. Other bowl games are decided between SEC and Big Ten schools by order of finish and are played before the Rose Bowl (or rotating Bowl gamer, personally I'm rooting for the Rose Bowl 100% of the time)

Go to an 11-game schedule and focus on divisions to:
1. Keep regional rivalries
2. Have schools have something to play by winning their division
3. Big Ten TV rights would be huge for playoffs; Big Ten and SEC get bigger TV rights.
4. Make New Years Day Great Again! Rose Bowl parade, best two college teams between SEC and BigTen play.


Scheduling:
4 divisional games
3 other Big Ten divisional games based on where you finished the prior year. #1 in Division 1 plays #1 in Division 2
2 other Big Ten games (possible for rivalry purposes or just random games
2 non-conference games

Or
5 games of another Big Ten division (rotate each year - will play other Big Ten teams once every 3 years)
2 non-conference games

Playoffs and Championship

8 teams Week 1 Big Ten Playoffs Round 1: (Week before Thanksgiving start)
4 teams Week 2 Divisional Round
2 teams: Week 3 Big Ten Championship: (first Saturday in December)

New Year's Day:
Bowl Games
NY Day = Big Ten vs. SEC Championship game. Make it a trophy game.

Divisions (I'm sure you can make this better, but here is a shot regarding regional)

Division 1:
Oregon
UCLA
USC
Washington
<Add a new team>

Division 2:
Maryland
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
<Add a new team>

Division 3
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue

Division 4
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin

Thoughts?

Do you dream about this stuff in your sleep?

 

[PMWinSTP]

Yes, I think forget about the 12 team championship and just focus on conference playoffs to conference championship. Then do the Big Ten vs. SEC at the end. Feels like we are moving towards two major conferences anyways.

Hmm...what kind of timetable? Irish never get a chance? How does it work with the current TV contracts?

 

[PMWinSTP]

I don't know the answer, but could each conference pass rules that limit the number of transfers each school can bring in, the amount of NIL money paid out, etc.?

Maybe college athletics is just going to be for the top tier football schools going for championships and the rest of us just look forward to our rivalries. (I feel sad typing that...)

Sounds like collusion.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

At this point the only thing keeping the jackals from getting an even bigger playoff is a lack of time. Should have only included conference champs. I haven’t really thought about it but the 12 team format is very odd.

 

[PMWinSTP]

At this point the only thing keeping the jackals from getting an even bigger playoff is a lack of time. Should have only included conference champs. I haven’t really thought about it but the 12 team format is very odd.

Yep my preference was either 8 or 16.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Yep my preference was either 8 or 16.

And the players have no vote.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

Collective bargaining, make them employees and run it like the NFL but with college sponsors instead of cities providing the stadiums. Get away from Title IX issues by having it not be a college sport but simply paying a license fee for the name and stadium rentals.

 

[NateDawgUM]

Colleges spin off their teams into professional enterprises…

Then the colleges start teams of everyday students that play traditional regional matchups.

People realize that college football was about being fans of the school and there already was a professional league that was quite successful…

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Yep my preference was either 8 or 16.

I always wanted 16 with an auto bid for every FBS (not just major) conference champs. Would eliminate any possibility of an undefeated team not being a national champ, and I think a home game against the weakest mid-major champ is a fair prize for finishing the regular season number 1 overall (and, if once in a blue moon, the weakest mid-major champ knocked off a blue blood 1 seed, that would be cool too).