The SEC and Big Ten are considering a blockbuster scheduling agreement that would create marquee games and align conferences for new TV revenue deals.
www.usatoday.com
From the article:
The people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the conversations say the two
super conferences could face off in as many as 12 to 16 regular-season nonconference games a year – or more – to determine the extent of the increase in media rights revenue.
The potential scheduling agreement is an answer to billions in lost revenue from
the House legal case settlement of more than $2 billion to former players, and future revenue sharing with players of at least $20 million to $23 million annually beginning as soon as the 2025 season.
There are still multiple hurdles to clear – including schedule structure, format of how games are paired and revenue distribution – but officials in both conferences see the potential agreement as an answer to the rapidly-changing financial landscape of college football.
The process begins and ends with structure. The Big Ten currently plays nine conference games, the SEC eight.
If the SEC moves to nine, a corresponding move could be as many as 12 new nonconference games between the leagues. If both move to eight conference games, there’s a possibility for as many as 20 or more.
It’s also being done within an environment that clearly favors the two super conferences. Both have pulled away financially from the rest of the FBS conferences and would move further away with a nonconference scheduling agreement.
But the last thing the Big Ten and SEC want is the optics of collusion. It’s no coincidence that both brought legal teams to last week’s meetings to steer clear of those potential problems
