I don't think the B1G and SEC are going to do anything close to antitrust-worthy. Are they really that stupid?
Greg Flugaur talked about what is going on here, and it made a lot of sense......
The B1G and SEC both have schools that fit into one of two categories......
1. The schools that are big football brands that will go all-in on NIL.
2. The schools that aren't big football brands, not as interested in going all-in on NIL, and will likely eat a lot of the losses on the field to the big football brands.
The commissioners of both conferences have to represent the best interest of all schools in both categories. Rather than go toe-to-toe with each other, they are going to talk amongst themselves what is the best outcome so that all of the schools are happy with the end result. Adding in other conferences at this point complicates things, but the ACC and Big 12 will be invited to these conversations later on. First, the SEC and B1G need to be on the same page.
For example, let's say the committee wants to see NIL fall under the umbrella of each university rather than being separate entities. Policies that allow for schools to have control over the NIL will satisfy the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. The less competitive schools ---- Northwestern, Minnesota, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, etc. know that they will never be able to compete in NIL with the other schools ---- their concerns will be having access to the highest amount of conference payouts as possible so they have the funding in place to pay their athletes an amount that maybe won't keep them competitive with Ohio State and Alabama, but will keep them competitive against an Oklahoma State or a Wake Forest. These schools voted for expansion because it gives them even more money to directly compete against anyone not in the P2.
Now, when the kinks of how the B1G sees things and how the SEC sees things are worked out and both are in agreement of the way to move forward, the ACC and Big 12 will be invited into the conversation. Maybe the G5 too. And they will go from there.
The B1G Commissioner is already talking of expanding the playoffs to 14 or 16 teams, giving everyone not in the P2 more access to the playoffs than they have ever had in the past. Carrots will be dangled in front of everyone not in the P2 to allow the P2 to get what they want.
Big Picture for the P2........the goal of the Ohio State's is to have full control of NIL in-house to give them the competitive edge to compete for national championships year in and year out. The goal of the Indiana's is not to go toe-to-toe with the Ohio State's to compete for national championships year in and year out, but rather to have the financial means within the conference payouts to field teams that are favored to beat - or at least be competitive with - any team that is not in the P2.
And if everyone not in the P2 is getting more than they ever got before ---- and more than they could get if the P2 were to theoretically break away ---- everyone not in the P2 will fall in line and vote accordingly.
The goal of the SEC / B1G collaboration is for the P2 to get everything they want while giving everyone else enough to ensure that it happens.