Revenue sharing is the current concern among the conferences. Might be the final nail that drives Notre Dame into the Big Ten Conference.
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It’s all about the cash. It’s not revenue sharing per se, but how it is distributed. No way tOSU and Michigan (and USC/Oregon) will continue to vote to give Rutgers or Indiana a prorata share.
Today, ND is pulling in an estimated ~$67m, from their contract with NBC ($50m) and share of the ACC (~$17m). The latter likely to increase in '25/'26. The current BiG average payout is ~$80m per school, but coudl be much more for the Big Boys if they don’t share equally. In such a scenario, ND (and tOSU and Michigan) might command $100m, leaving Rutgers/Indiana with $50m.
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I was referencing the revenue sharing plan under the current antitrust cases (House v. NCAA) proposed settlement. Each team will pay about 22% of its total earnings–excluding student fees and some other minor monies–to its athletes. (In addition to a total payout of $2.78 billion to former athletes as far back as 2016.)
Notre Dame will have difficulty recruiting top football players since 22% of Notre Dame’s athletic revenues will be less than that of a full share of a Big Ten Conference payout. 22% of $67 million is $14.74 million for Notre Dame to pay its athletes while a full share Big Ten Conference member will have more to pay its athletes (22% of $90 million = $19.8 million).
Additionally, football rosters will decrease to 105 players, but allowed scholarships will rise from 85 to 105 per team.
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Washington and Oregon are entering the Big Ten with half media rights shares through the end of the current contract (2030). Great deal for the other B1G members.
U Washington & U Oregon think that it is a great deal for each of them as well; that’s why they pursued Big Ten Conference membership so vigorously.
Also, Notre Dame’s opponents in the Big Ten Conference may stop scheduling ND depending upon how many games must be against conference opponents as mandated by the Big Ten Conference. Even the head coach of USC hinted that Notre Dame may possibly be cut from its schedule. This will cause ND’s football revenue to drop unless ND joins the Big Ten Conference.
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It was a no-brainer. Even at the reduced initial payout (which will increase by a $1 million each year until they enter into new TV contracts) and the estimated increased travel expenses, they come out, at worst, a wash in year one compared to what the P12 was floating around.
The bottom line is that the time difference was killing P12 games and the conference had not done a good job of getting a better TV deal. Larry Scott was a terrible conference commissioner and he held that job for far too long.
I’m confident that this will be a positive for both schools and for the conference. What remains to be seen is what happens to the have-nots in the B10 going forward. How long are Indiana and Rutgers going to be allowed to hang around?
in 4-6 years, I expect that teh Big Boys will all leave and form a football super conference (of ~50 teams) to compete for teh Natty. All other football schools will be relegated.
That said, the NCAA still holds the rights to nearly all other sport championships including March Madness (for as long as teh NCAA exists). So the FB teams may leave, but basetball will remain behind.
Wouldn’t there be antitrust concerns raised if this happened ?
Also, such a move would run counter to the unstated goal of the SEC & the Big Ten Conference to rid themselves of NCAA oversight by inviting government regulation.
In my view, it is in the interest of both the SEC & of the Big Ten Conference to keep other conferences–such as the Big 12–alive and flourishing. No need to crush the competition by utilizing exclusionary practices such as kicking out current conference members. College football does not need more lawsuits and does not want more regulation by the NCAA or by the government. Take some time to sit back and enjoy the riches without destroying the product.
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Common sense has the same question for the House settlement itself. What is the judge gonna do if Alabama spends say 30% of thier revenue on athletics, by spending a whole bunch more on women’s teams (for T9)?
The only solution is Congressional action, and/or unionization/collective bargaining.
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Agree that collective bargaining/unionization is coming.
The major conferences, however, do not want college athletes to be deemed employees of the universities, but it seems inevitable.
The Northwestern University football players were ahead of their time in 2014:
Regarding Title IX: Athletes have an option to “opt out” of the settlement and pursue their own legal action. If enough athletes opt out, then the settlement will not be approved by the judge.
The 100 plus page proposed settlement option should contain provisions for punishing violators–but, I have not read the proposed settlement filed with the court.
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Or could Notre Dame join the ACC, and then the contracts be written to favor certain schools over others?
They’re already ACC members I believe, minus a very important sport.
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Once UCLA and USC jumped ship, they had to do something.
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correct. And ND’s president was the primary reason Cal & Stanford got a lifeline. (He pushed the ACC hard to make an invite to the Bay Area schools.)
That was a mistake for the ACC. There’s not enough for them to go bi coastal but I see the appeal academically - the ACC is strong up and down - no weak schools although one might say Louisville. It’s a powerhouse. The Big 10 isn’t too shabby either but not to the level of the ACC.
Does that pay bills?
hmmmm - no
One could argue it’s the opposite: the ACC is not to the level of the BiG, but it’s not too shabby.) Every member of the BiG is/was R1/AAU. (Nebraska got kicked out of the AAU, but was a member when it joined the BiG.) Every member of the former P12 was also a member of the R1/AAU. (The BiG and P12 were teh only two conferences of that academic stature.)
Wake is not even R1.
“AAU member universities—69 in the United States and two in Canada—are on the leading edge of innovation, scholarship, and solutions that contribute to scientific progress, economic development, security, and well-being.”
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But wake is perceived as near elite. A reach. Nebraska. Iowa. Mich State. Gimmes 
But we can agree to disagree. Or pile on the SEC !!!
From USA Today:
What conference should Florida State join? (Poll Closed)
Big 12
29.77% (1,632 votes)
SEC
24.44% (1,340 votes)
Stay in ACC
23.42% (1,284 votes)
Big Ten
22.36% (1,226 votes)
Total Votes: 5,482
Florida State football poll results, takeaways on Big 12, Big 10, SEC
“ But the biggest gain by joining the SEC would be financial. In 2024, the conference starts a 10-year megadeal with ESPN worth $3 billion. Each team could get north of $70 million per year, compared to the expected $50 million per year the Big 12 schools are expected to get from their new TV deal, [according to Brett McMurphy].”
“FSU and Clemson are both trying to extract themselves from the ACC now that other conferences, such as the Big 10 and the SEC, have inked much more substantial television deals. But this has triggered dueling lawsuits in several states as the sides argue over how much control the ACC has over the schools and how much the universities would owe if they ultimately left the conference.
In Florida news:
“In a victory for transparency, the ACC has made documents available that are at the center of FSU’s legal fight with the conference,” said Moody, who is a graduate of FSU’s rival, the University of Florida. “These previously withheld contracts are vitally important to understanding why the ACC wants to impose large fines on a Florida university if it leaves the conference.”
It’s silly season (or, if you prefer, dog days of summer) where we make up story ideas so we can print them. The B12 give FSU nothing more ($$, and its all about the $$) than they get in teh ACC. Nor will teh B12 improve their chances at a Natty.
Since when/why do confidential documents become subject of transparency?
That was quote from FL AG Moody,
“…said Moody, who is a graduate of FSU’s rival, the University of Florida. “These previously withheld contracts are vitally important to understanding why the ACC wants to impose large fines on a Florida university if it leaves the conference.””
AG Moody had sued earlier, in part arguing,
“…The filing also broaches the discussion of an argument that the ACC’s shielding of the agreements is legal under “trade secrets” legislation, saying that wouldn’t apply here because the ACC “has not maintained the secrecy of many portions of the Media Rights Contracts, including portions relating to confidentiality, the existence of warranties, descriptions of the amounts previously received by FSU under the contracts at issue in this litigation.”
The action is also reliant on the Florida Constitution, which Moody says “creates a broad right to inspect the records of any state or local governmental body” via Article I, section 24(a).”