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Would you like to form an alliance?
It seems that the other Power Five conferences aren't just keen to sit idly by as the SEC tries to take over college football (well, except the Big 12, which seems powerless and all-but dead at this point).
The Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 are reportedly in serious talks about forming a sort of alliance that would serve as swift clap-back to the SEC's recent expansion efforts.
The Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC are engaging in high-level discussions about an alliance, sources tell The Athletic.
Talks have centered around not just a scheduling alliance in football but in broader cooperation, according to sources in the three conferences. Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips have been having conversations for several weeks.
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While the specifics on how a scheduling pact might work remain unclear, sources in the three conferences suggest the larger goal is alignment so that the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC can work and vote together on major issues such as College Football Playoff expansion and upcoming NCAA governance changes.
“This is their shot right back at the SEC,” one athletic director said.
All three leagues and their relatively new commissioners are feeling some pressure to respond to the SEC’s aggression after the conference added Texas and Oklahoma as new members starting in 2025. None of the three have expressed serious interest in raiding what’s left of the Big 12, so working together is a logical next step and appears to be the likely outcome.
That all adds a little bit of context to this picture of Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren and Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff.
Celebrating the @rosebowlgame with my friend and colleague @KevinFWarren (@bigten) pic.twitter.com/aTBtrZJ6Sb
— George Kliavkoff (@Kliavkoff) August 13, 2021
There aren't many specifics about how this would practically look or when it would happen, and this alliance probably leads to more questions and uncertainty than it addresses, but it's undeniably fascinating and entertaining, which is really what we're all here to see.
These next few years are going to be a wild ride in college football. Buckle up.
Side note: pour one out for the Big 12. They haven't been hurt like this since December of 2014.
Sampson James to Purdue
Four-star running back Sampson James was once Ohio State's highest-rated running back commit in the 2019 class. Then he flipped to hometown Indiana, instead.
Now, he'll finish his career at neither of those schools as he's headed to Purdue.
Lets Work. #Hammerdown pic.twitter.com/wjeqpxQtfo
— Sampson (@Sjames_2) August 13, 2021
James should have two seasons of eligibility remaining and, unless he gets a waiver, will not be eligible to play for the Boilermakers this season as he entered the transfer portal long after the July 1 deadline.
The past two seasons, James has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, appearing in 16 games for the Hoosiers.
NIL Working for Walk-Ons
While the name, image and likeness changes primarily help the superstars of college football, there's certainly a slice of the pie for everyone else too – even walk-ons.
Thanks to the NIL changes – and a local protein bar company called Built Bar – every single BYU walk-on will have his tuition covered this year. All 36 of them.
BIG things happening at BYU!!
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 12, 2021
Thank you to Nick and @bar_built. pic.twitter.com/ShJSiY21Bd
There are plenty of unintended consequences, challenges and side effects to the NIL changes, but the walk-on going essentially obsolete would certainly be a positive change not many saw coming.
