Change is the only constant in college football’s modern era
Jack Swarbrick may have retired from his AD role at Notre Dame, but he’s still very much connected to the world of college sports and more specifically, college football.
Most recently, news has come out that Swarbrick and other power players – many from the world of Disney and private equity – are putting together a concept for a 70-team mega college football conference operation called “Project Rudy.”
This proposal attempts to create a kind of super league where teams from all four power conferences and Notre Dame all play under the same structure with access to significantly more money under shared TV deals that would ultimately create an umbrella covering every team. This would effectively eliminate the rest of the pack – let’s call them the have-nots – when it comes to TV revenue.
This structure would also include its own governance and a further expanded playoff field.
Who would be for or against this proposed league?
Even though this plan would significantly raise revenue levels for all involved, the SEC and Big Ten could firmly object to implementing this plan. Why?
These two leagues are in power positions now and make more money than any other collective group or individual entity. These groups are likely to not want to level out the playing field now that they have an advantage even if that means turning down a huge revenue increase.
While these two groups are likely to push back on the plan, most other entities and conferences will likely see it as a winner where more parity in revenue and governance is beneficial for the entire sport.
There are still a ton of details to be sorted out, but “Project Rudy” is just the latest venture that shows just how vastly and quickly things might be changing in the world of college football.
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