Big Ten & SEC Announce Formation of Advisory Group
Despite the two conferences jockeying for position in terms of conference realignment, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big Ten still have the best interests of collegiate athletics at heart.
In a joint announcement Friday afternoon, arguably the top two Power-Five conferences are coming together to form an advisory group amid an uncertain time in collegiate sports.
"The Big Ten and the SEC have substantial investment in the NCAA and there is no question that the voices of our two conferences are integral to governance and other reform efforts," Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. "We recognize the similarity in our circumstances, as well as the urgency to address the common challenges we face."
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti (left) and the SEC's Greg Sankey (right).
USA Today Network
This advisory group will include university presidents, chancellors, and athletics directors as they try to address "significant challenges facing college athletics."
"These challenges, including but not limited to recent court decisions, pending litigation, a patchwork of state laws, and complex governance proposals, compel the two conferences to take a leadership role in developing solutions for a sustainable future of college sports," the statement read.
It is important to note that this isn't a signal of a change in power, as this collaborative work is merely an "advisory group" that won't have the power to act independently of the NCAA.
However, it is the first potential sign of the individual conferences coming together to start having more of an impact on what goes on in the future of collegiate athletics.