Could Power Five Breakway be Coming Soon?

It'd been theorized and likely coming for some time now, but a breakaway by the Power Five conferences from the NCAA seems likely soon.

On Saturday, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde collaborated on an article detailing the possibility that the Power Five conferences could be drawing closer to a decision to break away from the NCAA.    

"In anticipation of the NCAA Board of Governors potentially canceling or postponing fall sports championships, Power 5 conference leaders have begun exploring the possibility of staging their own championships in those affected sports, multiple sources have told Sports Illustrated, as written in their article.. This could be seen as a first step toward a long-theorized breakaway from the NCAA by the 65 schools that play college sports at the highest level."

"In recent days, Power 5 conference officials began seeking feedback from their members about the feasibility of staging their own championships during the fall, sources told SI. When asked if such a move away from the NCAA championship structure could be seen as a precedent-setting rift between the national governing body of college sports and the Power 5, one athletic director said, "If I were (NCAA president Mark) Emmert, I'd be really worried about it. He's got to keep the Power 5 together." 

The NCAA has had its issues for decades and has long been the constant punchline for jokes and ridicule over their handling of events.  Many among us have openly called for the dismantling of the organization, or significant reforms and improvements in their administration of rules violation issues. 

However, should the top-65 schools in the nation decide it's time to govern themselves under some new form of agreement, the NCAA wouldn't survive that move. 

This is a defining time for the organization and its president Mark Emmert to keep them afloat or fail without their biggest revenue producers. 

I, for one, wouldn't shed tears over the fall of the boys in Indy, as I've long believed that their uneven handling of enforcement issues had been a significant issue in and of itself. If Emmert wants to keep his job and his organization, it's time someone in that office set about recognizing their problems and doing something of substance to correct them.   

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