Kirk Herbstreit urges Power 4 to ‘break away’ to fix college football

The longtime ESPN college football analyst wants the sport to think long-term in its rule changes and structure.

In a conversation on the long-term health of college football, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit laid out his big-picture view of the sport. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

College football operates as a multi-billion-dollar industry without a central figure to steer the ship. The current structure relies on conference commissioners protecting their own interests rather than the health of the sport as a whole. This lack of cohesion was highlighted during recent debates over playoff expansion and revenue sharing.

As the dust settles on another season, the disparity between the major conferences and the rest of the subdivisions has never been more apparent. Tension continues to mount regarding antitrust laws and player compensation.

With stakeholders gathered in the Bay Area for the NFL’s championship showcase, the conversation has turned toward radical structural changes needed to save the amateur game from collapsing under its own weight.

Observers note that without a unified voice, the sport remains vulnerable to endless legal challenges and logistical gridlock. The absence of a national governance model has left individual conferences to fend for themselves, creating a fragmented map in which regional agendas supersede the collective good.

Kirk Herbstreit's call for centralized leadership, new league structure

During a sit-down interview with Front Office Sports at Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LX, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit argued that the sport lacks a unified direction. He compared the current fractured landscape to an NFL where division leaders operate independently without a commissioner like Roger Goodell.

"Meanwhile, they all have their own goals and their own agendas," Herbstreit said regarding the current conference commissioners. "That’s what we have in college football."

He noted that Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti is naturally focused on members like Champaign, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio, while SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey prioritizes constituents in places like Starkville, Mississippi.

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti is acting in his conference's interests; however, Kirk Herbstreit argues that what's good for the sport is best served by competing commissioners. | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

"But we don’t have anybody governing the sport from a national perspective," Herbstreit said. "And until we do, we’re kind of spinning our wheels."

The analyst proposed a definitive solution: a formal separation of the top leagues.

"I think the Power Four needs to break away," he said. "Create their own world. Create their own governing body."

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is often at odds with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti as both conferences push for their preferred rule changes. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

This new tier would operate independently, allowing the Group of Five programs to establish their own championship structure similar to the FCS level. Legal protection serves as the second pillar of this proposed overhaul. The current environment leaves schools and conferences open to constant litigation.

"If we don’t go there, I just don’t know how people aren’t going to threaten to sue and litigate," Herbstreit said. "Until you have an agreement in a CBA, I just don’t know how we’re going to ever come to an agreement with the players, the agents, and the parents."