Paul Finebaum Warns of a Major Split in College Football's Future

College athletics has a major problem that lawmakers are hoping to solve.

College Sports Needs Structure

Currently, college athletics lack structure and are unable to enforce any rules. This was brought to light this offseason with former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Sorsby was found guilty of gambling on college football and on his team when he was at Indiana. That typically results in the player being banned from the sport. However, it was overturned by a judge and changed to a two-game suspension. Sorsby and Texas Tech would eventually part ways.

That case highlighted one of the biggest issues in college athletics. The NCAA can hand down a punishment, but athletes can challenge those decisions in court, making it difficult for the organization to consistently enforce its own rules.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the media during the SEC Media Day. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The "Protect College Sports Act" hopes to do just that. The act focuses on five areas: it reins in the transfer portal, it gives the NCAA and other governing bodies actual enforcement power, it creates a national NIL system, it limits midseason coaching movement, and it tries to prevent a breakaway super league.

Why the SEC and Big Ten are Hesitant

While it seems that the law would do a lot of good, some aren't fully on board. The Big Ten and SEC don't feel the law provides the protections needed to enforce rules. That's why they haven't signed off on the bill, while other conferences have.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum discussed this law on "The Paul Finebaum Show." He said that he believes college sports could have a major split.

"We're going to know in the next few months what the next move is," Finebaum said. "If somehow this bill passes, it's going to solve some of the problems, not all of the problems... What I think is going to happen in the end is you're going to see the big conferences, namely the Big 10, SEC, just say, 'We're done.'"

If the Big Ten and the SEC were to break away, it would be a monumental moment for college sports. Those two conferences are considered the best and have a lot of power. It would also leave a lot of question marks.

Could a Breakaway Become Reality?

If they break away, do other conferences follow? What do they do about a governing body? How do they schedule games moving forward? There are a lot of unknowns and things that would have to be sorted out before that move is made.

Lawmakers still have time to adjust the legislation before any final decision is made. If they can find common ground with the SEC, Big Ten and the rest of the conferences, they could create the structure the sport has desperately needed. If they can't, Finebaum's prediction of a split may move closer to becoming reality.

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