SEC Commissioner Mike Slive Threatens Break From NCAA… Again

SEC Media Days brought yet further pressure from the NCAA’s most powerful commissioner, the SEC’s Mike Slive, about the need to reform the governing body of college athletics. Slive argues that if change is not achieved then a potential break off from the NCAA could be an option.

"“We are not deaf to the din of discontent across collegiate athletics that has dominated the news,” Slive said in his address to the media. “[W]e have created the initiative to restructure the NCAA in accordance with our vision for the 21st century with the support of student‑athletes at its core.“For those of you who have been here before, this is not a new effort on our part. The SEC’s call for change was introduced at Media Days in 2011 and will continue until we realize the desired outcomes. Over the last year we, along with our colleagues at the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and PAC‑12, developed this new vision for intercollegiate athletics for the 21st century. It includes the NCAA’s enactment of a governing system that will provide greater autonomy for the SEC and other four conferences for the benefit of student‑athletes. “"

And then the annual threat…

"“As I have said before, if we do not achieve a positive outcome under the existing big tent of Division I, we will need to consider the establishment of a venue with similar conferences and institutions where we can enact the desired changes in the best interests of our student‑athletes.”"

One would think the amount of money the NCAA would stand to lose would be enough to listen to the SEC and four other major conferences about changing the current system. A system that is clearly outdated for the modern era of student-athletes. This is, however, the fourth consecutive year Slive has brandished this threat, so how strong is it?

The other end of this is that the five major conferences may never have had as much leverage as they do now to start a new division or government. Television money and donations are through the roof. The Big XII estimates it will be distributing $40 million to each school starting in a few years. The combine financial power of the major conferences may have grown to the point where their threats could become serious without change on the NCAA’s part.

This is an interesting era for college athletics, and will be fascinating to watch it unfold. One would think a solution is not coming anytime soon.

You can read the full transcript of Slive’s press conference here.