Jimbo Fisher calls college sports the 'most unfair thing we do'
After parting ways with Texas A&M last season, former head coach Jimbo Fisher no longer has to bite his tongue. During a recent appearance on “Off Campus,” Fisher claimed the current state of college sports is unfair.
“I’m going to be honest with you: College sports is the most unfair thing we do. College sports is not fair, because there’s haves and have-nots,” Fisher said. “You think about how it’s set up.
“Each commissioner, Greg Sankey has done an unbelievable job for the SEC. Big Ten commissioners have done an unbelievable job for them. There’s only so many pieces of the pie, so they’ve taken them and they’ve hurt the ACC and the Big 12 and of course, the Pac-12, who ended up folding. “
Since the introduction of NIL in the 2021, college sports have seen a power struggle across conferences. Thus far, the SEC and Big Ten have secured positions of powers, using their revenue as a boost to establish dominance.
The pair only strengthened their financial hold this spring when they formed a a joint advisory group of university presidents, chancellors, and athletics directors to “address the significant challenges facing college athletics and the opportunities for betterment of the student-athlete experience.”
The group has the power to challenge court rulings and, effectively, alter the future of college sports. However, they aren’t the only ones vying for power. The Big 12 and ACC are also both adding powerhouse programs this summer, via conference realignment.
The additions will bring fresh sets of eyes and new sources of revenue to the storied conferences. Meanwhile, Group of Five conferences continue to scrap to stay relevant. Jimbo Fisher believes college sports must before they face disastrous repercussions.
“We have to find a way to come together and get ahead of college football, where everything is balanced,” Fisher said. “I don’t like the inequities that are going on. It’s not fair, but it’s never been fair to a point.
“You say the NCAA was the governing body; no, because each individual conference operated with [autonomy] to itself. They operated on their own part to make each conference the best. And that’s where we’re missing the boat because I know one thing, the salary cap in the NFL is the same across the board.”
The federal government has not yet issued a mandate to standardize NIL rules across every state. However, with the ongoing House vs. NCAA case, change may be closer than ever before.