Big Ten, SEC creating joint advisory group of ADs, presidents to address college sports problems

The state of college athletics is in a place where many would like to see more changes and improved leadership moving forward. Now, it appears two of its leading powers, the SEC and the Big Ten, are coming together to do just that.

Per a report by Ross Dellenger at Yahoo Sports, the two conferences are joining up to create a joint advisory group to “find solutions & steer college sports into the future”.

NEWS: Big Ten & SEC are creating a joint advisory group of presidents & ADs in an urgent mission to find solutions & steer college sports into the future.

“Pressures are mounting,” SEC’s Greg Sankey tells @YahooSports. “We are not going to be status quo.”

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 2, 2024

The SEC has since released a statement that explains the reasoning behind the group that they’ve formed with the Big Ten.

“The Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference today announced the formation of 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 statement read. “These challenges, including but not limited to recent court decisions, pending litigation, a patchwork of state laws, and complex governance proposals, compel the two conferences to take a leadership role in developing solutions for a sustainable future of college sports.

“The advisory group will engage with other constituencies as necessary, including consultation with student-athletes and other key leadership groups from within both conferences,” it added.

Both Tony Pettiti of the Big Ten and Greg Sankey of the SEC provided their thought within the release.

The statement continued by expressing that this body won’t be able to act independently as a sense of authority. It’s lone purpose is to be for consultation on the matters at hand that they deem fit.

However, to this point, neither conference has determined anything about the committee yet. That includes “composition, charter and timetable, as well as specific questions (that) it might examine.”

Matters such as NIL, the transfer portal, and general rules and regulation have become the talk of collegiate sports. Whether due to the issues themselves or how the NCAA governs them, many have grown tired of the direction in which athletics at the level have been heading.

The matter in the states of Tennessee and Virginia this week are further evidence of that point. Some conflicts have come to a head with the NCAA looking into the athletics department in Knoxville again. That has led to leaders at the school, as well as politicians in their state and over in Virginia, to get involved in the matter.

With where college sports currently sits, the Big Ten and SEC are the two of the most powerful entities, if not the most powerful based on financial influence. That makes this “alliance” between the two conferences, as far as competition goes, a significant one with them joining forces to find solutions for the sake of college sports.