Survey: Majority of FBS ADs polled believe they should be governed by new association

As college sports hurdles toward a new financial model, a majority of Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors surveyed by AthleticDirectorU believe the FBS should be governed by a new association under the College Football Playoff umbrella.

The eyebrow-raising disclosure was among several hot topics of discussion during a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics panel, “House case impact: Blueprints for the future of Division I,” at the recent National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention in Las Vegas.

The 2023 survey conducted by AthleticDirectorU and Illinois Chief Commercial Officer Tom Moreland, in which 50 FBS ADs participated, indicated that 26.2% strongly agreed and 28.6% agreed with the notion that it was time for the FBS to abandon the NCAA.

The snapshot of AD sentiments comes against the backdrop of NCAA President Charlie Baker saying at the same convention that he is heartened that the settlement of the House antitrust case binds all of Division I together for the duration of the 10-year agreement (which still must be certified by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken).

Also participating in the panel was soon-to-be-retired Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith, who was asked directly if the House settlement means the Power Four conferences have a binding commitment to stay part of the NCAA for 10 years, particularly since the current NCAA Tournament media rights agreement ends in 2032.

How does NCAA Tournament factor into future?

In his answer, Smith addressed only the second part of the question, saying his understanding is the settlement “does not bind the Power Four conferences to participate in the NCAA Tournament.” He added that, based on his conversations with power conference leaders, the Power Four “wants to be a part of it [March Madness] as it is.”

“CBS and Turner [Sports], they want the power four schools in the tournament,” Smith said. “That drives viewership. Let’s be clear, Cinderella is great, but that only lasts so long.”

At the moment, the power four conferences – particularly the SEC and the nation’s best basketball league, the Big 12 – are exerting their leverage to grow the 68-team tournament field by four or eight teams.

Just Wednesday, NCAA officials presented two models for potential expansion to conference commissioners, as first reported by Yahoo Sports and confirmed by On3.

Sources directly involved in NCAA Tournament expansion discussions told On3 months ago that “modest” expansion was virtually inevitable in the coming few years. And it is lost on no one that if stakeholders don’t capitulate to the desires of the power leagues, then the P4 can always take their basketball and leave the NCAA.

New financial model is a ‘damn compensation package’

The Knight Commission, of course, has long endorsed the FBS breaking away from the NCAA so football could be governed as a separate entity.

Whether or not that occurs by decade’s end is subject to debate. What is more clear is that an increasing number of FBS athletic directors believe the FBS needs its own commissioner or a similar leadership position.

According to the survey, in 2021 some 56% either agreed or strongly agreed that a commissioner was needed. In 2023, some 75% agreed or strongly believed that.

“Our membership is flawed because everybody has a different mission,” Smith said. “But we tried to act as if we’re the same.”

Just days from retirement, Smith was particularly candid throughout the panel, having left his filter in Columbus. 

When describing the new world order that will be ushered in through the House settlement, he said, “It is not about scholarships, not about Alston, not about NIL. It’s not about revenue sharing. 

“It is a damn compensation package. We need to get to that. And everyone should be compensated differently.”