Roger Goodell’s Deputy and College Presidents Propose ‘Super League’ to Address ‘Existential Crisis’ of NCAA

Roger Goodell’s top NFL deputy has joined forces with college presidents and powerful sports executives to form a group called “College Sports Tomorrow” (CST). They have a bold plan to rescue college football.  The team has proposed a “Super League,” that would completely transform NCAA as per The Athletic.

Their plan would scrap the traditional conference system and create two divisions. The elite tier would include the top 70 teams – powerhouses from every major conference.  The rest would be left in the second division. Some insiders remain skeptical, but the group believes their plan is necessary to fix a system they see as broken and facing a serious crisis.

College football revolution: “Super League” in the works

Andrew Marchand, senior sports writer for The Athletic, broke the news on his X handle. He posted that “college presidents and top executives” are creating a “Super League” to overhaul college football. This is because they see the current system as “doomed” and facing “bankruptcy.”

In an interview with The Athletic, Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud highlighted, “The current model for governing college athletics is dead.” To this, West Virginia president Gordon Gee added, “We are in an existential crisis.” Thus the team has planned to create a system with 70 top programs from the big conferences. This includes SMU and Notre Dame as permanent members across seven divisions.

These teams would compete alongside a rotating eighth division of teams promoted from a second tier. The 50+ teams in the second division would compete for promotion to the top tier, similar to how European soccer leagues work. The top 70 wouldn’t face relegation, but second-tier teams would have the chance to move up. But this radical step has more to work on. 

Is Roger Goodell’s team all set for an easy fix?

Football generates enough revenue to support nationwide travel for conference games. But it’s unsustainable for non-revenue sports to follow suit. The Athletic proposed a College Sports Transformation (CST) model to address this.  It would introduce streamlined rules for player movement and compensation. Unlike the traditional conference structure, the CST proposes a single entity to negotiate with a prospective athlete union on NIL, transfer rules, and salary structures. By accepting collective bargaining, the NCAA might be able to avoid future antitrust problems that have caused them trouble.

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However, many think this idea won’t get far. This might be because, the ACC considered the CST proposal, but the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC declined it. Likewise, the existing media deals, particularly ESPN’s agreement for the College Football Playoff,  pose a major hurdle. Renegotiating TV deals for a “Super League” would be a huge mess. Still, this idea could kick off a major fight to change the way college sports work.

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