Conference realignment has already drastically affected the landscape of college football. But according to new reports, we could soon see an entirely new plan to shake things up even more substantially.
According to Ross Dellinger of Yahoo Sports, a pitch for a 70-team Super League called “Project Rudy” spearheaded by former Disney executives turned investment professionals has been made to athletic directors at over 25 power conference programs over the last four months.
The proposed model would reportedly preserve the four power conferences while also overhauling the current scheduling and would feature an expanded postseason. There would also be tiers of revenue distribution that would infuse as much as $9 billion of private capital cash into the system, according to those spearheading the pitch.
It seems like this proposal has picked up traction quickly behind the scenes. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, and ACC Commissioner James J. Phillips have already received details about the proposal.
Interestingly, former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, who also held a seat on the College Football Playoff governing committee just six months ago, is involved with the project, according to Dellinger. So there are certainly plenty of powerful people who seemingly support this model being implemented.
Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich also spoke openly about the proposal, saying that he believes that this model makes “the most sense” of any he has seen so far.
“Of all the ideas I’ve seen, this one makes the most sense,” Radakovich told Dellinger. “Conferences are kept intact, commissioners still have an important and valuable role, and schools can make increased money from bigger matchups and more playoff games.”
College football would look drastically different if this model were to go into place. Part of the proposal states that these 70 teams would only compete against each other, removing all games against non-Power-Four and FCS opponents.
As far as media rights would go, they would all be consolidated within one deal instead of having four spread-out packages with networks.
Only time will tell whether this proposal gets taken seriously. But considering SEC and Big Ten leaders are meeting later this week in Nashville, you’d have to assume that this will be one of the many topics discussed.
