Could the SEC actually leave the NCAA? Here's what fans need to know

The SEC is threatening to break from the NCAA. In fact, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is making it clear the threat is “real”, though it’s more than drawing a line with the NCAA and its governing – or lack thereof. The frustration the SEC and the Power 4 conferences have is plausible. There’s currently no real guidelines in place protecting the integrity of the transfer portal, tampering and name, image and likeness from the governing body (the NCAA). 

“They’re real,” Sankey said of talks with school presidents involving the SEC separating itself from the NCAA, per a story in the Associated Press. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different.”

Sankey’s comments are smoke spewing from a bigger blaze of anger. Georgia coach Kirby Smart doubled down as well. Nothing is guaranteed to happen — anytime soon, anyway — but another seismic change could be coming to college athletics. Here’s what you need to know about the likelihood of the SEC divorcing the NCAA and what it might look like. 

Why the SEC wants to self govern, break away from the NCAA

While the legal battles around NIL and player eligibility are cited reasons for leaving, the SEC’s most pertinent problem is power. The SEC and Big Ten are the superpowers of college football and feel undermined by the NCAA. Yet, it’s a constant battle seeking the change they want. The Associated Press story added that, yes, Sankey and the SEC schools are mad, but they aren't necessarily rushing to abandon an organization they've dominated in.

“My frustration is I sit in a meeting and so many times — and I learned this 11 years ago in my first season as an SEC head coach — I had a coach tell me we will not get anything done in these meetings because we don’t have any power or any control,” Smart said during an interview with Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s Get Up, Tuesday morning during SEC Media Days. 

Be careful what you wish for because asking for self-governance comes with more than just decisions on NIL and player eligibility. It’s more than football. An entire conference leaving the governing body for student athletes affects the school as well as every other sport the school plays. 

Is the gamble worth the reward for the SEC to leave the NCAA?

According to a Yahoo Sports story from The Big Lead, an SEC split from the NCAA adds new problems which include legal and organizational protections as well as the financial aspect. The SEC needs the NCAA, even if they don’t like it. This is nothing more than a threat from Sankey and the SEC and very few good decisions come from anger. Leaving the NCAA and creating your own regulations complicates things, even if it resolves some of the old ones.

The SEC just wants to be heard. They obviously need a plan in place that is more than just coaches, athletic directors and the conference commissioner throwing ideas around across a table. One of the easiest solutions is to join forces with the Big Ten to allow more like-minds to forge a path forward. That’s assuming, though, the Big Ten would sever ties with the NCAA too. 

If the SEC abandons the NCAA, who else would join them?

Realistically, once the SEC leaves, the rest of the Power 4 teams could follow suit. The Big Ten has its frustrations with the NCAA as well, but would they really drop tradition to join forces with the enemy? Would the Big 12 or ACC see enough sustainability abroad to feel comfortable jumping ship too?

The SEC and Big Ten agree on quite a few things, but the biggest thing they haven’t agreed on is the College Football Playoff expansion to 24 teams. The Big Ten is all for it, but the SEC is hesitant and wants to see more flaws in a 12-team playoff before abandoning the new model, which will be three years old in the 2026 season. How much would the two conferences accomplish together if there weren't still things they disagree on? 

This isn’t to say the two conferences won’t ever come to terms within this new league idea, but it’s not as easy as simply asking the Big Ten to join them. The partner schools could push back because of how volatile a move like this would be. 

What happens to the rest of college football if the SEC leaves?

The SEC going rogue would change a lot in regard to things like media rights, revenue generation and revenue sharing. It would ultimately mean the Big Ten would essentially become the top power in college football — assuming their three straight national championships haven't already usurped them to the throne. These conferences have their own media rights, but would that revenue generated be enough to sustain them long term? And would media entities like ESPN be interested in the SEC if it’s no longer an NCAA affiliate?

The College Football Playoff would take a hit, March Madness wouldn’t be the same, the College World Series and the Women’s College World Series would look drastically different as well. This is all hypothetical, but the ramifications of leaving the NCAA is more than just football. That’s what is at stake for the SEC in their pursuit of power.

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This article was originally published on fansided.com as Could the SEC actually leave the NCAA? Here's what fans need to know.