LOS ANGELES — The commissioners of the Pac-12, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences made official Tuesday an alliance to chart a path forward for college athletics during an unprecedented time of “turmoil,” but the logistics of how the collaboration will play out remain a work in progress.
After a 45-minute news conference held by Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, it was unclear when or how the three Power Five leagues will commence scheduling one another in nonconference games in football and men’s and women’s basketball — or exactly where the alliance stands on the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams.
What was abundantly clear, however, was high-minded rhetoric about the importance of stabilizing a rapidly shifting landscape and protecting the 41 institutions that make up the three conferences a month after Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference and nearly two months after college athletes began profiting from the use of their name, image and likeness.
“The foundation of college sports is, in many respects, in turmoil,” said Kliavkoff, who took over for Larry Scott as Pac-12 commissioner July 1. “We did the alliance to protect the collegiate model.”
Said Warren, “Today is a special day. What it signifies is there’s still a lot of goodness in college athletics.”
How much goodness? The commissioners said that they do not intend to sign a contract that would make the agreement binding. Phillips said that the trio has “looked each other in the eye” and have made the commitment to trust one another.
“If [a contract] is what it takes to get something considerable done,” Phillips said, “then we’ve lost our way.”
Said Kliavkoff: “There’s an agreement among three gentlemen and a commitment from 41 presidents and chancellors and 41 athletic directors to do what we say we’re going to do. If there’s any lack of specificity in the press release, it’s because we intend to make sure we can deliver 100 percent of what we promise.”
The alliance wants to collaborate on mapping the future of the following issues: athlete mental and physical health, safety, wellness and support; academic experience and support; diversity, equity and inclusion; social justice; gender equity; the future structure of the NCAA as it prepares for a “constitutional convention” in November; federal legislative efforts; and postseason championships and future formats — notably, the CFP.
Kliavkoff and Warren said they are in favor of expanding the playoff, and Phillips said the ACC is still evaluating the proposal, which was crafted by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick. Kliavkoff said he is still examining issues “in the margins” of the proposal. The CFP’s next meeting about expansion is expected to occur in late September.
While the alliance has largely been viewed as a direct response to the SEC’s move to add Texas and Oklahoma and Sankey’s outsized influence on the CFP proposal, the commissioners said they are still holding their weekly call with Sankey and Bowlsby and spoke with them Monday. They said schools in the alliance can still schedule SEC teams in nonconference matchups.
This alliance, proudly referred to as “groundbreaking” by Phillips, will continue to take shape in the coming weeks, months and years. What it actually ends up accomplishing is anybody’s guess at this early stage.
“What my parents taught me,” Kliavkoff said, “is don’t measure me by what we say, measure us by what we do over the coming months, years and decades.”