ACC, Big Ten commissioners: Stabilization of current environment is key

The ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 announced the details of their recently formalized alliance. The alliance includes scheduling considerations for football and men’s and women’s basketball. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said that seismic change is ongoing in the college football world. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips believes that the move was the best way for the conferences to move forward.

Warren: The alliance isn’t only a reaction to SEC expansion

Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC has sent shockwaves throughout college football and college athletics as a whole. The news left the remaining conferences wondering how they would catch up to the powerhouse SEC. Kevin Warren believes that, while the alliance came as a result of SEC expansion, the ultimate goal is to protect the conferences and student athletes.

“I have great respect for the SEC,” Warren said in a press conference regarding the alliance. “I have great respect for (SEC commissioner) Greg Sankey and his leadership. One of the most powerful mentors in my life was Mike Slive, who was the SEC commissioner before Greg. My son is an SEC graduate.”

Of course, there are also weekly teleconferences between the Power Five commissioners where they discuss various topics facing college athletics.

Warren says recent expansion allows for ‘step back,’ evaluation

Still, the SEC’s recent additions of Texas and Oklahoma created an opportunity for other administrators to consider a slow down option to avoid any corresponding moves.

“Naturally what I think is, the SEC had an opportunity in accepting Texas and Oklahoma to their conference,” Warren said. “I think what it did was allow all of us in college athletics to maybe take a step back and take a step forward to really start evaluating what will the next 1-3-5-7-10-15 years look like in college athletics.”

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips also pointed out that a measured response to the SEC’s moves was important to avoid any additional dominoes falling.

“In the history of college athletics, one expansion of a conference has usually led to another to another to another,” Phillips said. “And to the three of us, we felt the stabilization of the current environment across Division I and FBS, and the Power Five in particular, we felt this was a chance for a new direction, a new initiative that I don’t think has ever been done before. We felt like this was the most appropriate step at this current time. And we’re proud of it. We really are.”

The key is protecting conferences and student-athletes within them

Warren does not believe that this ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 alliance is purely a reaction to Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC. It definitely played a role in the alliance, but the ultimate goal is to protect the individual conferences.

“Quite naturally, because we’re in this business, we’re always aware of conference realignment. The Big Ten has grown over the last couple of years by having individuals from other conferences join. So that’s always there,” Warren said. “But I just think from where we sit, we have to be aware as far as what’s going on. Even one of the things we learned from Covid last year, we live in uncertain times; so I wouldn’t say this is a reaction to Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC.

“But I think to be totally candid, you have to evaluate what’s going on in the landscape of college athletics. And with all the things we are facing, this is a year for seismic shifts., which is why it’s really important to make sure you are aware of all these different things going on and making sure our individual conferences do all we can to protect our conferences and build strong relationships to make sure we protect our student-athletes.”

Phillips: Stabilization was the best step for ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12

Previously, when conference expansion occurs, it is usually followed by more and more expansion down the road. Right now, given the current circumstances in college football, Phillips felt that the alliance could be a step in trying to stabilize things for the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12.

“I think we all believe this is the right step in order for all of us to move forward at a critical juncture,” Phillips said. “Again, when you’re talking about a new governing structure, the 21st (century) model of the NCAA, Alston (judgement), we’re all dealing with that. And we’re better together than we are separate. But I think you have to have a group that really understands that expansion doesn’t mean that end up changing membership across multiple conferences in a significant and shortened period of time.”