Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Colin Cowherd lays out case for Big Ten over SEC as best conference in college football

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh07/22/25griffin_mcveigh
college-football-analyst-heather-dinich-explains-super-conference-possibility-big-ten-sec-
David Yeazell | Joseph Cress-USA TODAY Sports

Two consecutive national championships from the Big Ten have shaken up the conference power in college football. After a dominant stretch from the SEC, Michigan and Ohio State finally broke through after long title droughts. Now, people out there, such as FOX’s Colin Cowherd, believe all the momentum is shifting away from the SEC and to the Big Ten.

“Something’s changing and what’s changing is money,” Cowherd said. “Big Ten schools are bigger. They have more graduates. It’s easier to raise money for NIL. You add in Phil Knight and the Nike money, add in USC and the LA economy money, the Big Ten cities, LA, New York, Rutgers, Chicago, Northwestern, Minneapolis, DC, Seattle.

“Big Ten money is Hollywood, tech, and financial centers. A lot of car dealerships in the SEC and car dealerships are running on razor-thin margins. So right now, the top spenders in college football, according to the On3 poll, four of the top seven are Big Ten and that’s not changing.”

The On3 poll Cowherd references comes from Pete Nakos. He surveyed 17 people across the college football world, searching for who spent the most money in the sport. While both the Big Ten and SEC have four teams inside the top 10, Cowherd does reference the top seven, giving the Big Ten an advantage.

These numbers, of course, are related how how much teams are spending on their roster. Between high school recruiting and the NCAA transfer portal, money appears to be thrown around more than ever in the NIL era. High-end programs from the Big Ten and SEC are continually battling for the best talent out there.

Money is one thing but on-field results is where the conversation began and will ultimately be decided. Some College Football Playoff wins, mainly by Ohio State this year, highlights recent head-to-head victories. And ational championship are the major gauge. However, some early preseason matchup will provide quality Big Ten vs. SEC matchups.

Two sets of rivals square off in the first two weeks of the season. First, the Texas Longhorns head up to Columbus to face Ohio State. Then, the Buckeyes’ arch-rival, Michigan, will make a trip to Norman to play the other half of the Red River Shootout, the Oklahoma Sooners.

Maybe in a year’s time, opinion on where the power dynamic changes. For now, Cowherd believes a ton of momentum is behind the Big Ten with an opportunity to only grow moving forward.