European soccer changed history on Sunday, announcing the creation of The Super League. Twelve of the biggest clubs in the world including Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Real Madrid have all broken off from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to create their own, special tournament.
The driving force behind The Super League? Well, we all know the answer to that.
According to the New York Times, up to 15 clubs will split $3.5 billion — yes, with a ‘B’ — just for joining. More cash is inbound via television deals and advertisements. A truly historic (and not for the right reasons) day for the sport Europeans call football.
Back across the Pond and our own version of football has to be staring something similar in the face. The revenue opportunities that could present prove to be too good to pass down for some of the top college football programs in the country.
The gap between the Power Five conferences of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-12 and the Group of Five conferences is already large enough.
ESPN, Fox, and even CBS pay conferences a lump sum just to broadcast their games. Recently, ESPN announced a new television deal with the SEC for $300 million annually over 10 years. Quite the step up from the annual $55 million CBS had been paying.
Imagine what kind of deal Mickey Mouse would draw up if the elite football schools decided to ban together, leaving other long-time opponents and rivals behind, just as the European soccer clubs have.
Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC, just to name a few, all in the same conference, playing each other week in and week out with top 10 matchups every single Saturday. And of course, most importantly, a significant amount of money in the schools pockets.
To a casual college football fan, seeing top programs playing each other is a draw to watch the sport.
Outside the College Football Playoff, the three most-watched games of the 2020 season were Clemson-Notre Dame I, Clemson-Notre Dame II, and Alabama-Georgia. An average of 9.8 million viewers across NBC, ABC, and CBS broadcasts. The big programs sell.
Die-hard fans would view this as the end to the sport we love so dearly.
No longer will nonconference matchups such as Texas’ upcoming home and home series with Alabama in 2022 and 2023 have as much meaning. Why? Because with a super league, the two would find a way to play each other every single year.
Traditions, pageantry, and decades of history thrown down the drain because of greed. Texas saw one of the country’s greatest rivalries dissolve when Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012. Greed with the Longhorn Network played at least a role as to why the Aggies felt the need to leave.
Ask a fan on either side and the rebirth of the Lone Star Showdown would be the No. 1 thing on their wish list.
Programs that are left outside of a hypothetical super league would feel the effects in a painful way. No TV deal, no exposure, no top recruits, no success at the highest level. Just ask the Group of Five schools how it’s going for them at the moment. Take those problems and multiply them by 1,000 just so the biggest programs can have a couple bucks.
Since money rules everything, some kind of switch to end college football the way we know and love it is surely inevitable. If I had to guess, Texas would undoubtedly be a part and possibly even a leader in the creation of something new.
European football was declared dead on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
America, you’re next.
