Kyle Whittingham Fuels Big Ten-SEC Super Conference Rumors With Stern Conference Realignment Message

Kyle Whittingham. © Imagn

Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham sees only one way for college football to sustain itself as NIL grows every year. The rise in NIL has fueled conference realignment rumors as everyone seeks individual interests over conference priorities.

In his conversation with ESPN’s Rich Eisen on Monday, Whittingham suggested converting college football into a minor league addition to the NFL. This was the Wolverines head coach’s response when asked how he would improve the current state of college football, where money disparity has become a major issue:

“I think it’s got to be a NFL minor league model where we have a salary cap and the players are employees,” Whittingham said. “I think, as distasteful as some of that is, I don’t think there’s any other way that’s better than that. And, right now, it’s out of control. We’re going to have probably a dozen teams in the next recruiting cycle with $50 million rosters.”

With the Big Ten and SEC hosting some of the best teams in college football over the past decade, Whittingham was fueling a “super conference” as an alternative to the current system.

“And there’s such a disparity between the haves and the have-nots, I think the only way to get that evened out and level the playing field is to go ahead and pattern it after a minor league NFL model or ‘super league’ if you will. You’ll probably see 48-60 teams survive the cut and be on the right side of the line in the sand and proceed forward,” the head coach continued.

Kyle Whittingham Wants Super Conference With Own Commissioner

Kyle Whittingham’s remarks come as the SEC is potentially creating its own governance model separate from the NCAA. While they are not likely to part ways with the NCAA anytime soon, with the help of other Power Four leagues, a separate governance model could become a reality, per Whittingham.

“It’s a reality, no doubt,” Whittingham said . “If you had a super conference that breaks away and has their own commissioner and runs it, again, almost (like) a carbon copy of what’s going on in the NFL, then I think you have a chance.”

Whittingham also suggested that the current college football model with NIL increasing 20-30-40% a year won’t be sustainable for several programs out there.

The Wolverines head coach is in favor of creating a super league involving 48 to 60 teams, where players will be recognized as “employees,” a major point of difference when seeing through the lens of the NCAA.

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