SEC SQUAD - The SEC may BREAKAWAY from the NCAA | How this affects LSU

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Are we getting closer to the SEC and Big 10 breaking away from the NCAA? It's time to get the squad together.

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[00:00:35]>> What's up everybody? Welcome into the SEC squad. Sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and join us as we get you ready for another week talking all things SEC. This is our SEC squad. Let's welcome in our group. This week we got Steven Willis from Locked on Old Miss, John Neighbors from Locked on Razerbacks, Jay Smith locked on Sooners, Cory Burton, locked on Vandy. I'm Chris Gordy from Lock on SEC and guys, uh, conversations about an SEC Big 10 breakaway from the NCAA, according to multiple reports, are more real now than they've ever been. Greg Seni has long stressed that a breakaway would not solve all the problems, but there are limits, and he said the frustration level is building. So, as you guys see all the problems and everything that's popping up around college sports, uh, do you think we're close to the SEC and Big 10 going, you know what, we're going to take our ball and go home?

[00:01:28]>> I don't think we are. I I think for 10 years, the SEC and the Big 10 has made this threat over and over again to try and get their way and everybody kind of bought into it. And now we're getting to the point, we'll talk about it probably a little bit later on. This is kind of feeling like the boy who cried wolf at the end. And eventually they're somebody's going to say, "Okay, if y'all going to leave, leave. Do it." And they're going, "Oh, no, my bad. I'm just kidding. We were just trying to change things for the better and yada yada."

[00:01:59]And I I I don't believe they will actually break away until they do at this point.

[00:02:04]>> To be honest, go ahead. No, go ahead, John. I was going to say that I think that there are like reasons that they will and I just don't know if it's like intimate like if it's coming to be here in the next few years like I think that when co happened and I'll never forget it when you had all these conferences trying to figure out okay so are we playing or are we not and you had the Big 10 saying no we're going to do spring league and then Pack 12 was like no we're not going to do it the SEC is like no we're playing and I think that that's really was the first time that everyone kind of knew who had the power but that's when it really showcased like all right the NCAA has no say in anything. And I think ever since then things have just been moving towards that. It's just a matter of will the NCAA, whether it's in little things or in some case maybe even a big thing, go against what these conferences want because that's all it's going to take is that if these conferences get tired of this and get tired of having to deal and go through some sort of channel to make things work, they'll just be like, "Screw you. We're going to go out on our own and that's all it's going to take."

[00:03:00]>> Yeah. And I kind of disagree with you there, Stephen. I actually think I don't think I'm I'm with you, John. I don't think it's imminent, but I do think that they may actually put something together and break away. The most important thing is having a structure together, having some sort of infrastructure and understanding how things should work out. And if they can figure that out, especially because we know they can get a TV deal set up. We already know ESPN is totally down to pay some money for them to do this, then they're going to start poaching teams from other conferences. They're going to start pulling those ACC teams in. They're going to start pulling some Big 10, not big 10, really, some Big 12 teams that they want. And when they put together a large enough super conference and get ESPN to fund that bad boy, I think they can break away. But I do agree with you though, Stephen, that all of this lip service that we've been getting from them for years. Come on, man. Get out the pot. Do something cuz we need you to go ahead and make a decision. I think that fixes a lot of the bigger imminent issues >> if they break off. Now, there's going to be some minor details that need to be done, but that's where they have to have that structure in place. And behind the scenes, they may actually be putting that together. And if they do it right, I could see other teams jumping from the other conferences and saying, "Yeah, we'd like to be part of a 40 team super league, a 50 team super league where we actually have a plan towards getting a champion at the end of the season."

[00:04:18]>> Well, who's going to watch the rest of college sports if the SEC and the Big 10 leave? I mean, I hate to be, you know, the the jerk in the room, but like I'm sorry. Are you guys watching Tulsa versus Maryland playing big games? Like, I'm, you know, it's like, >> yes.

[00:04:33]>> Do we do we watch it now is the question. If you if you watch it now, you will watch >> kind of the biggest brands. Like, if you take them away, who's going to watch what's left?

[00:04:43]>> I mean, that's the question. If you if it's watched now, it'll be watched. We are addicted to football. We watch all kinds of ridiculous football. Go look at some of the NFL numbers. They may not be the highest, but they high enough to where they still doing it. And it's like, what are we doing here? I have watched two games since they created them, the XFL, all of that. It's just I I I get I'm out. It's too much football.

[00:05:06]I can't do it year round. I like talking about it, but I like really watching games because it's so much more meaningful in that short period of time that we have it. But dude, so many people are just addicted to football and the violence of it that they're going to watch no matter what. People sit with this stuff on their TVs all the time. It kills. So Gordy, I get you. But Maxction gets a lot of action throughout the week for some weird reason.

[00:05:33]If it's if that's going headtohead >> on a Saturday with the biggest with the big ass matchups, no one's going to watch it. And thus you >> the TV contracts aren't going to be there for these crappier conferences to, you know, to to just play amongst each other. and you know and and I don't know it it's just an interesting people are trying to act like the SEC is play is playing like Stephen said the boy who cried wolf but like the minute they do it the Big 12 and all these other schools are going to be crying because they're going to be going oh our revenues are all going to go down cuz who's going to watch our crap?

[00:06:07]>> Yeah, you're right. The Big 12 and the ACC, they'll be Thursday night and Friday night situations. They're not going to go head-to-head with the SEC.

[00:06:16]And honestly, SEC fan, big um Big 10 fans probably in favor of that because it's more football to watch. You can do maction and fun belt on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Big 12 and ACC Thursday and Friday, and then the big boys play on the weekend. So, yeah, >> everyone the NFL gets sprinkled in that as well. But yeah, it's it's good viewing people. It it's driven by gambling in Vegas and things like that as well. But, um, I I think I'm I'm with Jay and, uh, and John here in saying that it it may not be imminent, but I think eventually it's it's going to happen. I mean, they wouldn't talk about it this much and and just leave it by the wayside. I think there's something to it. It's just unclear when.

[00:07:00]>> Wow.

[00:07:01]>> And you guys hit the nail on the head with that. Well, I I don't I'm not trying to get political on it, but it kind of reminds me of like how it is with government where it's like, okay, is it better when the government does something or is it better when a company that does something that the government also does does it better? You know, do you like the United States Postal Service or you like FedEx more? You know, it's like they kind of do the same thing, but what is more effective? It's like, okay, yeah, the government's been there. It's been all this and it's great when they do things, >> but I think competition and somebody could do it better. I think people that would have the creative minds of whether it's the SEC or the Big 10 or or a combination of both coming together.

[00:07:34]It's like we can do this better. We can make this better and we can put a better product on the field or on the court no matter the sport. I think that there's an element to that that that's where it's going to get to. It's just a matter of them finding their time because I think a lot of this stuff is the long game of working towards us all going to ch go towards this. But uh it's not going to be like just on the drop of a hat. It's going to be hey we want this for the playoff. We want this for whether it's rev share, we want this with money, all that. And then here in the next 5 to 10 years, you're going to see an official split and the NCAA will be no longer at least when it comes to the major conferences like the SEC and Big 10.

[00:08:08]>> Yeah, I do agree I agree with you guys with saying that it eventually will happen. But I think it's going to be because the rhetoric is going to get more sharp over time and eventually you're going to have to do it because you've threatened and threatened and threatened and then then there's only one step left to go. Well, the the power the power brokers like Ross Stinger piece this week said the financial gap has sitting power conference administrators frustrated to a point where they said the Big 10 the SEC should break away and do their own deal.

[00:08:38]It makes sense to me like they they have the biggest money like it's and the biggest brands. So, if they break away and do their own thing, I just don't know if the rest of college athletics survives, if all you're banking on is the ACC, Big 12, and then I mean, have you seen who the members are of some of these crappy conferences now like the Mountain West and Conference USA? My god, like it is it is the worst of the worst. And if that's what the NCA is going to have to survive on, guess what?

[00:09:05]The College Football Playoffs not going to stay with them. College football playoffs going to go, you know what?

[00:09:09]We're not paying a billion dollars for this. Like, we're going over there. And the same thing with ESPN and and ABC.

[00:09:15]They're going to go up paying for this.

[00:09:16]>> They're going for the money, right? Like and and John, you're right. Especially with the the the government, you know, analogy there is with the government because it's a public service. They're going to be like, "Here, dang. Just take it. Here you go. This is what you wanted right here. Dang." And they're not going to put no effort into it. But if you have these corporations build it to where they know someone else is going to try and do them, they're going to try to outdo each other. And that's something that the Big 10 and SEC could do if they came together and decided to break off.

[00:09:39]They could do this a hell of a lot better than the way it's set up today.

[00:09:42]That's the biggest issue with college football is that it's 130 something teams trying to figure out how to make one winner and you only got roughly 12 games to figure it out. That's kind of stupid odds if you really think about it. The simplest solution to me is to break off the G6. They should have done that long time ago. Do it similar to D2.

[00:10:01]Just have it completely broken off because they're not going to have the chance. Like you said, Gordy, they ain't got no money like that. Like the SEC's viewership is so high in comparison to everybody in the country. That's why their TV deals are so much better. Same thing with the Big 10. We like watching the big power conferences. We like watching the Big Two, the Power Two basically the most. Big 12 is fun sometimes. ACC, they have their moments, but we really watch a ton of SEC and Big 10. So either they what they need to do is break off and get everybody scrambling and then a solution may actually show up at the the NCAA's front door.

[00:10:37]>> Yeah. The important thing to remember is the NCA was created what a hundred years ago. So they don't have the infrastructure for what's going on right now. That's the reason the NCA is ineffectual. They they're not made for this. If there is a breakaway for the SEC and the Big 10, the infrastructure would be put in place for this particular era. And that can advance the sport in a way. And and if you do that, the lower conferences, the conferences beneath the SEC and the Big T, they're going to adopt that infrastructure and you'll start to see the college game kind of fix itself. I still think that one thing that I know it's not as big of a deal, but it's still a very big deal is that NCAA basketball tournament. That is a huge money maker. If there was a way that they could if there was a way that they did they could get away from that and then still have the same type of uh setup or format of it.

[00:11:35]>> Go independent football but stay in the NCA and all the other sports.

[00:11:39]>> Yeah. Kind of I mean this pretty much what they're doing now with the college football playoff. College football playoffs on an NCAA event. It's like if they could find a way to make that with the NCAA tournament, it's the same way.

[00:11:47]But the NCAA is not going to give that up. Like they're not going to be like, "Oh yeah, you can have the tournament."

[00:11:51]So then that's going to cause an even bigger problem because that is without question the biggest money maker of an NCAA official event. And we all love it the way it is. I mean, we were up in arms just because it was expanding a few teams. So I think that that's another thing that people have to take in consideration where it's yes, it's about football. Yes, is about the money maker, but that NCAA tournament is still a massive, massive money maker to where if you break off there and the NCAA is like, "All right, we're not going to have any SEC or Big 10 teams in our NCAA tournament anymore."

[00:12:17]>> Yeah. They they couldn't survive. I mean, this is it's this weird >> I disagree. I disagree. They could survive, man. Like, >> nobody's watching that, John. Long Beach State and like other you're going to put 10 uh I don't know, you know, American team.

[00:12:32]>> Action exists for a reason. Pack 12 after Dart's going to get some action.

[00:12:36]I'm just saying.

[00:12:37]>> I'm not saying every team is, but I mean if if you're talking about just the power four teams leaving, that's one thing. But if it's just SEC and Big 10, you don't think Duke, North Carolina still going to be in the mix, a Kansas still be in the mix, Yukon, Yukon being in the mix, >> Big East schools.

[00:12:51]>> Yeah. I mean, that 76 worthy teams for that for that tournament. I mean, it's just you're going to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, >> but you still have huge market teams that draw a lot of eyeballs. In fact, he would make an argument that the biggest fan bases of college basketball teams would not be among those in the SEC and the Big 10. It would be those of the Duke, the Carolinas, the Kansas pretty big. I mean, >> well, I got a I got a question. If there's a split to where the SEC and the Big 10 gets out and there's say there's a 32 team SEC Big 10 tournament, they let's say they expand to where there's 48 teams in the full thing and 32 of them make the tournament. Which makes more money? the 32 team SEC Big 10 tournament or the tournament as it exists. Um, on the other side, >> I think the tournament as it exists because if you tell me that in the national championship game it's Duke versus Kansas or it's like Kentucky versus Michigan, I mean, yeah, Kentucky Michigan's fine, but Duke and Kansas is going to be a bigger drawing force. I know that's just one example. I'm just saying I don't think it's as in football 100% would be a massive, massive deal.

[00:13:59]college basketball. I mean, yeah, you'd miss some teams, but they'd still have plenty of other big major high-flying, very watchable teams. In fact, some of the highest most watched teams in the ratings and television still being a part of the NCA.

[00:14:13]>> Here's the problem. As as as profitable as college basketball is, it still pales in comparison to football. Football is the straw that serves the drink, and that's what's going to make all these decisions when we return. Guys, speaking of money, should we have a cal salary cap in sports with all the NIL payments, everything else? We will discuss that when we return here. The squad talking more ball next.

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[00:15:46]All right, guys. Jumping back into it.

[00:15:48]Um, I I pose a question to you guys. Uh, the 68 Power League schools uh submitted more than $250 million worth of uh NIL deals since January 1st, according to Ross Dinger's piece and Yahoo in a statistic that shows the financial gap among the four conferences. The SEC and Big 10 accounted for more than 75% of those submitted deals according to uh the figures that were shared. And in 24-25, guys, the 10 richest public school budgets in order were Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, Alabama, Penn State, A&M, Georgia, LSU, and Nebraska. Guess what? All of them in the SEC and the Big 10. And so I ask you guys, with all this stuff that's going on with the College Sports Commission and having approved these third party NIL deals, revenue share, and everything, should we institute a salary cap in college athletics?

[00:16:41]>> Didn't we do that already? I mean, wasn't Yeah. Wasn't that part of the house settlement?

[00:16:47]>> It's revenue share, but not the third party NIL deals that the schools are facilitating.

[00:16:52]>> Well, remember whenever the House settlement went through, they were going to ban collectives and all of that. And then like three weeks later when they got threatened with lawsuits, of course, they backed down because that's what the NCA does on that. So now collectives are a thing. And you have $50 million rosters right now. So right now it's Major League Baseball. You have your Yankees, you have your Pirates, and you have the teams that are in between. Um, you can win it with a lower budget, but it's going to be much harder because the people with the money at the top, they're going to flaunt it. So, as an Old Miss fan, yes, I would like a salary cap for what is going on because as I talked with Walker Jones of the Grove Collective, he said he needs to make $1 spend like three whenever they're doing this because they have to be overly efficient. So, yes, I would like to see a salary cap. Do I think that's coming?

[00:17:48]No, not even a little bit.

[00:17:50]>> Even if it was some sort of salary cap, I mean, this just in. Uh, you don't tell rich boosters what to do with their money. You never have and you never will. So, if you say, "Hey, salary cap everybody." Okay. No more than $40 million. Do you think that the the the big wigs are just going to be like, "Well, golly gee, I guess so. I'll just put my money back in my wallet." And I'll be like, "No, no, they're going to keep on. They're not going to, unless you're literally having some sort of like federal crime committed that you could face jail time and losing all your money and everything. It's never going to be that way. They can put in whatever rule they want. They can put in whatever cap they want. It doesn't matter because these millionaires and billionaires are going to do whatever they want with their money and there's nothing you can tell them otherwise, especially when it comes to their favorite football team.

[00:18:39]So, I mean, yeah, in theory and principle, sure, I'd love to have a salary cap, but even if they institute it, it will not matter because you're still going to have all these programs somehow someway spending more than everybody else, even if they have a maximum amount you're allowed to spend.

[00:18:55]>> Yeah. Seller cap would bring the black market back.

[00:18:59]>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Money in the bag. That's what's going to happen right there. Them them them bags, your Chick-fil-A bags, all those things are going to start to repopulate back up. But I think it's funny machine over here.

[00:19:11]>> Yeah. Right. Just go touch tap the side of it. The money falls out. I think it's fascinating though that we do have a salary cap when it comes to the actual uh rev share portion of it. But nil cap.

[00:19:23]It's just a number decided that that's what you're that's what you have to spend. So it's not necessarily a cap.

[00:19:29]It's what you collectively decided of the revenue money you get that you could spend.

[00:19:34]>> Fair. Yeah. You could reallocate more and get more into that. But that percentage number is still technically a quote unquote cap, I guess you could say. But the NIL piece is where is where this conversation is going. This is where the salary cap conversation comes in. And you can't cap how much someone makes off their name, image, and their likeness. Like that's not something you can do. We're not telling Patrick Mahomes you can only make a certain amount of money doing State Farm commercials. Can't do it. If you got big enough sponsors that are willing to spend the money, fortunately, man, it's tough to regulate that. Now granted, this CSC group is supposedly doing that now. They're in battles with like Nebraska and other schools about denying a lot of their uh NIL deals, but >> and they seem to be doing a good job in the realm of they're just trying to determine that these are legit NIL deals, >> right? Is it real? Is it not? Right.

[00:20:21]>> You want to pay, you know, Trinidad Chambles four or five million. That's fine. But we got to see on paper that he's doing four commercial shoots, six meet and greets, an autograph signing at the car dealership. You know what I mean? Like you've got to spell it out that that's going to add up. And what they're starting to find is these deals aren't adding up to equal the money that that's being given.

[00:20:41]>> Yeah.

[00:20:41]>> Well, I also think it's about time because a lot of these times I've seen like articles and research on it's like they sometimes 70% of these deals that get thrown through the uh the CSC or whatever doesn't it takes forever because they're like, "Hey, we need to get this player on campus now because he's got other offers." Like we got to like you can't wait on that. And so they just have to go ahead and make the make the deal there. To me, what's going to change it all is it I hate to even use this reference, but it's kind of true.

[00:21:05]It's like somebody's gonna have to figure out and what like watch Moneyball and figure out a way and a formula in a system to where it's like how do we spend the least amount of money and get the most out of it. Because right now it's just spend spend spend spend spend spend spend spend. But all it's going to take is a certain formula, a certain of like here's how we can bring in money and invest money, but money goes back out to somebody who invested like some sort of way to where the people who are investing the money gets something out of it too and you're also able to put together a team that can be competitive.

[00:21:34]Once that formula gets figured out, I think it's going to level out a lot. But I just don't think that putting any sort of rule or law into like salary cap is going to change that or at least make it to where some of the smaller teams are as just as fair as the bigger ones. It's not enforceable. I mean, you you can't I mean, they're going to be like, "Okay, make me." And the NCAA is going to fold and it's going to be >> We're sorry.

[00:21:56]>> Yeah. Okay. Sorry.

[00:21:57]>> Okay. My bad.

[00:21:58]>> The other side of this back.

[00:22:01]>> I think you can't we can't go back to saying no third party NIL because if we're just going to do revenue share, which is what between 20 and 25 million per school, that's for your entire athletic department. So, if you've already set the precedent where softball players are getting paid and women's basketball and men's basketball and tennis and and then you got to fill out a whole football team, it's just that's not enough money to go around. You've broken the glass ceiling and now you can't go back and tell a star quarterback, "We're going to give you 30,000." He's going to laugh at you.

[00:22:31]He's going to go, "No, you the market's four five million, my brother. Like, I'm not coming there for that."

[00:22:35]>> The toothpaste is out of the tube. I think the biggest problem here in all of this salary cap conversation is that just coaches feel the need that they need to spend all this money for no apparent reason. Why are they spending it? The easiest way to control the market is to just stop spending the money. Like you said, Gordon, you can't tell a kid, I'm give you 30,000 when you was offering up 3 million some other places. You got to offer less and then be okay with them walking somewhere else. Now, I mean, this is, I guess you could say, pseudo collusion and this could ever get everybody in trouble. But if coaches were smart, they would just lowball these players constantly and hope everybody else lowballs them, too.

[00:23:07]>> Well, >> that's really the only way you could fix it.

[00:23:10]>> Well, and and to your point, Gordy, because you were talking about the, you know, how coaches like approach it or at least with the with the money that's coming in and and trying to, you know, navigate with revshare and everything.

[00:23:19]It's like those are up to the universities to decide how they spend it. Like they can spend all of it on football if they want, but it's like but they like, well, we got to be fair. We got to do this, all that. But there's always just these little things that keep things from kind of moving forward because now you have certain schools like my fair razor backs who are like we're not getting in the third lane because we believe in integrity. I'm like yeah that's why you're dead last and everything you idiots. Good job. But then you have the other thing too where you got people who are just flaunting it like we like like Kentucky basketball we spent $22 million in a roster. Okay. So it's like no, everybody's on their own little wavelength. And that's why I'm saying it's like it's whoever figures out that formula. Maybe it's Indiana football, you know, maybe it's something like that to where you figure out of like let's not be stupid with our money.

[00:24:05]Let's be smart with our money, but let's invest a ton of money, but that investment is repaid out. Like there's got to be a certain formula to make that work because with everything that there's always these little hiccups in college sports like college football, what was the problem with the playoff expansion? Well, the bowl games are kind of holding you back. Oh, well, what's the problem moving forward with this thing in in football and all that? Well, Title N's still a thing. It's like there's always these little things that are keeping you, but all it's going to take is just somebody figuring out that formula that's going to make the difference.

[00:24:30]>> What if we say no third party NIL, you can only spend revenue share and the coach is allowed to give some of his salary to players. Can we open up that door? I mean, could you know?

[00:24:42]>> Yes, I I'm all favor that. Yeah, I definitely want to see head coaches um giving their money to NIL for players. I I would enjoy that because >> Ryan Kelly, he wrote a check for a million dollars back to the school and then they they had to spin it as you got to match it. So people like donated, but I'm like Kaylin Dbor, you're top 10 highest paid coach. Take a mill your salary, give it to a quarterback, go get you a player.

[00:25:08]>> Yeah. Yeah. Listen, whatever it takes. I just think that if you're like one of these programs that are trying to be forward thinking when it comes to your spending and you know of course trying to get it into football and whatever it is it's like you know maybe just do it to where I don't know they just become employees and they sign contracts and that's it because I also think that might be the only way that you'll ever have like you got because the transfer portal stuff is making it even worse because now it's like you can just trans you go from one school to another school to another school to another school and I know John Caliperry talks about this.

[00:25:37]It's like if you just remove the fact of like you cannot be eligible to play if you transfer you get one free transfer after that you have to sit out a year that alone would curb so much of the NIL issues because that's what the NIL and what these players getting paid for so much for is because of the transfer portal. Not many people are doing it out of high school, you know, and and how much less would these player or these teams be wanting to spend if it's like I want this guy but am I going to spend $3 million for him to not play for a year?

[00:26:06]Like no, you I think that would curb so much of the issue. It wouldn't fix everything, but it would definitely curb a lot of the issue if people were just having that situation in the back of their mind like, "Oh, we can't pay this guy or this kid can't leave because he has to sit out a year. He has to stay with his situation because he's already used his free transfer." I just think that would really kind of put things back into a little bit of perspective. J John, that that's a good idea and everything, but we live in an era where we're getting graphics where a kid has played for the Utah Jazz, the Boston Celtics, and transferred forward to LSU.

[00:26:38]>> Exactly.

[00:26:38]>> So, I mean, we live in that world now.

[00:26:41]So, it what you're saying makes all the sense in the world, but we have to get from here to there. I mean, >> and it's a long, windy, bumpy road that will probably knock out of your alignment and flatten your tires, but it should get to where you you get one free transfer. That's a great idea.

[00:26:58]>> And there's momentum building for that, by the way. I mean, that that that a lot of people seem to be on board with that.

[00:27:04]So, it feels like that may be with Congress getting involved, that may be one of the first things that they pass.

[00:27:09]But when we return here, guys, the uh SEC will start their SEC meetings in Destin next week. We're the Big 10's having theirs right now. We had uh the Big 12 last week, and we're going to see what the SEC decides. And one of the big things that they need to make a decision on is are we going to 2014 playoff?

[00:27:27]We'll discuss that next.

[00:27:33]SEC squad roll along here. And as I mentioned, SEC meetings begin in Destin next week. one of the big topics on the table. Does the SEC support a 2014 playoff? And we know Greg Sanki has been one of the few that has been opposed to it. Um, in recent interviews, he's kind of stayed neutral. Hasn't really given his opinion. He's kept his cards close.

[00:27:53]But when he met with reporters in May, he reiterated his support for a 16 team field. And a lot of people feel like if we're going to expand, let's go from 12 to 16 instead of jumping all the way to 24. But it sounds like the Big 10, uh, the the AACA, bunch of different groups out there are all supporting the 2014.

[00:28:13]So, what do you guys think? Should the SEC vote to adopt a 2014 playoff in 2027?

[00:28:20]>> Yes.

[00:28:20]>> Do we have a structure?

[00:28:21]>> Yeah.

[00:28:22]>> Do we have a structure for it?

[00:28:25]>> I mean, in theory, >> I think I think the bottom 16 teams of the 2014 playoff is like a playin game and then it turns into a 16 team like that. I mean, >> yeah, >> I I think that, hey, the number nine seed and and the number one, they're all going to get an onampus game, which is to me that's the most important thing in this whole thing because the onampus playoff experience, like granted, Miss just played two lane, but that day is a day that I will never forget seeing it.

[00:28:55]I mean, having a playoff game on campus, there's nothing like it. It's a different It's a completely different different maker difference maker or whatnot. I was driving around Norman >> before the Alabama game. I'm just like, this is just insane. It's cold, but it's insane seeing just the excitement. You feel the energy. I'm totally there for that. I'm just trying to understand what the structure is going to look like and if we're going to still have 12 games in the season and how can we have this ending before the Super Bowl because it appears that a lot of this is going to where it's going to go head-to-head with the Super Bowl. That makes no sense. You don't want that.

[00:29:29]>> They said they would eliminate we would start week zero to start. So that would be the first thing most people are are collectively on board with and Army Navy week we would play playoff games. Now they can't interfere with that window of Army Navy but before or after Army Navy you'd have playoff games.

[00:29:44]>> Yeah, man. And no more conference championship games, >> which I'm totally fine with because that's that thing is dumb anyways. I just I feel like if you're going to do it, first off, this is the reason I want is because it's the only way by the grace of God that Arkansas will ever have a sniffer's chance of getting into a playoff is if it goes to 24 teams. So, selfishly, I want that. But I also think that there are just so many moving parts to this where it's like, okay, like like for Greg Sanki, I understand in principle and theory, but like wouldn't you want that? Because if you get 24 teams, that means more SEC teams will be in it. Like that's more SEC teams, it's more campus games. And I think if if you asked everybody, hey, hey fans, because we know we always talk about the fans have been forgotten. The fans don't get there. Hey fans, here's what we're going to do. We're going to eliminate the conference championship games. We're going to expand it to where there's a lot more playoff teams and a lot of these players will or a lot of these teams, they get home playoff games and it's going to be earlier and it's going to go through December and into January and you have a championship. Would you guys rather have that or stick with what we got? I think fans overwhelmingly would be like if we have a chance of getting a playoff game in our home campus and we get it early enough, let's do it. I think all fans Yeah, I think all fans would be in favor of that as long as that's the case. None of that neutral sight nonsense. Home campus games that alone get these stupid drunk, you know, fans from down in Ryzen and Stutgart in Arkansas being like, "Absolutely, let's do that. Let's have fun with that." To me, it's we're going to sit here and complain about it or like not like it or somebody will, but at the end of the day, it's just going to be like the expansion of the college basketball playoff. It's like, "This is terrible. I hate it." I'm still going to watch it. Yeah. You're going to watch.

[00:31:19]You're telling me you're not going to watch a team like I don't know, throw name a team. Throw somebody like you're not going to watch Old Miss versus Michigan State. I'm going to watch that in the playoffs. I'm going to do it.

[00:31:30]>> What if it's James Madison Tulsa?

[00:31:33]>> What if it's James Madison?

[00:31:35]>> What is with you in Tulsa, man? Why you hating on Tulsa? What crazy man?

[00:31:39]>> My hometown like what did we do to you?

[00:31:41]>> James Madison SMU that those are two playoff teams from the last two years.

[00:31:45]You watching that?

[00:31:46]>> Okay, but are they playing each other?

[00:31:48]Are they playing or are they going?

[00:31:49]Because I'll tell you this.

[00:31:51]>> Yeah. Okay. If they're playing each other, no. But if you're maybe not as much, but >> as an Arkansas fan, I'm like I want James Madison. Please give me James Madison. I want to play James Madison.

[00:32:00]Like I want that. Like other teams are going to want it. Understand that in the big picture that's how you view it. But you know what? I watch a lot of crappy college basketball games in the NCAA tournament. I watch High Point, you know, versus Wisconsin. I watch that game. So, I don't I just think that more football is never a bad thing. And I don't really care about the I care about the end results as long as the end results there's still a championship crown. And I'm not sitting there being like they didn't deserve it because I felt this other team deserved. No, you solved it on the field. As long as you have that, to me, that's what matters.

[00:32:31]>> That's the point right there. Solve it on the field. quit leaving up to committees because there was probably >> eight teams last year that you probably could have made a case for to be in the NCAA tour or in the college football playoff.

[00:32:44]>> Vandy.

[00:32:45]>> Yeah, Vandy, of course. Yes. And you had a bunch of teams you played out on the field. You don't I mean Vandy could have got blown out in the first round or they could have made a run. It it would have made no difference. If they're in, they got a chance. You play it out on the field and you see what happens. And one one other point to this too, and I know that this is like really down the road, but I look at it from here in Fagatville, again, not saying Arkansas would ever even have a playoff game, but just in case they did, you know what that does for the economy of a of a small college town like a lot of our colleges are in like Oxford, Mississippi, you know, something like that. Nashville, you you guys are rich enough you can do whatever you want. But still, same thing with Norman >> tourism in that.

[00:33:22]>> Yeah. Just somewhat. for these smaller towns. What like I'm just thinking about from the Arkansas like that would be the most anticipated and most incredible and most likely sought after event in Northwest Arkansas history and it's not even close. But that's what it would do for like so I think even the towns, the cities, the campuses, please, yes, bring it in because that would bring in so much money. I think everybody wins in that regard. I don't really know who loses. Uh and if there are any losers out there, it's not worth fighting for.

[00:33:51]>> ESPN loses.

[00:33:52]>> Oh yeah. So sad.

[00:33:54]>> Yeah, this is a media rights war disguised as a competitive integrity war. Um because if it goes above 16, then it has to go up to rebidding which means Fox could get in and ESPN desperately doesn't want Fox to get in the playoff.

[00:34:09]>> Well, not even them, but think of the streamers. Like Amazon Prime might have John's Arkansas.

[00:34:16]>> Hey, and you know what? But the thing is is like we'll watch it still though.

[00:34:19]like we'll get Amazon Prime and it's like you know and what you're talking about with ESPN that's I get that but you know what the NFL playoffs has different channels that that watch it you know the NBA playoffs it works out for other school other leagues the college can figure it out too if you want to do Big 10 or you know with Fox or if you want to do CBS whatever it is don't really care from fans perspective just give us the games if we're going to watch them we'll find a place to watch them we don't care about the money so you guys figure that out we just want to watch we want to have good games and we want to be able to have fun with Well, I think we're gonna have to expand to more than 24 teams if Arkansas is ever going to get in the playoffs. So, >> trust me, I know either that. Yeah, because as soon as that happens, hell is freezing over.

[00:34:59]>> Uh, any other things you guys want to see the SEC address in Dest.

[00:35:05]>> I I want to steal Cage um in Destin. Um, let's go ahead and get started with it.

[00:35:11]You know, put Pete Golding next to Lane Keifin and let's dance.

[00:35:15]I want to see I want to see Kein tweeting about the coaches while he's sitting next to them.

[00:35:19]>> Is he allowed to tweet at the moment?

[00:35:21]Because he hasn't been on Twitter for like four days.

[00:35:23]>> He'll just tell Juice and Juice.

[00:35:25]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The fake dog counts back. That's right.

[00:35:28]>> Yeah.

[00:35:29]>> Yeah. You can take selfies with it.

[00:35:30]Actually, you know, I Hey, keep the ABS for next year for uh for college baseball. I've enjoyed that so far in the SEC tournament.

[00:35:38]The strike zone is like 6 in wider and 6 in taller than the major league strike zone to make up for the fact that SEC umpires are terrible.

[00:35:47]>> Hey, that's fine. At least gives you that though. So, >> get a lot.

[00:35:51]>> First ever challenge. Miss lost the first ever challenge by saying a ball was a strike when it was 2.7 in outside of the strike zone. Like that far. So, yeah, >> that feels kind of big.

[00:36:04]>> Yeah. Just like seven in >> some some bigger than others.

[00:36:09]>> We're going to leave it there.

[00:36:11]>> That's a massive discrepancy there.

[00:36:13]>> Follow and subscribe to your favorite SEC uh locked on SEC shows. We will be covering your favorite team every day throughout the offseason. Don't forget I'll have you covered with the entire conference every day with the locked on SEC. We are part of the locked on podcast network covering your team every day. And hey, join our everyday club lockedpodcast.com everyday to uh find out how you be can become an everyday dare of your favorite locked on show. For Stephen Willis, John Abrams, Jay Smith, Cory Burton, I'm Chris Gordy. This has been our locked on SEC squad show. Squad.

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