A new report suggests that that schools in the Power 5 conferences are growing concerned that they may soon be pushed around on the basketball court by teams like St. Johns, UConn, Drake, and VCU like they dominate them in football.
College sports have been changed in a major way over the last few years. No longer is the gift of gab to recruit high school prospects the trump card in roster building. With the addition of name, image, and likeness rules, money now has a massive influence on putting together formidable teams. Be it in recruiting players from high school or other universities via the transfer portal.
We have seen its effect in college football as the Power 5 conference has started to form super conferences and teams that dominate the sport. It leaves mid-major programs or schools without strong football programs out in the cold. However, there has been a shift when it comes to basketball. Teams like St. John’s, UConn, and Duke have grown stronger from their NIL collectives due to location or strong brands.
But the power structure in basketball could move even further away from Power 5 schools toward them and mid-majors soon. In the settlement of the House v. NCAA case, schools will be able to pay players directly. And for universities that aren’t investing in football, it means throwing more money at bolstering good basketball programs so they can become dominant forces in the sport.
St. John’s and mid-major schools will soon dominate college basketball via revenue-sharing?
“As the college athletics industry sits on the brink of historic change — schools can share revenue directly with athletes starting this summer — an unexpected spending disparity looms as a byproduct of the new revenue-sharing rules,” Yahoo college basketball insider Ross Dellinger wrote this week. “Mid-major programs — operating without having to invest in a power conference football team are expected to, in some cases, outspend their football-focused big brothers in men’s basketball.
“The spending issue looms as a serious enough threat that it has emerged as a critical discussion point and agenda item within power league administrative meetings in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12.”
Duke athletic director Nina King revealed to the outlet her own fears that Big East teams like St. John’s and UConn’s spending will be “a lot more than what those of us can do who have Division I power football programs.”
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