SEC, Big Ten Study Finds Pooling TV Rights 'Dangerously Unworkable'

Proposal to combine media rights would generate less revenue than current conference model, report says.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 3:39pm

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A study commissioned by the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten has concluded that a proposal to allow the pooling of media rights among Division I conferences would generate less revenue than if the conferences continued marketing their own games. The study found that the idea of pooling media rights, which has been touted by some lawmakers and sports leaders as a way to solve money problems in college sports, would be 'dangerously unworkable' and introduce new risks to the college sports landscape.

Why it matters

The proposal to pool media rights has been seen by some as a potential solution to the financial challenges facing college sports, especially in light of the new era of name, image and likeness (NIL) payments to athletes. However, this study suggests that the current decentralized model of conferences selling their own media rights is actually more profitable and sustainable.

The details

The study, conducted by FTI Consulting and shared with The Associated Press, estimated that at the current rate leagues like the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 are increasing the value of their media rights, they would outperform a much-cited $7 billion projection that said schools could add that amount in worth over the next decade by pooling the rights. The study said the pooling proposal 'not only fails to produce more revenue than the current conference structure but also introduces a dangerously unworkable model and new risks to the college sports landscape.'

  • The study was commissioned by the SEC and Big Ten and shared with The Associated Press on February 26, 2026.

The players

Southeastern Conference

A collegiate athletic conference that includes some of the most successful college sports programs in the United States.

Big Ten Conference

One of the oldest and most prestigious collegiate athletic conferences in the United States, with a focus on the Midwest region.

Cody Campbell

The billionaire head of the board of regents at Texas Tech University and the founder of the nonprofit organization Saving College Sports, which has proposed the idea of pooling media rights.

Greg Sankey

The commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, who has criticized Cody Campbell's views on the proposal as reflecting a 'fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics.'

Tony Petitti

The commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, who along with Greg Sankey hired the FTI Consulting firm to conduct the study on the media rights pooling proposal.

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What they’re saying

“All they care about is what happens to them. And I think that is fundamentally the problem.”

— Cody Campbell, Billionaire head of the board of regents at Texas Tech University (The Associated Press)

“Cody Campbell's views 'reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics.'”

— Greg Sankey, Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The study's findings are likely to shape the ongoing debate over the future of media rights in college sports, as conferences and lawmakers continue to grapple with the financial challenges facing the industry.

The takeaway

This study suggests that the current decentralized model of conferences selling their own media rights is more profitable and sustainable for college sports than the proposed pooling of those rights, which could introduce new risks and challenges to the industry.