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SEC, Big Ten Pooling Media Rights Won't Mean More Money, Study Finds
Leagues' plan to combine TV deals not expected to increase revenue per institution, according to recent report.
Mar. 3, 2026 at 2:07am
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A recent study commissioned by the SEC and Big Ten found that pooling the leagues' media rights would not result in more money per institution, according to an Associated Press report. The two conferences had been exploring the possibility of combining their lucrative TV deals, but the study concluded that such a move would not lead to increased revenue for individual schools.
Why it matters
The SEC and Big Ten are the two most powerful and profitable conferences in college sports, and any changes to their media rights deals have major implications for the broader landscape of college athletics. If pooling their rights wouldn't generate more money, it calls into question the potential benefits of such an arrangement.
The details
The study, which was not made public, examined the potential financial impact of the SEC and Big Ten combining their media rights. Currently, the SEC's deal with ESPN is worth around $300 million per year, while the Big Ten's agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC total over $1 billion annually. However, the study found that pooling these rights would not result in a significant increase in the amount of money each individual school in the two conferences would receive.
- The SEC and Big Ten commissioned the study on their media rights in early 2026.
The players
SEC
One of the two major college sports conferences in the United States, known for its success in football and other sports.
Big Ten
Another of the two major college sports conferences in the U.S., with a strong presence in the Midwest and Northeast regions.
The takeaway
The findings of this study suggest that the SEC and Big Ten's plans to combine their lucrative media rights deals may not lead to the financial windfall that the conferences had hoped for. This could impact future negotiations and decisions around college sports media rights, as the two most powerful leagues in the NCAA may need to explore other avenues to generate increased revenue for their member institutions.
