Greg Sankey had the mic, but the room was already buzzing. The 2025 SEC Spring Meetings didn’t need a drama cue—because Sankey gave them one. “I have people in my room asking, ‘Why are we still in the NCAA?’” he said. That wasn’t just a quote, that was a shot across the bow. A power move. The Southeastern Conference, tired of playing second fiddle in a bureaucracy circus, is finally considering a nuclear option: leaving the NCAA. But let’s slow the hype train. Because one college football insider just laughed the whole idea off the stage—literally.

Brian Smith of Locked on Seminoles dropped the grenade first on May 28th. “Do you think the SEC would have any chance on its own, outside the realm of the NCAA?” he asked Kenton Gibbs. Gibbs didn’t hesitate—he cracked up. “Absolutely not. Good luck to you,” he said. Then came the sarcasm tsunami: “To heck with everybody else. I think that this would work out great. I think them just running their own little special tournament—because they’re special boys and girls in their special little cities—I think it’ll be wonderful. And I am not being facetious at all.” You know what that means. He was roasting them like Sunday dinner. He even dropped an Icarus warning for Sankey—“Do not read about Icarus. Don’t. At all. It is not pertinent to you.”

Gibbs’ message was clear: the SEC might be mighty, but stepping out solo is asking for a financial and logistical bloodbath. Sure, they’re stacked in football. But you can’t crown yourself king without a kingdom. March Madness? Gone. Shared revenue from non-revenue sports? See ya. Enforcement, legitimacy, and media rights leverage? All vanish in a heartbeat. Greg Sankey might want more than 65% voting control in the NCAA’s proposed power shift, but trying to jump ship completely? That isn’t chess, that’s just reckless checkers.

This also isn’t the first time the SEC has flexed like this either. But this time, it’s louder, more real, and a sign that trust in the NCAA is at an all-time low. Sankey’s looking at 68% voting power as the golden number—enough to pass legislation without needing the other three power conferences to agree. In other words, Sankey wants to push through whatever the SEC and Big Ten want and leave the ACC and Big 12 on read. But even that tiny math bump has everyone ready to detonate college football tradition.

The ultimate irony? For a league tired of bureaucracy, the escape plan is low-key wrapped in even more politics, lawsuits, and backroom deals. Because nothing about leaving the NCAA is simple. It’s not like dropping a group chat. The SEC would have to build an entire legal and operational infrastructure from scratch. And if the House v. NCAA lawsuit reshapes the economics of the sport the way most insiders expect, the Power Four might have to work together more than ever—not less.

SEC wants a shot at Big Ten squads to lock in playoff spots

But hey, while Sankey’s side-eyeing the NCAA, the coaches in his backyard are eyeing something juicier: Big Ten smoke. That’s right—the SEC wants to throw hands. Forget bowl games. LSU head coach Brian Kelly put it plain and simple at the spring meetings: “Our first goal would be wanting to play Big Ten teams. As coaches, I can speak for the room—we want to play Big Ten teams.” He wasn’t whispering. He was lobbying.

This could be the beginning of a Big Ten-SEC Challenge—playoff style. We’re talking college football’s version of the Royal Rumble. No more ducking each other ’til January. The top eight teams from each conference square up first weekend of December, while other leagues grab popcorn. Based on last year’s standings, that would mean Ole Miss vs. Oregon, LSU vs. Ohio State, and Georgia vs. Michigan. You smell that? That’s TV gold marinated in NIL sauce.

And don’t think it’s just friendly competition. This isn’t about flexing egos—this is a playoff takeover plan. With a potential 16-team playoff on deck, the SEC and Big Ten are looking to lock up half the spots before anyone else even gets out of bed. Imagine winning one of those head-to-heads? Instant resume builder. Now imagine losing it? Your playoff hopes might be cooked before conference title week even hits.

The setup sounds dope. But here’s the catch: nothing’s official yet. The two things holding everything up? The House v. NCAA lawsuit (which is gonna shake the sport to its core) and the future CFP format. Could be 14 teams. Could be 16. Or could be some Hunger Games type format where the Pac-12 ghosts try to sneak back in. Either way, scheduling remains frozen until the legal dust settles.

And even if this head-to-head gauntlet happens, it won’t come easy. Sankey himself admitted that a scheduling mandate would be “incredibly difficult.” Translation? The SEC and Big Ten know this is a political minefield. Not every school is gonna want to play a top-10 monster in December just for a shot at the big dance. That’s a tough sell to teams barely scraping into bowl eligibility.

But look, the benefits are wild. High-stakes, made-for-TV bangers every year. Millions in new media money. Way more juice for strength-of-schedule debates. The SEC and Big Ten could control the playoff narrative before it even begins. Plus, it would sideline other conferences even harder, leaving teams like FSU, Clemson, and Oklahoma State stuck in scheduling purgatory.

So what’s the vibe right now? Chaos with a side of ambition. The SEC wants more control, more respect, more dollars—and they’re done waiting for the NCAA to catch up. But the moment they try to float on their own, reality hits like a linebacker. So instead, they’re pivoting to what they do best: dominate the schedule, snatch playoff spots, and force everyone else to keep up or get left behind. That’s the game now. And Greg Sankey just pushed his chips all the way in.