October 12, 2025 — A growing chorus of university leaders is calling for a radical shake-up of college athletics: boot the Power Four football conferences out of the NCAA entirely. The idea, once considered fringe, is now gaining serious traction as smaller schools struggle under the weight of football-driven policies that favor a tiny elite.
Why Big Football Is Breaking the NCAA
According to James T. Harris, president of the University of San Diego and former vice chair of NCAA Division I athletics, the dominance of the Power Four—comprising the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12—has created a two-tiered system that sidelines Olympic sports, women’s athletics, and non-revenue football programs.
“Power Four football has always been in a league of its own,” Harris writes in a New York Times guest essay. “It is time to stop treating it like any other sport.”
The Case for a Football-Only Split
Harris argues that the 68 schools in the Power Four generate massive revenue from TV deals—but that money rarely trickles down. Instead, all NCAA Division I members are forced to share the financial burden of lawsuits like the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, which awarded $2.8 billion to former athletes—most of whom played football at Power Four schools.
Meanwhile, governance reforms have handed 65% of voting power to these elite football programs, effectively turning the NCAA into a puppet of big football.
How the NCAA Is Structured Today
| Group | Number of Schools | Revenue Source | Voting Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Four Conferences | 68 | TV deals, sponsorships | 65% |
| Rest of NCAA Division I | ~300+ | March Madness tournament | 35% |
What a Split Would Look Like
Harris proposes creating a standalone football association run by professional sports administrators, with its own rules, revenue model, and scheduling. Think of it as a “Premier League” for college football—complete with potential relegation systems.
All other Division I football programs—like those in the Pioneer Football League—would remain in the NCAA and continue playing non-scholarship or lower-tier football. Meanwhile, sports like volleyball, tennis, swimming, and track would finally get a fair shake.
Benefits Beyond the Field
Without football dictating travel schedules, schools could realign conferences regionally. Imagine Berkeley playing Stanford in golf without flying cross-country weekly. Student-athletes would spend less time in airports and more time in classrooms.
And women’s sports? They’d no longer be an afterthought in budget meetings dominated by football economics.
A Model That Already Exists
This isn’t just theory. The University of San Diego plays 15 sports in the West Coast Conference—but football and swimming are housed in separate leagues with different rules. “This would be a similar idea,” Harris notes.
