Big Ten Daily (May 13): Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard Warns Big Ten, SEC Going to 'Eat Their Own'
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard didn't mince any words when talking about the future of college athletics — specifically when it came to the Big Ten and SEC conferences. He believes, at some point, the money-making schools are gong to begin disassociating with those at the bottom of the leagues.
During a Cyclone Tailgate Tour kickoff event in West Des Moines, Pollard sent out a warning to teams in the Big Ten and the SEC.
“The CFP is just another example of our industry running amok,” Pollard said, per the Des Moines Register. “And they’re trying to swallow the ACC and the Big 12. I wish them all the best because they’re going to eat their own.”
In other words, Pollard believes that schools responsible for large football revenue — like Ohio State and Michigan — will eventually want to move away from sharing that pot of gold with teams at the bottom of the barrel — such as Indiana and Northwestern.
“You just have to look at the evolution,” Pollard said. “It isn’t the SEC and Big Ten. It’s those who have all the gold make all the rules. So If I was a member of the Big Ten or SEC, I’d start looking over my shoulder and wondering when is the day going to come when the top of the SEC is not going to want the bottom of the SEC."
Pollard provided some specific examples of this trend happening in sports leagues. He also mentioned the Pac-12, which has essentially dissolved after 10 of the 12 schools in the conference decided to join other leagues.
“Go back and look at times. When the AFL and NFL merged, they only needed one commissioner. And when the NBA and ABA merged, they only needed one commissioner," he said. "There’s going to come a day they don’t need two $6 million a year commissioners, and they’re going to eat their own. And if we think that’s not going to happen, you’re a fool because we didn’t think Pac-12 would get eaten and it did.”
Essentially, Pollard's message to the Big Ten and SEC? Sleep with one eye open.
Four Big Ten softball teams make NCAA Tournament
Four Big Ten softball teams will be continuing their season in the NCAA Tournament. The Selection Show was held on Sunday, when teams learned their destination for this year's tournament.
Michigan earned the Big Ten's automatic bid after winning the conference tournament. The Wolverines defeated Indiana 3-1 in the championship to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern, which won the Big Ten regular season, also landed in this year's tournament. The two other squads to make the field included Penn State and Indiana.
Regional games will begin on Friday, May 17 and run through Sunday, May 19. It's a double-elimination tournament, with the No. 1 seeds playing the No. 4 seeds and No. 2 seeds playing the No. 3 seeds in the first games of each regional.
Here's a look at where those four Big Ten teams will be playing this postseason (Big Ten teams in bold):
Austin Regional (Texas)
1. Texas Longhorns
2. Northwestern Wildcats
3. St. Francis Red Flash
4. Siena Saints
Stillwater Regional (Oklahoma State)
1. Oklahoma State Cowboys
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Michigan Wolverines
4. Northern Colorado Bears
Columbia Regional (Missouri)
1. Missouri Tigers
2. Washington Huskies
3. Indiana Hoosiers
4. Omaha Mavericks
College State Regional (Texas A&M)
1. Texas A&M Aggies
2. Texas State Bobcats
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
4. Albany Great Danes
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- JOEL KLATT'S TOP 25: College football analyst Joel Klatt has released his top-25 for the 2024 season. It included seven Big Ten teams with Ohio State already ranked in the No. 1 spot. CLICK HERE
DUSTIN SCHUTTE