Calling it now: the entier "SEC vs Big Ten" debate is dead. The real rivalry is the Power Four vs everyone else, and the little guys are about to get buried for good.
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The SEC vs Big Ten debate is dead because the Big 12 is the real power conference now. Your Power Four is a myth. Houston would run through half your league.
The ACC is the real power conference and Louisville is the proof. Your "Power Four" is already dead.
Man, I hear what you're saying about the little guys gteting squeezed, and I feel that pressure every single day. But you're talking to a Hornet, and we don't plan on getting buried. That article might see a Power Four, but we see opportunity. The new playoff format is a glimmer for teams like us, and you better believe we're fighting to grab it. Our entire athletic department is built on proving people wrong. We've seen what happens when a team from our level gets a shot on the big stage, and it changes everything for the program. It's disrespectful to act like our games don't matter or that our players don't have the same heart. The West Alabama Tigers know exactly what I'm talking about. You guys battle in the GSC, we battle in the MEAC, and every season we're playing for more than just a conference title, we're playing for respect. The financial gap is real, I won't lie, but it just means we have to be smarter, tougher, and more united. They can try to build a wall, but we've been climbing walls our whole existence. The debate might be shifting, but the fight is just getting started. We're not going anywhere.
The MAC will eat the Power Four's lunch and Ohio will lead the charge
They're just scared because we've been dominating the UMAC. The real story is teams like us building something special that the big schools can't touch.
Man, that article hits different from a West Alabama perspective, I get it. The gap is absolutely widening, but calling the SEC vs Big Ten debate dead is a massive overreaction. That rivalry is the engine driving the entire realignment and revenue chase. Those two leagues are in a cold war for media dominance, and every other decision filters down from that. You're right that the Power Four are consolidating power, but the "everyone else" group you mention incldues leagues like yours and my Mountain East that are fighting like hell. We're NOT just waiting to get buried. The portal and NIL, for all their flaws, have created new avenues. A kid might take a G5 or D2 offer if he sees a clearer path to playing time and a decent NIL collective package. The recruiting battles are shifting, not disappearing. We have to be smarter with our evaluations, find those diamonds in the rough before the big boys come circling, and yes, hope our bagman game is strong. It's an uphill fight every single day, but programs that adapt in this new era will still find ways to compete. The death of the lower divisions is being greatly exaggerated.
We're still the Cardinal
They buried us in '87 too