Power Five schools want an NCAA restructure

A survey report released by the Knight Commission yesterday shows that a majority of P5 administrators would favor the creation of a fourth division for sports other than basketball. What would that mean for the Syracuse Orange?

It’s too soon to know but the survey indicates that controlling spending has become a topic of interest as schools have struggled with the loss of revenue in 2020.

The survey found widespread support to contain athletic spending, including conference-level agreements to cap sports’ operating budgets — including coaching salaries (62%). More than 80% of the Power 5 respondents supported an antitrust exemption to control athletic costs. The results come at a time when all athletic programs are facing financial shortfalls from the coronavirus pandemic.

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As we’ve debated Syracuse football’s place in the current landscape it would likely benefit the Orange if football spending had harder limits. A cap on coaching salaries or recruiting budgets would help level a playing field which is growing wider each year. A new football governing body could enact these and other guidelines which could enable schools like Syracuse to take the opposite tact and remove limits on areas such as coaching staff members.

However this is just a survey and one coming at a very challenging time for all involved in collegiate athletics. As things stabilize, and coaches/agents speak up, it seems a bit unlikely that any kind of salary limit would be implemented. Could a break from the NCAA (which doesn’t make the rules anyway) really find enough support? Even programs that haven’t competed for a title in the last decade fancy themselves as part of the haves in the college football world. Not to mention that any changes would get state governments involved and Syracuse fans know all too well that involving politicians can quickly turn a well thought out plan to mush.

Would you like to see more restrictions in place to level the playing field in college football? Let us know in the comments.