NCAA subdivision featuring The American, SEC, C-USA on the horizon?

[Harry]

The talk among NCAA circles for a while has been the possibility of the larger conferences, or the Big Five–ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC–breaking ranks and seeking autonomy. While they may not break apart from the NCAA altogether, they would govern themselves, given the fact that they draw the most money out of all the other conferences nationally–a noticeable difference between the rich and the poor (i.e. the SEC and, for example, the MEAC).

The latest propositions are a separate division featuring the Big Five and a few other conferences (a la FBS), a theoretical “Division IV” so to speak; or a collection of federations within the current system. Conference USA might be involved as well. Writes SI.com’s Andy Staples:

This would equal a lesser financial divide between the power conferences and C-USA, and would open the door to the controversial stipends being proposed by some Big Five coaches, namely Steve Spurrier of South Carolina, for student-athletes:

At issue is Division IV, or, probably more realistically, a new subdivision within Division I containing the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC and possibly the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA. Currently, Division I is subdivided into the FBS and FCS in football. Let’s call the proposed new subdivision the F$S. (Big 12 commissioner Bob) Bowlsby also suggested the creation of federations within the NCAA to make unique rules to govern each individual sport. This is intriguing but complex. The simpler solution is a new subdivision for football, which is where the greatest differences between haves and have-nots exist.

Read more: http://pickaxedigest.com/2013/07/23/new-ncaa-division-american-sec-conference-usa-big-12-big-ten/