FBS Athletic Directors Want to Keep Football Under NCAA

When more than 100 FBS athletic directors joined a meeting on Wednesday held by their representative organization, Lead1, they disagreed over whether to break FBS football away from the NCAA. 

The idea had been floating around for a few years and has gained steam according to several surveys.

By the end of the day, there was a “strong preference” among ADs to attempt to reform the NCAA rather than abandoning it, Lead1 CEO Tom McMillen told Front Office Sports. Several factors contributed to the decision:

• ADs acknowledged NCAA-backed money wasn’t something they wanted to part with.
• There were “optics” issues with separating a male sport from the rest of college sports — and, in particular, women’s sports.
• They acknowledged the NCAA is generally good at putting on championships. 

“It’s fairly logical to see if you can fix something before you blow it up,” McMillen said.

Future Demands

Despite the spirited debate, McMillen noted one major consensus: “The status quo was no longer acceptable. There needs to be a new model.”

FBS ADs want the NCAA’s Division I Transformation Committee — several of whom were in attendance at the meeting — to create a “streamlined decision-making process,” with involvement from university presidents.

The organization plans to draft a letter outlining specific demands to deliver to the NCAA in coming weeks in the hopes that the nuclear option can be avoided.