Big Ten Surpasses SEC in College Football, Experts Cite NIL Spending Shift

Colin Cowherd has asserted that the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC as the premier conference in college football, largely due to financial advantages in the NIL and Transfer Portal era. He highlights that Big Ten schools benefit from larger alumni bases and greater fundraising capabilities linked to major economic hubs like Hollywood, tech, and financial centers, contrasting with the SEC's reliance on smaller-margin industries such as car dealerships. Recent back-to-back national championships by Big Ten programs Michigan and Ohio State have reinforced this shift, with Ohio State's dominant playoff victories over SEC teams Tennessee and Texas exemplifying the changing competitive landscape. Cowherd specifically points to top NIL spenders, noting that four of the top seven programs are in the Big Ten, further supporting the conference's growing dominance. Additionally, Cowherd predicts Penn State as the best Big Ten team for the 2025 season, potentially setting up a Penn State vs. Texas national championship matchup that would underscore the conference's ascendancy. This evolving hierarchy reflects both on-field success and off-field financial strategies that position the Big Ten as the leading force in college football today.