The SEC takeover of the 2012 Bowl Championship Series title game – LSU vs. Alabama – led directly to the implementation of the College Football Playoff. The waves of conference realignment from 2010-14 tied directly to the desire to sweeten upcoming or existing television contracts. When congressional scrutiny found the Bowl Alliance in the late 1990s, the BCS was created for the 1998 season.
Every recent seismic shift in college athletics can be tied to an obvious trigger.
After interviews with a dozen officials around college athletics, it’s highly likely we’re amid another pivotal moment in the sport.