College football faces big changes, and a group of former Disney executives thinks they have a game-changing plan. Their idea, Project Rudy, aims to create a 70-team super league that could raise $9 billion in funding. As top college football leaders meet in Nashville this week, this bold proposal is causing quite a stir in the sports world.
Is Project Rudy taking a page from European soccer’s playbook? Or is it trying to be the ultimate underdog, ironically named after the most famous (and debunked) underdog story in college football – Rudy Ruettiger from Notre Dame? Great movie, sure, but not quite the true story folks once thought. And we’re talking about 9 BILLION DOLLARS here – not exactly your typical underdog tale. Jokes aside, this is a real proposal with the potential to flip college sports on its head. So yeah, it’s time we talk about it.
What is Project Rudy?
Project Rudy is a plan to reshape college football completely. Here’s what it wants to do:
- Create a league with 70 top teams from the four power conferences
- Get rid of games against smaller schools
- Have more big matchups between the biggest brands in college football
- Expand the playoffs
- Change how money is shared between schools
- Keep the current power conferences intact
The people behind this idea are Evan Richter, Kevin Mayer, and Tom Staggs—all former Disney executives who now work for Smash Capital. They think their plan could generate a whopping $15 billion over 12 years from TV deals and sponsors.
How Would Project Rudy Work?
Project Rudy is built on two main ideas:
- More big games: They want to eliminate games against smaller schools and have more matchups between top teams, including more playoff games and rivalry matchups.
- One massive TV deal: Instead of each conference having its own TV deal, all 70 schools would be part of one agreement. This could mean more money for everyone.
How Would the Money Work?
Project Rudy would split schools into three groups:
- Top 16 schools: Could earn up to $250 million a year
- Next 22 schools: Would get $60-110 million
- Last 32 schools: Would get $30-60 million
This is a significant change from how things work now, where many schools in the same conference get the same amount of money. The plan also includes a system where schools could move up or down these tiers based on their performance.
Who’s Behind Project Rudy?
In addition to the former Disney executives, Project Rudy has attracted some big names in college sports. Jack Swarbrick, the former athletic director at Notre Dame, has recently joined the team, which gives the project more credibility in the college sports world.
Quick take: Is it ironic that a leader at Notre Dame is behind this? You know the university that refuses to join a conference in the current college football landscape? Anyway…
Who Likes This Idea?
Some college sports leaders think Project Rudy makes sense. Miami’s athletic director, Dan Radakovich, says it’s the best idea he’s seen (which begs the question: What other ideas are being floated out there? Show your cards, people!). He likes that it keeps conferences together and could bring in more money. Over 25 athletic directors from big schools have heard about the plan, and many seem interested.
What Are the Concerns?
Not everyone is excited about Project Rudy. Here are some worries:
- It might leave out many current college football teams, especially smaller schools
- Some think it’s too risky and complicated
- Big conference leaders like Greg Sankey of the SEC are skeptical
- It would need changes to laws about TV rights
- Some worry it might make college football too much like the NFL
- There’s concern about private equity firms having too much control over college sports
Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, has been particularly vocal about his doubts. He said he doesn’t want to “dumb down” his conference to be part of a 70-team super league.
What Happens Next?
The biggest challenge is getting the SEC and Big Ten to agree. These are the two most influential conferences in college football. Their leaders, Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti, are meeting this week to discuss the sport’s future.
An SEC administrator said, “The Smash Capital idea is brilliant, but you’ve got to convince those two guys,” meaning Sankey and Petitti.
At this meeting, they’re also talking about other significant changes, like:
- A possible SEC-Big Ten scheduling agreement
- Changes to the College Football Playoff format
- How to handle new rules about paying players
The Bigger Picture: Why Is This Happening?
College football is facing constant challenges:
- New rules mean schools might have to share more money with players
- Some schools are struggling financially
- There’s a growing gap between the richest and poorest schools
- TV viewership habits are changing
Project Rudy is trying to solve these problems by bringing in more money and creating a more streamlined system. But it would also forever change how college football has worked.
What Could This Mean for Fans?
If Project Rudy happens, fans could see:
- More games between top teams
- Fewer games against smaller schools — this is a real problem. Learn more about why here.
- A bigger playoff system
- Some traditional rivalries might be played less often
- Some schools might struggle to compete in the new system
The Future of College Football
While some think Project Rudy is inevitable, it’s unclear when or if it will happen. One SEC leader said it could happen “much sooner” than 15-20 years from now.
As college football faces change, including paying players and dealing with new laws, ideas like Project Rudy show how much the sport might look different. Whether this plan becomes reality or not, it’s clear that college football is looking for new ways to make money. A lot of money. Leave it to the “underdogs” to do just that.
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