With the vote on a potentially drastic change to the way the NCAA operates coming up in a few weeks, Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith is feeling confident about the result. The age of autonomy for the 65 power conference schools, including Ohio State, has some critics and skeptics, but Smith is confident the vote will be passed, allowing for schools from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC to provide more to student-athletes.
“I think the outcome is going to be highly positive,” Smith said to The Columbus Dispatch. “I think in the end, we’ll be able to do what we want to do for our student-athletes in our types of institutions.”
Smith’s comments come the same week SEC commissioner Mike Slive issued a stern warning to the NCAA suggesting the SEC would be prepared to move forward with a split from the current structure if needed (this is the Division IV concept being sparked once again). Smith feels that Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany -- expected to make similar statements at Big Ten media days in a couple of weeks -- are not issuing empty threats.
“We have strong support from our presidents,” Smith said to The Columbus Dispatch. “Mike Slive and Jim Delany don’t make their comments without the support of the individual institutions, which means the presidents have signed off on it. So each conference in the top five has gone through a process to get agreement from the presidents that if these things aren’t in place, at the vote, then we have to look at a different structure.”
In order for the proposal granting autonomy to pass, a two-thirds majority of the 65 schools from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC (including Notre Dame) is required. At this point, it sounds as though the motion will pass. Conferences are already preparing for what to do next once the proposal is passed. The power conferences are already uniting in the push to have the proposal approved.