Big Ten Floats Self-Governance as Patience With D.C. and the CSC Wears Thin

By faNILy Team · May 21, 2026

The Big Ten's spring meetings in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, came in a rough week for college sports' would-be national fixes. The SCORE Act got pulled from the House floor. The College Sports Commission's clearinghouse is drawing complaints. And Big Ten leaders started saying out loud what many have been thinking: maybe the conference should just govern itself.

"We cannot govern nationally right now"

Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork didn't mince words, according to CBS Sports.

"We cannot govern nationally right now. There are too many extenuating forces." - Ross Bjork, Ohio State AD, via CBS Sports

Washington AD Pat Chun wasn't counting on Congress: "I am also in the camp that is not expecting help from D.C." Commissioner Tony Petitti was more measured, tying any move to the CSC: "I would tie it to, can we see progress in the CSC? Can we make the change we think to adjust it?"

The clearinghouse complaint

A big part of the frustration is speed. Bjork said NIL Go was supposed to decide on third-party deals within 24 to 48 hours, CBS reported, but only 45% have been resolved in that window. That matches the CSC's own May report, which said 45% of deals got a decision within 24 hours.

Rethinking the cap

Big Ten officials also want to change how the revenue-sharing cap is set, according to CBS Sports. Right now it's tied to 22% of average power-conference revenue, applied across all five leagues. They'd prefer conference-specific caps based on each league's own revenue, a change that could widen the gap between the richest leagues and everyone else.

The rest of the agenda

NBC Sports, via Yahoo, reported other topics in the mix this week:

Playoff format: The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have signaled for a 24-team College Football Playoff, while the SEC continues to push for 16. The 12-team format continues this season, with a December 1 deadline for 2027 changes.
March Madness: The NCAA approved expanding the tournament from 68 to 76 teams.
Eligibility: The NCAA is weighing a model that would end redshirts and give most athletes five years to play five seasons.

What it means for fans

When a conference talks about governing itself, it's partly a negotiating move. It signals to Congress and the CSC that patience isn't unlimited. But it also hints at a future where the rules your favorite athletes play under depend heavily on which conference their school is in.

For athletes, that could mean different NIL rules, different caps and different transfer rules depending on the league. For fans following athletes across schools, it would add a new layer of complexity.

Expect the same questions to come up at other conferences' meetings, and maybe some different answers.