HS Alliance
The alliance – which has been unanimously supported by the presidents, chancellors and sports directors of the 41 institutions – will be guided in all cases by a commitment and priority to supporting the well-being of student-athletes, academic opportunities and sports, experiences and diverse educational programming. All three conferences are based on their support for large-scale athletic programs, the college model, and opportunities for student-athletes as part of the institutions’ educational missions.
The three conferences remain competitors in every way, but are committed to collaborating and providing thought leadership on various opportunities and challenges facing varsity athletics, including:
- Mental and physical health, safety, well-being and support of student-athletes
- Strong academic experience and support
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Social justice
- Gender equality
- Future structure of the NCAA
- Federal legislative efforts
- Post-season championships and future formats
The alliance includes a programming component for women’s and men’s football and basketball designed to create new inter-conference games, enhance opportunities for student-athletes, and optimize the varsity athletics experience for students- athletes and fans across the country. The programming alliance will begin as soon as possible while honoring outstanding contractual obligations. A working group of sports directors representing the three conferences will oversee the programming component of the alliance, including determining the criteria on which programming decisions will be made. The three leagues and their respective institutions understand that programming decisions will be an evolutionary process given current programming commitments.
The football programming alliance will offer additional engaging matchups across all three conferences while continuing to honor historic rivalries and the best traditions of college football.
In women’s and men’s basketball, all three conferences will add early and mid-season games as well as annual events that feature top-notch clashes between the three leagues.
The three conferences will also explore the opportunities for large and exceptional Olympic sports programs to compete more frequently and forge additional attractive and meaningful rivalries.
The future programming stream will benefit student-athletes and fans by providing new and memorable experiences that will span coast to coast, in all time zones. The competition will bring a new level of excitement to fans from all 41 schools while allowing teams and conferences to have the flexibility to continue playing against opponents from other conferences, independents and various teams from other subdivisions.
“The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 recognize the unique environment and challenges that intercollegiate athletics currently faces, and we are proud and confident in this timely and necessary alliance that brings together like-minded institutions and conferences. focused on the global educational missions of our preeminent institutions, ”said CCA Commissioner Jim Phillips. “The alliance will ensure that the educational outcomes and experiences of student-athletes participating at the highest level of college athletics will remain the determining factor in all decisions in the future.”
“Student-athletes have been and will remain the focal point of the Big Ten, ACC and PAC-12 conferences,” said Kevin Warren, Big Ten Commissioner. “Today, through this alliance, we have strengthened our commitment to our student-athletes by prioritizing our academic and athletic value systems. We create opportunities for student-athletes to participate in elite competition and take the necessary steps to shape and stabilize the future of varsity athletics. “
“The historic alliance announced today between the Pac-12, the ACC and Big Ten is based on a commitment to our student-athletes,” said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. “We believe that by working together we are stronger in our commitment to address the big issues and opportunities facing varsity athletics.”
ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences include:
- Leading academic institutions committed to shared values of supporting the next generation of leaders.
- Innovative research that benefits communities around the world.
- 27 of the 34 Autonomy 5 members of the Association of American Universities (AAU).
- 34 institutions ranked in the Top 100 national universities by American News and World Report.
- Extensive sports and academic programs.
- A long legacy of leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Over 27,000 student-athletes compete in 863 teams in 31 sports.
- A total of 1,019 NCAA Championships.
- Long-standing relationships through bowl partnerships, men’s and women’s basketball challenges and Olympic sporting events.
- 194 Olympic medals won in Tokyo by current, former and future student-athletes.
- Some of the most iconic and historic venues in college sport.
- Hundreds of millions of dollars in annual direct institutional support for student-athlete scholarships.
- Over $ 15 billion in annual federal support for research, nearly a third of the total at all colleges and universities.
Quotes from the CEOs of ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12:
Duke University President and Chairman of the CCA Board of Directors Vincent E. Price
“The alliance is first and foremost a statement on the vital link between academic excellence and varsity athletics. Our members include 41 of the best public and private universities in the world that will soon have new ways of competing at the highest level in sport and collaborating in education, research and service to society. Together, we can use our strong voice and united vision to create the best possible experience for our student-athletes and our institutions. “
Dr. Rebecca Blank, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin and President of the Council of Presidents / Chancellors (COP / C) of the Big Ten Conference:
“The Big Ten conference has always prioritized academic excellence as well as athletic excellence for student-athletes. Today’s announcement reinforces the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness among all members of this alliance and provides additional opportunities for our student-athletes to enhance their college experience.
President of the University of Oregon and Chairman of the Pac-12 Board of Trustees Michael Schill
“The Pac-12 is thrilled to join with so many world-class universities in a collaborative effort to support our student-athletes through an unwavering commitment to academic and athletic excellence. Together we can help shape a future for varsity athletics where broad athletic programs based on educational opportunities allow us to support the next generation of leaders. ”