New Report Says NCAA Could Dissolve, Top Teams Could Partner With NFL

For all its problems, over the past two decades the NFL has become the dominant force in the U.S. sporting landscape.

The NBA, NHL and even Major League Baseball all pale in comparison to the seemingly unstoppable football behemoth.

The one other sport that's come close to achieving the ratings and cultural importance of the NFL is, unsurprisingly, NCAA football. Despite the organizational incompetence, college football's developed into the second most valuable sports media property.

In recent years, realignment, NIL and lawsuits have taken a toll on the NCAA, with the organization itself becoming almost a figurehead, no longer the dominant force in collegiate athletics. And the NFL could be circling in an attempt to expand its revenue even further.

A new report from Sports Business Journal says that "a half-dozen sources" believe that there's a potential opportunity for the league to swoop in, end the NCAA once and for all, and bring some stability to college football.

How? By taking a few dozen of the top teams and launching an entirely new media rights setup.

Instead of the hodgepodge of conference media deals, "The top 50 teams in college football sign a grant of rights to NewCo., a tripartite partnership of Fox Sports, Disney and the NFL."

"'The mess that is college football right now is seemingly ripe for some kind of NFL intervention,' said one expert."

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks onto the field wearing a #3 hat for Damar Hamlin prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

Would the NFL Fix College Football's Problems?

There's a certain amount of logic to this idea, namely that college football's current trajectory seems unsustainable.

A lawsuit currently underway may result in athletes being classified as employees. That would have momentous implications for an organization that's already severely diminished in importance.

Realignment and virtually unrestricted transfers have fundamentally changed college football. Cal and Stanford are now conference rivals with Florida State and Syracuse. USC will now play conference games in New Jersey and Maryland.

Oregon State and Washington State are set to make decisions as the Pac-2.

READ: WASHINGTON STATE, OREGON STATE SCORE BIG LEGAL VICTORY OVER THE REST OF THE PAC-12

And of course, Colorado turned over its entire roster under new coach Deion Sanders.

The NFL as an organization has frequently made questionable decisions that have been heavily criticized. But money continues pouring in and its ratings dominance is unquestionable. The league could simplify college football, media rights, rules for student athletes and create stability.

At least for the "top 50" college teams, however that's defined.

What would come next for the remaining schools left in a shell of the NCAA? Who knows!