The self-governance plane is being built as the power conferences fly it. The thing might crash of its own accord. It might be shot down by lawyers firing surface-to-air antitrust missiles. But it has lurched off the ground, perhaps sooner than expected, with an urgent eligibility threat serving as the wind beneath its wings.
This is what happened on a fascinating Tuesday in college sports, amid efforts by multiple schools (one in particular, call it Loophole State University) to add former professional athletes to their football and men’s basketball rosters for the 2025–26 season:
