As the start of college football is right around the corner tensions are unusually high. The controversial conference realignments and the growing importance of NIL deals have changed the game for college coaches. USC and UCLA were the latest teams to jump ship and will begin playing in the Big Ten starting in the 2024 season. Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin gave his thoughts on the difference between the conferences according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network:

“I don't know if it's a huge jump to the Big Ten, but going to the SEC is a whole nother animal. It's a whole different world.”

This likely is a move that hits close to home for Lane Kiffin as he coached at USC from 2001-2006 and 2010-2013. This will be Kiffin's seventh season coaching at the SEC level and clearly thinks highly of the talent pool. Considering the lineup of teams like Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, and more- this should be no surprise.

It is clear there has been a wedge driven through the NCAA conferences. As the battleground of college football continues to become more heated, expect these emotions to continue. It will not be known until the 2024 season which conference stacks up best, however, Lane Kiffin certainly has a point about the strength of the SEC.

It is clear that the landscape of college football is drastically changing. Each key member of college football seems to have their own beliefs on these potential changes. It will be interesting to see the effects these changes have on the sport in the long-term but for now the public media battle will continue.