The gap between what a conference claims and what it actually wins is measurable in this sport. In college football, that measurement runs through the College Football Playoff, the postseason bracket that determines a national champion, and the Southeastern Conference has been on the losing side of it lately. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema made that case at Big Ten media days, arguing that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is trying to protect a version of college football that ended once NIL arrived.
What changed the roster map
NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, the system that lets college athletes earn money from endorsements and commercial deals. Bielema named a second change alongside it: the transfer portal, which lets players switch schools without sitting out a season. He called those two things the only forces that matter for understanding how modern rosters are built.
The evidence he offered was specific. Bielema listed five players on his current Illinois roster who would not have chosen Champaign-Urbana under the old rules: his starting quarterback, left tackle, left guard, center, and right tackle. Each one came through the new system. "When those two elements came into college football, the whole world changed," he said. "Anything beyond that is nonsense."
The Saban moment
The week before Big Ten media days, retired Alabama coach Nick Saban appeared on ESPN's "Get Up" and argued that winning championships is not the right way to measure which conference is best. Depth matters more, Saban said, meaning the number of strong teams a conference puts on the field from top to bottom.
Bielema responded by posting Saban's quote alongside two bowl game scorelines: a 21-17 Illinois win over South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and a 30-28 Illinois win over Tennessee in the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl. His caption read: "I agree with you coach and appreciate you bringing this up." No elaboration was attached.
The actual record
In the College Football Playoff during the NIL era, the SEC is 2-7 against other Power Four conferences. Power Four refers to college football's four major conferences. The Big Ten is 9-3 over the same stretch.
That record has not slowed the SEC's claims. At SEC media days, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, and commissioner Sankey each argued that all 16 SEC teams deserve playoff spots and that the selection committee undervalues the conference's strength of schedule. Missouri did not beat a single opponent with a winning record in 2026 and was still ranked by the committee at points during the regular season. Tennessee also did not beat a team with a winning record. The 2-7 mark against Power Four opponents is the number Bielema would prefer everyone start with.