I didn't want to post this too close to the April 1st article, but I am wondering if the NCAA is afraid to sanction SEC teams out of fear the SEC might create its own governing organization. The SEC obviously is the dominant college football conference and culturally and philosophically is not focused on academics. Football already is largely independent courtesy of the lawsuit by Oklahoma and SEC member Georgia. Even before the Supreme Court decision, the CFA was attempting to add basketball and replace the NCAA as the governing body for major college sports(plans were floated to change its name to the CSA). As has become painfully clear, football is the dominant factor in generating revenue and thus the dominant force in college athletics.

What leads to my speculation is the NCAA's utter failure to take action against either Auburn or Kentucky when the dominant player on respective National Championship teams had their services put up for auction by unscrupulous family members and street agents. The Cam Newton case at least resulted in a one day suspension, while the even higher price sought for Anthony Davis was ignored completely. The Davis family and Kentucky did have the good grace to threaten a lawsuit over the story that the price for Davis was 200K, but of course did not dare risk having testimony taken under oath. This does not even include the past failure to take action over Bledsoe's academic ineligibility.

I am not sure if the differing treatment of other schools from other conferences strengthens or weakens the suspicion. The biggest school actually sanctioned is Ohio State which is SEC like, but while Ohio State did receive sanctions, it was the press which brought forward that Tressel was not just a cheat, but a liar, leaving the NCAA little choice. In addition, the Big 10 does have multiple serious academic institutions and is not the Situational Ethics conference. Clearly, the NCAA is not afraid of the barely surviving Big 12, as the treatment of PJ3 for his family taking money to avoid eviction from an AAU coach compared to the lack of action against either Auburn or Kentucky for taking a player who had "Buy it Now" beside their name on E-bay.

The NCAA is aware that just as they lost football, they could lose basketball. While there is much talk about the small schools making March Madness magic , does anyone really think that the BCS schools could not make more money by creating their own post season national champion? Just as the CFA pitched itself as stopping a college athletics welfare state, the SEC could demonstrate that the big schools would make more by going their own way on basketball instead of letting the NCAA allocate the money. The SEC seems the most likely to lead such a charge, and everyone recalls how many pundits predicted 4 16 team conferences. It will be interesting to see if the NCAA will be willing to pursue revocation of this Final 4 if the dirt Cal carries with him like Pig Pen again comes to light.