If the Big Ten decides to extend an invitation to Notre Dame, Pitt, Rutgers, Missouri, or anyone else in the coming years, it would be the latest example of television money fueling conference realignment in college football.
Believe or not, there was a time when television did not dominate the sport.
From the 1950's through the early '80s, every NCAA institution was a part of the same television package. To protect attendance figures and to get as many teams exposure as possible, the NCAA actually limited the amount of games a team could appear on television.
For powerhouses such as Oklahoma and Georgia, the NCAA's control of the television contract was unacceptable. Both schools sued the NCAA in 1981, hoping to get a bigger cut of television dollars.
On June 27, 1984, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the schools, citing that the NCAA's television plan violated antitrust laws.
NCAA v.Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma would turnout to be a landmark case which created the college athletic landscape we know today.
Though the majority of schools would negotiate their contracts jointly through the College Football Assoc...
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