Most of the SEC didn't get their return on rev-share investments over the past two seasons. "Pay-to-play" has been a boon for the Big Ten, which has won the last two College Football Playoff titles and has two teams remaining in this year's field.
For the "It Just Means More" conference, though, it has evened the playing field in a way the SEC's elite isn't keeping up with.
ESPN LA's Su'a Cravens, who played for the USC Trojans, owners of the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026, celebrated the sport's massive changes and rubbed it in the SEC's faces.