Could this be the start of the Power 5 conferences breaking away from the NCAA?

It’s not a great sign for the NCAA that the Power 5 conference commissioners have reached out to Congress and asked the leadership in Washington to make a ruling on name, image and likeness before the NCAA decides to take action. Based on the letter below, co-signed by the leaders of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12, there seems to be a real lack of faith in the NCAA’s power to make the right decision when it comes to name, image and likeness.

This news, first shared by Brett McMurphy of Stadium, display the willingness of the Power 5 conferences to help allow athletes profit from their likeness but that’s not going to happen before a uniform, national law or rule is implemented.

Based on the letter’s content, the Power 5 conference commissioners are also attempting to prevent a pay-for-play model and keep a level of amateurism in place when it comes to college sports.

Either way, the fact that these leagues are going over the NCAA’s head is a good indication of just how little they respect the organization’s ability to get anything meaningful accomplished in a short period of time.