John Skipper, the former executive chairman of DAZN Group, former president of ESPN, and co-founder of Meadowlark Media, has extensive experience in the sports business. His insights about the future direction of sports leagues and media are often quite prescient. For instance, he confidently stated that the NBA was in excellent shape while others were panicking. He accurately predicted that the WNBA would more than triple its broadcasting rights revenue with its new deal, which ultimately quadrupled. Furthermore, he suggested that Netflix would double down on live sports to compete in the streaming wars, and remarked that ESPN Bet would face an “uphill battle” to become competitive, a claim that remains true.
Skipper has also been firm in his belief that the Super Bowl will transition to a streaming-exclusive event in the near future. His latest prediction focuses on March Madness: he anticipates that the college basketball landscape will mirror that of college football, leading to the consolidation of power and a revamped NCAA Tournament.
Former ESPN president John Skipper foresees the NCAA — and March Madness as we know it — becoming obsolete. 😳
“Why wouldn’t you create four super conferences — 64 teams — and that’s your governing body? … Who else has a governing body which is an independent third party? …… pic.twitter.com/38emWSQEkn
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) March 21, 2025
On a recent episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, Skipper emphasized that colleges and athletic departments are willing to change drastically to secure more revenue. He pointed to discussions among the SEC and Big Ten as evidence of this mindset. “Why wouldn’t you create four super conferences, 64 teams, and that’s your governing body? Your governing body runs itself like most leagues do,” he argued. “The NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball operate independently; why can’t college conferences create their own tournament, reach a billion and a half in sales, and split the revenue among themselves, further separating the haves from the have-nots?”
David Samson expressed concern about this perspective, fearing it could dismantle the spirit of March Madness. “You know how much money there is in the two words upset alert?” Samson countered, emphasizing its significance as a core element of the tournament. However, Skipper remained unfazed, asserting, “You still have an upset alert. You put 64 teams in; the upset alerts remain even with teams from the SEC or Big Ten. Fans may care more about those matchups.” He further noted the financial motive behind these potential changes, stating that individual conferences could see substantial revenue per school, estimating around $25 million if they shared a billion and a half dollar pot among 16 schools.
While Skipper’s views may be seen as solely profit-driven at the cost of tradition and fan experience, they reflect a trend that has been shaping college athletics, akin to what has long driven college football and conference realignment.
