Tony Petitti promotes SEC rivalry, which tells you exactly why Big Ten is on top of college football

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti fielded more questions about the conference's relationship with the SEC than anything else at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday in Chicago. "Our fans, the SEC fans, really like the rivalry," Petitti said. "I think it would be great if we played each other more. From a fan perspective, having a rivalry with the SEC and the Big Ten is a great thing." He can say that now. Petitti said that next to a podium strategically placed to the right with three College Football Playoff championship trophies which the Big Ten won in succession with Michigan (2023), Ohio State (2024) and Indiana (2025); the last two coming in the 12-team era. The Big Ten is on top – and Petitti knows it.Yet instead of emphasizing that, he went on to describe a productive working relationshi