BOMBSHELL: BYU SUING College Football Playoff Committee, ESPN Can Be REAL Step | Sherman Anti-Trust

A lawsuit by Brigham Young University (BYU) against the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee, ESPN, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) based on the Sherman Antitrust Act would argue that their relationship constitutes an illegal restraint of trade or monopolistic behavior that harms BYU financially and competitively.The Legal Argument (Sherman Act)Restraint of Trade (Section 1): BYU could allege that the CFP, the SEC, and ESPN have engaged in a conspiracy or agreement to manipulate the market for college football's elite postseason access. Since ESPN holds the exclusive media rights for the SEC and is the sole broadcaster of the CFP, BYU could argue that this relationship gives ESPN and the SEC a collective incentive and power to favor SEC teams in the subjective CFP rankings. This favoritism, they would argue, is an unreasonable restraint that limits competition for highly lucrative playoff bids.Monopolization (Section 2): The argument could be framed that the CFP, dominated by the power conferences (especially the SEC/Big Ten), in conjunction with their exclusive media partner (ESPN), attempts to monopolize the market for college football’s national championship revenue and prestige. By routinely penalizing non-blue-blood brands like BYU using subjective "eye test" criteria—despite objective metrics (like Strength of Record) that may favor them—they maintain an illegal monopoly over access and revenue distribution.BYU's DetrimentThe financial harm to BYU comes from being excluded from the playoff field. Playoff participation translates into millions of dollars in shared revenue and significantly boosts a program's recruiting and brand value. BYU would argue that their exclusion, when a lower-ranked or less-deserving SEC team is included, is a direct, measurable financial injury caused by the anticompetitive structure.The basis for this argument exists, as evidenced by the Florida Attorney General’s investigation into similar issues regarding the FSU snub, showing the willingness of officials to scrutinize the CFP’s operations under antitrust law.Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Omaha SteaksSave big on unforgettable gifts with Omaha Steaks. Visit https://OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site-wide and an extra 20% off select favorites during their Cyber Sale.And for an additional $35 off, use promo code COLLEGE at checkout. RugietIf you’ve been thinking about taking the next step, now’s the time.Head to https://Rugiet.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGEto get 15% off your order for a limited time.Rugiet Ready. Feel present. Feel confident. Feel ready. Aura FramesFor a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting https://AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code COLLEGE at checkout. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.