Tuesday's Stock Market!
The Big Ten flexes, Geno restores order, Hurley thrives in chaos—and the Vols just can't get over the hump.
Tuesday’s Show Pony Media - Stock Market 3/31/26’
Stock Up:
Tony Petitti
Tony Petitti is the new king of college sports.
Yes, the SEC still carries enormous weight, and Greg Sankey remains one of the most powerful voices in the room. But in this modern, post–NCAA v. Alston era, the balance of power has shifted. The Big Ten is running the show right now.
There was a time when the SEC ruled because of one thing: television money. “It just means more” wasn’t just a slogan—it was reality in a region without a deep pro sports footprint. College football was the NFL in the Southeast.
But NIL changed everything. It didn’t just level the playing field—it flipped it in some ways. The Big Ten, with its massive markets, alumni bases, and institutional resources, has taken full advantage. Simply said, the Big Ten has the rich alumni.
Now look at the landscape. The conference lays claim to the last three football national championships. And on the hardwood? Half the Final Four field runs through the Big Ten, with Illinois and Michigan sitting on opposite sides of the bracket on Saturday.
Petitti may not be loud. He may not be flashy. But right now, he’s holding the strongest hand in college athletics.
Geno Auriemma
I honestly kind of hate this… and I mean that with respect.
Because Geno Auriemma has done it again.
Just a couple years ago, during the Caitlin Clark explosion, it felt like women’s basketball had finally broken into a new era. UConn was still great, but no longer inevitable. Dawn Staley and South Carolina looked like the new power. And the sport felt wide open—LSU, South Carolina, Stanford, Baylor, Notre Dame—all taking turns at the top.
