Group of 5 vs Power 5 Player Development
My experiences from working at the G5 and P5 levels in college football.
Let me begin by saying I understand it is now the Power 4. When I was in the role it was still the Power 5, so I will speak on my experiences.
For those who are asking what Group of 5 and Power 5, well in college football there are two segment groups filled with conference that compete in these separate 5s.
Power 5 - ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac 12 (now defunct, sad story of leadership), and SEC
Group of 5 - American, C-USA, Mountain West, MAC, and Sun Belt
The main difference between the two is RESOURCES. There are incredible student-athletes, coaches, staff, administrators, universities, traditions, and fans at both levels.
I spent 3 years at the Group of 5 and the Power 5 level. The role of impacting is the same, but there are a few differences.
Before I dive deeper into the differences, if you are looking to get into sports don’t despise the Group of 5 or other less resourced institutions. You will learn so much in the role, as a professional, and about athletics at these institutions. You will get an advanced degree in problem solving, critical thinking, and MAKING IT HAPPEN at these levels. So, if you dream is to be on the Power 4 level or in the pros, don’t despise the professional growth these valuable opportunities at places without the big name.
G5 vs P5
As you all know I will dive deep into this topic on this week’s Player Development Pod episode.
Here are the 5 MAJOR differences I experienced in my player development career.
Salary
Greater Administrative Responsibilities
Resources
Location
The Logo
Salary
Self-explanatory but I was paid more at the Power 5 level.
Greater Administrative Responsibilities
At the Power 5 level I was in a position to make greater decisions affecting the everyday experience of our student- athletes.
Resources
As mentioned earlier, this is the GREATEST difference. There were more resources for programming, personal, and professional development.
Location
The Group of 5 conference I was in at Houston, the American Conference, had most of their institutions in major cities. This allowed for a plethora of programming opportunities in the city. Those opportunities were limited at Kansas and Baylor.
The LOGO
Simply put, those university logos open different types of doors when based on how they are “perceived” by the public. My LinkedIn blew up with the two Power 5 logos, but I was doing the same work.
Check out The Player Development Pod this week to hear more.
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