"Awkward, unknown": Ex-Xavier coach Sean Miller calls out speculation around Big East's revenue edge

As revenue-sharing approaches, basketball is expected to receive a meaningful portion of funds, even as football drives most of the conversation. Insiders speculate the Big East could benefit financially due to its limited football footprint.

Texas coach Sean Miller, who previously coached at Xavier, called that theory “speculation” and said “a lot of unknowns” remain.

“You hear that but me coming from there," Miller said (Timestamp: 4:16), "I think if we’re here speculating on that toward that on them, they would be equally be speculating on what we’re doing down here, according to On3. It comes back to this awkward, unknown part. You just truly don’t know, it is truly speculation.”

According to Miller, being in the SEC and at a program like Texas means “you’re moving toward the future” and have a secure place “at the table.”

“One of the other things I feel like is part of the SEC, certainly the University of Texas, is that you’re moving toward the future. You’re certainly going to be at the table... There are other times where conferences, as much as they want to feel that way, they can’t because of the model we’re in and the power of football.”

Xavier cut football in 1973 and has focused on basketball. Most Big East programs, including UConn and Villanova, emphasize basketball even if they field football teams. Texas, by contrast, is one of the sport’s premier football brands.

Sean Miller will begin his first season as Texas coach

Sean Miller watches warm-ups - Source: Imagn

Sean Miller left Xavier after NCAA Tournament runs and a Sweet 16 appearance, drawn by what he called the SEC’s rising dominance in college basketball.

The SEC set a record in 2024-25 with 14 NCAA Tournament bids, breaking the previous mark of 11 by the 2011 Big East. The league went 23-13 in the postseason, with teams in half of the Elite Eight, Final Four and national title game. Florida won the championship; Auburn reached the Final Four.

“In 2025, I don’t know if there’s a better place to be than the Southeastern Conference,” Miller told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. “It's about how they've embraced the future, maybe as well or before anybody else did. So I'm excited about it."

The coach previously won conference titles in the Atlantic 10 and Pac-12. He called the SEC’s coaching field “amazing,” and Miller said competing with Hall of Famers is required “when you want to be the best.”