Conference Realignment Part Three?

[hobbes27]

I've sorta lost track as to how many times we've had schools change conferences. But now we are looking at a Big 10, ACC, and SEC with 14 teams. The Pac 12 with 12 teams and the Big 12 with 10 teams.

Complicating matters, at least for the Big East, is the fact that Boise St and San Diego St may go back to the Mountain West. (I still don't know why either left in the first place.). We still have 5 power conferences at this point. Really its 4 power conferences plus a semi power conference in the ACC. The Big East is irrelevant here, although the Big East could probably do some things to help its situation. For instance, partner with the ACC, similar to how the Big 12 and SEC formed a bowl partnership. And figure out a way to jettison its non-football playing schools and focus on football more. The Big East has focused on being a basketball conference and its killing them in football, which is the primary revenue driver these days. And all I know is that Big East teams are begging for a bigger conference to take them.

So I don't know if we are done with this conference upheaval for now. The ACC is starting to look a lot like the Big East. The Big East is starting to look a lot like Conference USA. Where is the next domino that will fall with conference realignment? It seems to me that the Big 12 will expand in the near future, especially to possibly get different media markets and maybe a geographical partner for West Virginia, which is way out there when compared to the other schools. But not sure where they would go from here.

[wxwax]

I'm wondering if we're not near some kind of resolution to this, at least at the top. Nobody yet knows what is the ideal size for a conference, but it sounds like 16 is too many and 12-14 may be about right.

If so, the SEC, the Big 10 and the Pac 12 are set and the ACC is sort-of set. That leaves the Big 12 to find some more teams. I know they covet FSU, but I'm not sure FSU can cough-up $50 million. For this reason, it's vital for the ACC that they compel Maryland to pay the full penalty for leaving. An example needs to be set for ACC teams with wandering eyes.

Anyway, my point is that while there may be disturbances at the bottom, a kind of order has been established at the top of the food chain.

[hobbes27]

I'm not sure why you say 16 teams is too many? I haven't seen a sign that conferences don't want to go to 16.

As for FSU, they seem to be in a similar situation than Maryland. Which is probably why they voted against raising the exit fee. For Maryland, it was financially viable to exit the ACC and even pay the $50 million exit fee, because they would make so much more from the Big 10. If the same can be shown for FSU going elsewhere, such as the Big 12, the exit fee may not be a hinderance.

[wxwax]

I'm not sure why you say 16 teams is too many? I haven't seen a sign that conferences don't want to go to 16.

I have a rotten memory so I can't remember the details. But I read an article within the last 12 months which delved into the problems of a mega 16-team conference. Extremely unwieldy, scheduling issues, can't remember the rest.

[Docta]

I have a rotten memory so I can't remember the details. But I read an article within the last 12 months which delved into the problems of a mega 16-team conference. Extremely unwieldy, scheduling issues, can't remember the rest.

This?

Don't you think that the B1G is better run than the WAC though.Times have changed.

[hobbes27]

Well at one point there was discussion of conferences going to 16 teams and creating 4 divisions. When the Pac 12 was reaching out to Texas and Oklahoma, that was the idea. 4 divisions of 4. The problem is, the current rules don't really address how you handle that. So that would need to be changed to allow for a 4 division playoff when you got to 16 teams. If you don't have a pod system like that, then you are looking at 7 division games and 1 game against the other division.

From a monetary standpoint, going to 16 teams works if you can also have your own mini playoff. So that's why I think it will eventually happen. The rules will be changed to make it happen.

[wxwax]

Well at one point there was discussion of conferences going to 16 teams and creating 4 divisions. When the Pac 12 was reaching out to Texas and Oklahoma, that was the idea. 4 divisions of 4. The problem is, the current rules don't really address how you handle that. So that would need to be changed to allow for a 4 division playoff when you got to 16 teams. If you don't have a pod system like that, then you are looking at 7 division games and 1 game against the other division.

From a monetary standpoint, going to 16 teams works if you can also have your own mini playoff. So that's why I think it will eventually happen. The rules will be changed to make it happen.

Hmm. So a 2 game playoff in the conference. And then a minimum 2 game playoff for the national championship. Plus 8 conference games. You're up to 12 games and they're all tough ones. That doesn't sound like a formula for winning the national championship, does it? How would a pod system work?

[wxwax]

This?

Don't you think that the B1G is better run than the WAC though.Times have changed.

Yes, thanks. That's the one. How does the Big10 manage all of its traditional rivalry games, create a soft enough schedule to make winning the national title possible, and not lose its identity via dilution by adding Rutgers, Maryland and possibly Syracuse (which is a private school and might not share the culture of Big10 schools?)

I don't know who they'd add beyond Syracuse. But at what point does the Big10's brand, which is what they're selling and which is crystal clear right now, become muddled? I still scratch my head at Nebraska. Don't ask me to see Rutgers as a Big10 school, it just isn't. Nor is Maryland.

I guess you guys are right. If the money's there, it may happen. But I can see pitfalls, too.

[Docta]

Yes, thanks. That's the one. How does the Big10 manage all of its traditional rivalry games, create a soft enough schedule to make winning the national title possible, and not lose its identity via dilution by adding Rutgers, Maryland and possibly Syracuse (which is a private school and might not share the culture of Big10 schools?)

I don't know who they'd add beyond Syracuse. But at what point does the Big10's brand, which is what they're selling and which is crystal clear right now, become muddled? I still scratch my head at Nebraska. Don't ask me to see Rutgers as a Big10 school, it just isn't. Nor is Maryland.

I guess you guys are right. If the money's there, it may happen. But I can see pitfalls, too.

Syracuse isn't a candidate anymore. Staples's article was written in 2010, and they withdrew from the AAU in 2011. The B1G prides itself in having research universities.

GTech, UNC, and UVA are their candidates.

[mikesteelnation1]

Hmm. So a 2 game playoff in the conference. And then a minimum 2 game playoff for the national championship. Plus 8 conference games. You're up to 12 games and they're all tough ones. That doesn't sound like a formula for winning the national championship, does it? How would a pod system work?

NFL teams play 19-20 "tough ones" every year to crown a winner. The team that successfully runs that gauntlet TRULY deserves the crown. Not many complaints about who won, simply because they qualified for the tourney and beat everyone in front of them after. Seeing as how the NFL is more popular than every other American sport combined based on viewership, it's no wonder the most similar would want to try to ride that lightning.

Having those super conferences and the aforementioned pod games, line things up just like the divisional races in the NFL .. best of the super conferences have a playoff that the 4 winners funnel into the plus 1. Makes perfect sense, and honestly nd being in the champ game is exactly why this should happen. No way that nd team runs any gauntlet to qualify.

They're gonna get slaughtered by bama.. notre dame is big 10 lite, and we've all seen how the big 10 does vs the sec in the champ game.. hell to be fair, how EVERYONE does vs the SEC in the champ game...