College Football Realignment

[paul253]

With USC and UCLA moving to the Big 10 things are starting to get crazy again. I would have to imagine the remaining PAC-12 teams are looking to get out and there are indeed rumors that Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado are looking to move to the Big 12. That would be a good move for all those involved, I think. 
 

There are also rumors now that the SEC is negotiating with FSU, Clemson, UNC, and Virginia. If that’s the case I’d be a little disappointed as I think UNC and Virginia would good additions for the Big 10 and would push the conference further into the Southeast where football is king. I think it’s mistake for the Big 10 to sit back and let the SEC make the next move.

Assuming those 4 schools end up SEC this is what I’d like to see the Big 10 do:  

I think it’s inevitable they and they SEC end up at 24 so why not get out in front? 
I’d add Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal to get a monopoly on the West Coast and make scheduling and travel easier. Then I’d like to see Notre Dame for obvious reasons. BC, which gets you into the Boston market, solidifies the East Coast and gets you a historically dominant hockey program for the conference. Then Georgia Tech which fits academically, gets you into the Atlanta market and gets you into the Southeast.  Then finally a boring program but one that also fits academically and geographically and that’s Kansas. Yeah football sucks but basketball is dominant. 
 

This would equal four 6 team divisions:

1) USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Cal, Stanford

2) Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois

3) Michigan, Michigan St, Notre Dame, NW, Indiana, Purdue

4) Ohio St, Penn St, Rutgers, BC, Georgia Tech, Maryland 

[madbad2000]

I also think that expansion even further is inevitable.  20 is probably the minimum that the SEC/B1G end up at.  I posted this in the other thread, but if we assume that the new SEC rumors are true, which I don't, I would readjust my preference to the following if FSU/UNC/Clemson/UVA are off the board. 

20 teams: Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington, Stanford

22 teams: Miami/Arizona State

24 teams:. GA Tech/VA Tech

Part of me wants to put BC in there for the Boston love, but also to really make Notre Dame feel good with their traditional rivalries all locked up in the conference.  Basically all they would need to do would be to schedule Navy non conference.  But BC is kind of small potatoes for a mega conference like the B1G.

I wanted to throw Kansas in there.  Premium basketball program for sure, but football wise you will always need some teams to feast on.

I also considered Utah and Colorado, but just not that huge of a brand.  I was really focused on brand and opening up recruiting locations with Florida, Arizona and Georgia. Getting Miami would be great for recruiting in Florida.  Getting Georgia Tech is more symbolic in that you're taking a shot right into the heart of SEC country and Georgia is a fertile ground for players.

[CheezWizHed]

Do you see the BIG10 doing a name change at some point?  MadBad used B1G which isn't bad (kind of drops the 10, but you can still "see it").  If we hit 20, do the top program say We are in the BIG10, but MN is in the "other 10"? ?

[madbad2000]

So I was thinking about the ACC Grant of Rights deal.  Basically it comes down to any school that leaves forfeits their media rights back to the ACC until 2036.  I am going to assume that someone is going to try to test it legally.  What if the new school that joins a conference doesn't get any media rights money until 2036.  But as an incentive to joining the conference every member in that conference gives the new ACC school a stimulus of some sort to help strengthen their brand.  It may or may not equal the same share that would have come in the form of media rights, but since it's not coming from the new conference as their share of the media deal maybe it's a simple work around.  At this point in time, I think these top ACC schools have to be feeling a bit uneasy.

[Samurai Bucky]

On 7/8/2022 at 1:21 PM, CheezWizHed said:

Do you see the BIG10 doing a name change at some point?  MadBad used B1G which isn't bad (kind of drops the 10, but you can still "see it").  If we hit 20, do the top program say We are in the BIG10, but MN is in the "other 10"? ?

If you combined the BIG and ACC, with a little slight of keyboard, you could get the BIG-ACC (replace the C with an S) conference.

[paul253]

I keep seeing reports that the Big 10 is going to wait for a few years then try to get Notre Dame. I don’t quite understand that. There are a limited number of schools that can bring value to your conference. Letting the SEC have the pick of the litter seems like a mistake to me. I think the Big Ten could have gotten Virginia, UNC and Duke if they pushed but it seems like UNC to the SEC is the rumor. I certainly think they could get Oregon and Washington as well as Cal and Stanford but who knows what will happen if the PAC 12 signs a new media deal and/or combines with the Big 12.  Plus it seems like moving toward the two super conference model will push Notre Dame towards a conference. 
 

It’s not the best comparison, but it kind of seems like the Big 10 is a country who bombed another country, but instead of going all in and continuing the offensive they are sitting back and let the enemy respond. 

[owbc]

Notre Dame isn't going to want to split the pie in any more pieces than necessary. 

If they get Notre Dame, I think they add Miami as well, but that might be it for expansion. 

The rest of the Pac-12 can sit in a third conference with the remnants of the Big 12 and the Big Ten can pick them up when/if they feel like it. 

 

 

 

[paul253]

Latest rumor has Oregon approaching the Big 10 about membership. At least one insider seems to think it’s only a matter of time before they join, along with Washington, Cal and Stanford. That would out Big Ten membership at 20. Interesting side note is that the new tv deal has an escalator provision, meaning if new schools join the price of the deal goes up. The new schools wouldn’t siphon money for the current members.