Conference Realignment

[xzmattzx]

It seems there should be thread to discuss conference realignment in college athletics.  While this can take place due to any sport, college football seems to be the primary focus in schools switching conferences.

[xzmattzx]

Reports indicate that Texas and Oklahoma may try to join the SEC, with some type of announcement coming as early as tomorrow.

 

Ripple effects include talks of a merger of the Pac-12 and Big 12.  Does West Virginia join a conference with teams in California and Washington?

 

Does West Virginia go to the ACC?

 

Will we ever see a megaconference with 30 teams?

[JetroLot]

I don't plug my site here ever, but if you can take some jokes, I actually just wrote about this. Read it, don't read it. Up to you. 

https://jetrolot.com/conference-talk/

 

[xzmattzx]

Texas and Oklahoma will accept invitations to the SEC.

[toolg]

Texas and OK will join SEC in 2025. What's the repercussions?

This makes SEC theoretically tougher than the other conferences, with about half of the top-20 revenue teams in one conference. Let's say Georgia survives and wins SEC championship at 9-3 record. Clemson, Ohio State, USC are 12-0, and there's a slew of 11-1 teams. Is the playoff committee going to respect Georgia's tougher schedule and pick a 9-3 Bulldogs team over a bunch of 11-1 teams?

What if SEC decides they will play their own championship instead of bowl games? Why play a lesser team when the good ones are already in your own conference? Then you might have a de facto super conference playoff.

Playoff committee could also expand playoffs to include 12 teams, I know that is under discussion too.

[Godfather]

What hasn't been answered yet is what's going to happen with the Big 12 lol

[xzmattzx]

The Big 12 will be adding BYU, Houston, Cininnati, and Central Florida.

[Godfather]

On 9/12/2021 at 11:14 PM, xzmattzx said:

The Big 12 will be adding BYU, Houston, Cininnati, and Central Florida.

BYU and Cincy are good adds

[xzmattzx]

13 hours ago, Godfather said:

BYU and Cincy are good adds

Cincinnati was an obvious one to add, simply to give West Virginia a local rival.  They have a pretty prestigious brand for a Group of 5 school, too.

 

BYU is also prestigious, so it's an obvious fit.

 

Houston is a good fit based on those Plains states and the old SWC.

 

I wonder if it would be worthwhile for the Big 12 to try and poach teams from the SEC.  Why not aim for teams in the SEC West, like Mississippi and Mississippi State?  Do those schools want to field good football teams and go 8-4 because they lose to LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, and an East school like Alabama, Florida, or Georgia every year?  Could they go 11-1 in the Big 12 with the same players and get a spot in the College Football Playoffs?  Would there be a way to make more money in the Big 12 than the SEC?

[BigEd76]

Since the last few updates weren't added yet:

-- American is taking Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA from C-USA, starting in 2023
EAST: Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, Temple
WEST: North Texas, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA

-- Sun Belt is taking Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi from C-USA, also starting in 2023. They're also adding FCS James Madison the same year. Troy would move from the East to the West when the league expands to 14, with Southern Miss also in the West and the other three going in the East.

[xzmattzx]

Word is a couple other FCS schools might make the jump up.  Conference USA is looking for teams.  But which schools would those be?

[BigEd76]

-- MAC is close to getting Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky from C-USA

-- With the mass exodus, C-USA is working to add Liberty and New Mexico State from FBS Independents and Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State from FCS

[xzmattzx]

This seems to be the time that FCS schools are moving up more en masse.  James Madison, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Jacksonville State are four so far.  Who else would move up?  McNeese State is staying, but is open about moving up to FBS in the next 5 years.

[Godfather]

On 10/4/2021 at 9:54 PM, xzmattzx said:

Cincinnati was an obvious one to add, simply to give West Virginia a local rival.  They have a pretty prestigious brand for a Group of 5 school, too.

 

BYU is also prestigious, so it's an obvious fit.

 

Houston is a good fit based on those Plains states and the old SWC.

 

I wonder if it would be worthwhile for the Big 12 to try and poach teams from the SEC.  Why not aim for teams in the SEC West, like Mississippi and Mississippi State?  Do those schools want to field good football teams and go 8-4 because they lose to LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, and an East school like Alabama, Florida, or Georgia every year?  Could they go 11-1 in the Big 12 with the same players and get a spot in the College Football Playoffs?  Would there be a way to make more money in the Big 12 than the SEC?

Houston is starting to look like a good add as well

[Dave Moss]

 

????

[xzmattzx]

Rumors are that Clemson, Miami, and UNC are looking at the SEC now.  Washington and Oregon want to join the Big Ten.  The Pac-12 schools are apparently talking with the Big 12, which would create quite a basketball conference.

[Godfather]

My SC squad heading to the big ten. Should be fun

[xzmattzx]

I wonder if this would be a good time for ACC schools to jump ship and the conference is dissolved. Most of the ACC schools fit into what are emerging as the two superconferences.

 

To the Big Ten, and expand the footprint in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, and bring in several big TV markets:

Boston College

Syracuse

Pitt

 

To the Big Ten, and expand the conference south, and bring in prestigious schools:

Virginia

Duke

UNC

 

To the Big Ten, and fit the current footprint:

Louisville

Notre Dame

 

To the SEC, and fit the current footprint

Miami

Florida State

Clemson

Georgia Tech

 

To the SEC, and expand the footprint towards the Mid-Atlantic:

Virginia Tech

NC State

Wake Forest

[Godfather]

Oregon in talks with the Big 10 to join the conference 

[xzmattzx]

Inside rumors indicate that the SEC has been interested and is still interested in adding Virginia and North Carolina at some point.  This would give them all the flagship schools for every state across the south (except for West Virginia).  It would also give them two prestigious academic schools.

 

I wonder if they were able to bring in UVa and UNC, if they would take Duke and Virginia Tech and preserve state rivalries.

 

Or, I think the Big Ten should jump on Virginia, Virginia Tech, UNC, and Duke before the SEC gets any of them.  You get good academic schools, which they always want, and you also expand your footprint into a new area, but still connected (unlike Los Angeles).

[xzmattzx]

Gonzaga to the Big 12?  (Not football related)

 

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/34934063/sources-gonzaga-talks-big-12-joining-conference

[Arthur Jackson]

Molly McGrath

[xzmattzx]

San Diego State to the Pac-12?

 

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/story/2023-06-19/san-diego-state-sdsu-aztecs-conference-realignment-mountain-west-pac-12-june-30-deadline-letters-exit-fee

[Alpha_TATEr]

at this rate the big 10 will stand for 10 divisions. 

[xzmattzx]

Colorado to the Big 12

 

The dominoes appear to be ready to fall now.  There's so many rumors out there:

~ Connecticut to the Big 12

~ Arizona to the Big 12

~ Possibly Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12 with Arizona

~ Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten

~ Possible Cal and Stanford to the Big Ten after Oregon and Washington

~ Florida State and Clemson to the Big Ten

~ Florida State and Clemson to the SEC

 

Will the Pac-12 exist in 10 years?  (Will Bill Walton die of cardiac arrest if the Conference of Champions dissolves?)  Will the ACC get blown up with teams going to the Big Ten and SEC?