Conference Realignment Thread: New B1G divisions

[mersk862]

Only thing I hope this leads to (though God knows it won't) is a playoff. Make four 16 team super-conferences, have a two leg playoff between division winners to determine a champion, then a two-leg playoff between the winners of the four mega-conferences for a NC.

Though god knows the Boise States will bitch and moan about being left out (tough shit) and there's too much cash in the bowl system to make it a reality.

 

[Chris]

How about Baylor, Rice, SMU and Houston to the MWC?

Boise State
Nevada
Hawaii
Baylor
Rice
SMU
Houston
Air Force
Colorado State
San Diego State
Wyoming
New Mexico
UNLV

In fact, add Iowa State, Kansas State and San Jose to make it 16.

 

[jamesda3]

Pretty much.

The only other wildcard here is Villanova decides to jump to D1A in football at this point - would make sense to do it now since they could likely slide right into a major football conference. Would suck to have to play home games at the Linc (be similar to Miami) but they could be a decent add to the ACC if need be.

I would rather have them than a USF or UCF.

 

[PhDeac]

I want him to be proactive, but he is probably twiddling his thumbs and don't know what to do because he does not know what is going to happen.

Does he know if anyone is going to leave the ACC?
If he invites Big East teams are the Big 10/11/12 and the SEC going to invite the same ones and embarrass the ACC when they choose the other conferences?

Is the Big 10 and the SEC going to attack the scraps of the Big 12? Does one of the snatch TCU?

A lot of questions no one knows the answer to.

He's got to worry if the SEC and Big Ten are going to snatch up ACC schools.

So we have the Pac-16.

The SEC will have their 16. They need 3 more. Seems like the best candidates are Mizzou, FSU, and VT, maybe Clemson.

The Big Ten needs to add four to get their 16. They've got plenty of options.

It looks like we'll be left with some combination of the remaining ACC/Big East football programs.

 

[jamesda3]

I am hoping for TCU, Mizzou, and Miami to the SEC.

ND, Pitt, Iowa St., and WVU to the Big 10

we get UCONN, SU, Rutgers, and 2 more not named USF, UCF, or Louisville.

 

[PhDeac]

Is anyone else sad about the mega-conference era? I am.

The WAC already showed that mega-conferences are doomed to fail. I can only see it being worse with that much more money at stake.

 

[mersk862]

He's got to worry if the SEC and Big Ten are going to snatch up ACC schools.

So we have the Pac-16.

The SEC will have their 16. They need 3 more. Seems like the best candidates are Mizzou, FSU, and VT, maybe Clemson.

The Big Ten needs to add four to get their 16. They've got plenty of options.

It looks like we'll be left with some combination of the remaining ACC/Big East football programs.

Mizzou seems most likely for the SEC. After that, some combination of FSU, VT, Clemson and WVU. My guess is it'd be FSU and Clemson that jump (don't think Virginia might let VaTech go after the debacle a few years ago to get them into the league).

Only ACC team I could see the Big Televen wanting is Maryland. Still not sure if they'd jump.

That leaves the ACC needing 6 teams minimum to get to 16 (7 if the Terps jump). Best hope is pretty much to snatch Big East football teams - WVU, Rutgers, UConn, Syracuse and USF would likely be at the top of the list of teams that wouldn't be recruited by other conferences. That leaves 1-2 teams to try and get; options would be TCU, Louisville, Cincinnati and possibly Villanova if they beg and plead (and likely front them some cash to make their program 1A ready quick).

Either way, the current Big East hoops dominance is going to shift and we'll see the Big East get raided heavily.

 

[mersk862]

I am hoping for TCU, Mizzou, and Miami to the SEC.

ND, Pitt, Iowa St., and WVU to the Big 10

we get UCONN, SU, Rutgers, and 2 more not named USF, UCF, or Louisville.

No league is going to go after Miami with the shit that went down with Shapiro.

WVU won't go to the Big 10 - that league has too high of academic standards for them to meet (they have some academic institution thing). Pitt will likely go, they'll try and get ND. The question is does Maryland go (they'll be recruited) and if Iowa makes them take Iowa State.

 

[DeacMan]

The way I see it, the ACC is in a terrible bargaining position as far as its football future goes.....and it could get a lot worse very quickly. Somebody in the ACC brain trust better get to work and come up with a "Plan B".....fast.

Here's your plan B.

Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech are now all at risk of headed to the SEC. And if you're the SEC why not also make a play on VT.

When the dust settles there will be just three conferences worth anything in college football.

 

[wsc8521s]

Does adding FSU or Clemson really do that much for the SEC? It doesn't give them any new media markets, which is what this is all driven by. That's especially true for the SEC, which wants to go back to ESPN and CBS and renegotiate their old deal now that the Pac-12 is getting more.

Also don't see why Florida or South Carolina would be excited about bringing their biggest rivals into the fold.

 

[mersk862]

Here's your plan B.

Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech are now all at risk of headed to the SEC. And if you're the SEC why not also make a play on VT.

When the dust settles there will be just three conferences worth anything in college football.

SEC will only take three more teams. I'd say FSU, Clemson, VT, WVU and Mizzou (not necessarily in that order) are well ahead of GaTech. Hell, I'd say they'd rather try to grab Kansas before they go for GaTech...

GaTech adds nothing major to the SEC - not a huge school in a market that's already dominated by the SEC. Granted, FSU/Clemson don't add any markets, but VT at least gets access to the DC market and Mizzou brings in St Louis and Kansas City.

 

[DeacMan]

You know what state schools feel completely screwed in all of this? Kansas, K-State and Iowa State. No one wants them.

 

[mersk862]

Does adding FSU or Clemson really do that much for the SEC? It doesn't give them any new media markets, which is what this is all driven by. That's especially true for the SEC, which wants to go back to ESPN and CBS and renegotiate their old deal now that the Pac-12 is getting more.

Also don't see why Florida or South Carolina would be excited about bringing their biggest rivals into the fold.

More I think about it, that's why I'm not sold on FSU or Clemson going. Mizzou adds two major markets, VT at least gets you DC as well.

WVU would at least bring in the Pittsburgh market - not huge, but more viewers than Clemson/FSU would bring in since those schools bring in no additional households.

I'd say top priority for SEC (now that I think it through) will be Mizzou and VaTech, and they'll settle for FSU or Clemson to round out the 16...don't think Pittsburgh would be enough of a market draw for the SEC to go after WVU.

 

[DeacMan]

SEC will only take three more teams. I'd say FSU, Clemson, VT, WVU and Mizzou (not necessarily in that order) are well ahead of GaTech. Hell, I'd say they'd rather try to grab Kansas before they go for GaTech...

GaTech adds nothing major to the SEC - not a huge school in a market that's already dominated by the SEC. Granted, FSU/Clemson don't add any markets, but VT at least gets access to the DC market and Mizzou brings in St Louis and Kansas City.

I think Mizzou will be going to the Big Ten. They almost joined it when Nebraska did.

Ga. Tech is a natural for the SEC, so is Clemson, so is FSU. ALL of those schools are in areas where the SEC dominates. That is nothing new.

Hell, maybe we should just merge the entire ACC into the SEC. Create a 24 team mega league.

 

[wsc8521s]

I just don't think conferences are going to expand to 16 for the hell of it. If a team adds something, then yes, they'll expand, but if it doesn't and some of the current members will be opposed to it then I don't think it will happen. Two more teams means splitting the pie two more ways, after all.

Bottom line: I think the ACC will be affected very little in all of this.

 

[mersk862]

You know what state schools feel completely screwed in all of this? Kansas, K-State and Iowa State. No one wants them.

Them and Baylor (albeit a private) are screwed. They have Mountain West written all over them now.

Will be interesting to see how that impacts Kansas hoops - at least in the Big XII they had a decent conference schedule to boost their ranking when it comes to seeding, having to play decent teams such as Mizzou and Texas. The teams in Mountain West absolutely suck at hoops.

 

[mersk862]

I think Mizzou will be going to the Big Ten. They almost joined it when Nebraska did.

Ga. Tech is a natural for the SEC, so is Clemson, so is FSU. ALL of those schools are in areas where the SEC dominates. That is nothing new.

Hell, maybe we should just merge the entire ACC into the SEC. Create a 24 team mega league.

I see both the SEC and Big Televen trying to court Mizzou. Last round of expansion, the Big Televen was talking going to 14 if they could have gotten ND to join (which would have likely led to a Mizzou invite), while the SEC was content to stand pat at 12. Now that the SEC needs a minimum of one more team, they'll be likely kicking the tires on the Tigers when they weren't interested before.

 

[DeacMan]

I could see the Big Ten taking Kansas and Mizzou. That I could see. That is where the Big Ten will head first. The team they really want most though is ND. If the Big Ten wanted 4, they'd go for those three and then just pick another that likely doesn't add anything new - like Iowa State.

 

[mersk862]

I could see the Big Ten taking Kansas and Mizzou. That I could see. That is where the Big Ten will head first. The team they really want most though is ND. If the Big Ten wanted 4, they'd go for those three and then just pick another that likely doesn't add anything new - like Iowa State.

Think Pitt could be a possibility there too - fit in geographically, strong academics, etc. Don't add much for a media market though since Pittsburgh is covered already by Penn State. Though Kansas (assuming Mizzou gets added) only brings Wichita (woopie!) and Iowa State brings nothing new too...

Agreed that the Big Ten's first call is to South Bend though...

 

[DeacMan]

Them and Baylor (albeit a private) are screwed. They have Mountain West written all over them now.

Will be interesting to see how that impacts Kansas hoops - at least in the Big XII they had a decent conference schedule to boost their ranking when it comes to seeding, having to play decent teams such as Mizzou and Texas. The teams in Mountain West absolutely suck at hoops.

You know who could be really screwed in all of this. Us and Dook - us especially.

What if the SEC goes for UNC, VT, FSU and Clemson. The possibilities are literally endless for the "end game"