Jasen777
Donor
A quick and somewhat light-hearted look at the realignment that could have been last year. Although I think most or all of the moves make sense for the parties involved, it is a bit of a realignment wank and in real life no doubt the politicians and lawyers will get more involved.
The setting
It's June of 2010. Realignment fever grips college football.
Brash PAC -10 commissioner Larry Scott is an outsider unconcerned with turning tradition on its head. He spurs the PAC-10 into expansion mode. Rumors fly, including a strong one that would see the creation of college football's first 16-team super conference by having 6 Big 12 schools join (Colorado, Texas, Texas A+M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma St.).
Panic ensues amongst the remaining Big 12 members, who search for possible landing places if the Big 12 explodes. Baylor courts its politician supporters in an attempt to force its way into the purposed Pac-10 expansion, hoping to make taking them a condition of getting Texas and Texas A+M (likely at the expense of Colorado).
Meanwhile in the Midwest...
The Big 10 has long been waiting for Notre Dame to see the light and join the conference. But the desire to get to 12 teams even if it's not with Notre Dame appears to be mounting. Perhaps with Nebraska or Missouri if the Big 12 crumbles (or maybe even Texas before it does) .... Some, including Legendary Leader Joe Paterno, instead want to raid the Big East to expand to the large Northeast markets and possibly go to 14 or even 16 teams. The success of the Big 10 network and the resultant $ make them very attractive for others to join.
Notre Dame declares their desire to remain independent in football, but there are leaks from the program that admit if the Big 10 (and PAC 10) expand, leading to their teams playing an extra conference game, they could have their schedule at risk and basically be forced into a conference. Especially if the Big East is damaged, leaving no good spot for their other sports.
In the Northeast...
The Big East, which has gotten used to this sort of thing, looks at contingency plans to replace members if they get raided again. Schools looked at included Conference USA schools and possibly the scraps of the Big 12 if it disintegrates. There's also dreams of Notre Dame becoming a full member.
In the South...
Haughty SEC Commissioner Mike Slive declares the SEC is perfect how it is, but that if there's a fundamental change to conference alignments, he could get to 16 teams in 10 minutes....
….......................................................................................
Raising action
Embattled Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe works hard to keep the conference intact (and incidentally save his job). Some of this is trying to find ways to throw more money at Austin, further alienating other conference schools. Beebe's calls for loyalty pledges for member schools are meet with equivocation, with only those who desperately need the conference (Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St.) making unreserved commitments. Baylor instead pledges everlasting loyalty to Texas if they're just take them with wherever the go.
Finally, Beebe finds that the center will not hold as both Nebraska and Colorado bolt the conference in what they see as preemptive moves of self-preservation. Nebraska joins the Big 10 (they wanted to grab that spot before the Big 10 gave it to someone else, as the Big 10 was their preferred option in case of an Big 12 apocalypse). The Big 10, now with 12 teams gains a school with a national brand and gets to hold a conference championship game.
Colorado finds their preferred backup option in the PAC 10. This is seen by many as a preemptive attack on the ghost of Ann Richards, as the PAC 10 appears unwilling to get stuck with Baylor. Invites for the rest of the Big 12 South are renewed however.
Texas A+M throw everyone a monkey wrench by declaring if the Big 12 is to dissolve they'd just assume join the SEC instead of a SuperPac.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
P.O.D. Alert
Texas' preferred option is to maintain the Big 12 as their playground and launch their own network. But they keep getting mixed messages about the potential worth of such a network. One ESPN exec tells them that he just doesn't see the point in a network that would merely carry one game live (and that likely against a lightweight like North Texas). Volleyball and coaches' shows simply aren't likely to cut it.
So Texas drops its plans for a network and decides to form football's first super conference with the soon to be PAC 16. Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma St join also. Texas A+M says they're exploring options.
The option they want comes calling as the SEC gives them an invitation, which they accept. A+M was considered a prime candidate for the SEC because it gives the conference a toe hold in populous and recruit rich Texas. The SEC also grabs Missouri, for it's share of the decent sized St. Louis and Kansas City markets, and also to thwart potential Big 10 plans, just because they can. Slive announces that the SEC plans to invite 2 more teams and form their own super conference, like the PAC 16, except with defense.
Missing out on A+M, Larry Scott goes to plan B and invites Utah to complete the PAC 16. Utah obviously accepts to get a seat at the big boys table. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth in Waco.
The Big 10 feels and cannot afford to stay at 12 teams when there are 16 school conferences forming and so activates Plan Paterno. They raid the Big East for Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Rutgers, who join for the money and due to the desire not to be left out of this brave new super conference world. The Big 10 dreams of getting its network on NYC basic cable. Notre Dame is given a now or never offer from the Big 10 (soon to be Big 16?). With the Big East wounded and its Big 10 rivals and PAC 10 rivals in new super conferences perhaps losing the ability or desire to schedule them, Notre Dame reluctantly agrees. (Analysts show that this move will likely net Notre Dame more money, but the football independence dies hard).
SEC targets for expansion are based on adding new territory to the Empire. To fill out their conference they invite schools from the only 2 states of the Confederacy that they are missing, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Some basketball fans morn the passing of the Duke – N.C. Conference basketball rivalry.
All of this moving leaves the Big East dead as a football conference (adding TCU, Memphis, UCF, and/or East Carolina just won't cut it in the new conference order). The ACC, now at 10 teams, knows it must get to 16 to pretend to be equal to the other super conferences. So it absorbs the 5 remaining Big East football schools (West Virginia, Connecticut, South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati). They need a 16th school, so they grab the biggest brand name left: Kansas (see basketball does matter)! Amusing since the ACC is the super conference that makes the less geographical sense for Kansas, but at least they get to be in the show.
TCU and the Conference USA schools are disappointed. Kansas St is irate at their abandonment at the hands of Kansas. But that late in the game, there wasn't anything they or the Kansas state legislature could do. Iowa St. and Baylor are likewise upset. Those 3 schools find their only option is to join the Mountain West. The Mountain West, a conference once on the verge of BCS status, is now hopelessly second class.
And Beyond
The four Super Conferences (PAC 16, Big 16, SEC, and ACC) decide they don't need the NCAA anymore and form their own football organization, permanently rendering the other 1-A schools (or FBS schools if you insist) also-rans. To help win over public opinion, the new league forms a four team playoff to determine a national champion, featuring the 4 conference winners. Since each conference has its own championship game, this is essentially an 8-team playoff. With the emphasis on winning the conference, the damage from a non-conference loss is almost eliminated and thus we may see a lot more quality non-conference match-ups.
PAC 16
Western Division -
California
Oregon
Oregon St.
Standford
USC
UCLA
Washington
Washington St.
Southern Division -
Arizona
Arizona St.
Colorado
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Texas
Texas Tech
Utah
Big 16
I refuse to guess Big 10ish division placement and especially names
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan St.
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Ohio St.
Penn St.
Pittsburgh
Purdue
Rutgers
Syracuse
Wisconsin
SEC
West -
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi St.
Missouri
Texas A+M
East -
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech
ACC
South -
Clemson
Duke
Florida St.
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina St.
South Florida
Wake Forest
North -
Boston College
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Kansas
Louisville
Maryland
West Virginia
Virginia
The setting
It's June of 2010. Realignment fever grips college football.
Brash PAC -10 commissioner Larry Scott is an outsider unconcerned with turning tradition on its head. He spurs the PAC-10 into expansion mode. Rumors fly, including a strong one that would see the creation of college football's first 16-team super conference by having 6 Big 12 schools join (Colorado, Texas, Texas A+M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma St.).
Panic ensues amongst the remaining Big 12 members, who search for possible landing places if the Big 12 explodes. Baylor courts its politician supporters in an attempt to force its way into the purposed Pac-10 expansion, hoping to make taking them a condition of getting Texas and Texas A+M (likely at the expense of Colorado).
Meanwhile in the Midwest...
The Big 10 has long been waiting for Notre Dame to see the light and join the conference. But the desire to get to 12 teams even if it's not with Notre Dame appears to be mounting. Perhaps with Nebraska or Missouri if the Big 12 crumbles (or maybe even Texas before it does) .... Some, including Legendary Leader Joe Paterno, instead want to raid the Big East to expand to the large Northeast markets and possibly go to 14 or even 16 teams. The success of the Big 10 network and the resultant $ make them very attractive for others to join.
Notre Dame declares their desire to remain independent in football, but there are leaks from the program that admit if the Big 10 (and PAC 10) expand, leading to their teams playing an extra conference game, they could have their schedule at risk and basically be forced into a conference. Especially if the Big East is damaged, leaving no good spot for their other sports.
In the Northeast...
The Big East, which has gotten used to this sort of thing, looks at contingency plans to replace members if they get raided again. Schools looked at included Conference USA schools and possibly the scraps of the Big 12 if it disintegrates. There's also dreams of Notre Dame becoming a full member.
In the South...
Haughty SEC Commissioner Mike Slive declares the SEC is perfect how it is, but that if there's a fundamental change to conference alignments, he could get to 16 teams in 10 minutes....
….......................................................................................
Raising action
Embattled Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe works hard to keep the conference intact (and incidentally save his job). Some of this is trying to find ways to throw more money at Austin, further alienating other conference schools. Beebe's calls for loyalty pledges for member schools are meet with equivocation, with only those who desperately need the conference (Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St.) making unreserved commitments. Baylor instead pledges everlasting loyalty to Texas if they're just take them with wherever the go.
Finally, Beebe finds that the center will not hold as both Nebraska and Colorado bolt the conference in what they see as preemptive moves of self-preservation. Nebraska joins the Big 10 (they wanted to grab that spot before the Big 10 gave it to someone else, as the Big 10 was their preferred option in case of an Big 12 apocalypse). The Big 10, now with 12 teams gains a school with a national brand and gets to hold a conference championship game.
Colorado finds their preferred backup option in the PAC 10. This is seen by many as a preemptive attack on the ghost of Ann Richards, as the PAC 10 appears unwilling to get stuck with Baylor. Invites for the rest of the Big 12 South are renewed however.
Texas A+M throw everyone a monkey wrench by declaring if the Big 12 is to dissolve they'd just assume join the SEC instead of a SuperPac.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
P.O.D. Alert
Texas' preferred option is to maintain the Big 12 as their playground and launch their own network. But they keep getting mixed messages about the potential worth of such a network. One ESPN exec tells them that he just doesn't see the point in a network that would merely carry one game live (and that likely against a lightweight like North Texas). Volleyball and coaches' shows simply aren't likely to cut it.
So Texas drops its plans for a network and decides to form football's first super conference with the soon to be PAC 16. Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma St join also. Texas A+M says they're exploring options.
The option they want comes calling as the SEC gives them an invitation, which they accept. A+M was considered a prime candidate for the SEC because it gives the conference a toe hold in populous and recruit rich Texas. The SEC also grabs Missouri, for it's share of the decent sized St. Louis and Kansas City markets, and also to thwart potential Big 10 plans, just because they can. Slive announces that the SEC plans to invite 2 more teams and form their own super conference, like the PAC 16, except with defense.
Missing out on A+M, Larry Scott goes to plan B and invites Utah to complete the PAC 16. Utah obviously accepts to get a seat at the big boys table. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth in Waco.
The Big 10 feels and cannot afford to stay at 12 teams when there are 16 school conferences forming and so activates Plan Paterno. They raid the Big East for Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Rutgers, who join for the money and due to the desire not to be left out of this brave new super conference world. The Big 10 dreams of getting its network on NYC basic cable. Notre Dame is given a now or never offer from the Big 10 (soon to be Big 16?). With the Big East wounded and its Big 10 rivals and PAC 10 rivals in new super conferences perhaps losing the ability or desire to schedule them, Notre Dame reluctantly agrees. (Analysts show that this move will likely net Notre Dame more money, but the football independence dies hard).
SEC targets for expansion are based on adding new territory to the Empire. To fill out their conference they invite schools from the only 2 states of the Confederacy that they are missing, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Some basketball fans morn the passing of the Duke – N.C. Conference basketball rivalry.
All of this moving leaves the Big East dead as a football conference (adding TCU, Memphis, UCF, and/or East Carolina just won't cut it in the new conference order). The ACC, now at 10 teams, knows it must get to 16 to pretend to be equal to the other super conferences. So it absorbs the 5 remaining Big East football schools (West Virginia, Connecticut, South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati). They need a 16th school, so they grab the biggest brand name left: Kansas (see basketball does matter)! Amusing since the ACC is the super conference that makes the less geographical sense for Kansas, but at least they get to be in the show.
TCU and the Conference USA schools are disappointed. Kansas St is irate at their abandonment at the hands of Kansas. But that late in the game, there wasn't anything they or the Kansas state legislature could do. Iowa St. and Baylor are likewise upset. Those 3 schools find their only option is to join the Mountain West. The Mountain West, a conference once on the verge of BCS status, is now hopelessly second class.
And Beyond
The four Super Conferences (PAC 16, Big 16, SEC, and ACC) decide they don't need the NCAA anymore and form their own football organization, permanently rendering the other 1-A schools (or FBS schools if you insist) also-rans. To help win over public opinion, the new league forms a four team playoff to determine a national champion, featuring the 4 conference winners. Since each conference has its own championship game, this is essentially an 8-team playoff. With the emphasis on winning the conference, the damage from a non-conference loss is almost eliminated and thus we may see a lot more quality non-conference match-ups.
PAC 16
Western Division -
California
Oregon
Oregon St.
Standford
USC
UCLA
Washington
Washington St.
Southern Division -
Arizona
Arizona St.
Colorado
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Texas
Texas Tech
Utah
Big 16
I refuse to guess Big 10ish division placement and especially names
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan St.
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Ohio St.
Penn St.
Pittsburgh
Purdue
Rutgers
Syracuse
Wisconsin
SEC
West -
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi St.
Missouri
Texas A+M
East -
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech
ACC
South -
Clemson
Duke
Florida St.
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina St.
South Florida
Wake Forest
North -
Boston College
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Kansas
Louisville
Maryland
West Virginia
Virginia