REALIGNMENT Option: Merger Or Breakaway?

It’s quite evident the Big Ten and SEC (Super 2) have separated themselves from the rest of college football. They controlled all the most important elements such as the College Football Playoffs and network exposure (media rights).

Follow the money trail and it leads to domination by the SEC and Big Ten.

The ACC and the Big12 conferences are fighting an uphill battle for revenue and network access. If they continue to do the same thing, they should expect to get the same results in the future.

In 2030, however, ESPN, CBS and Fox will begin negotiations for new media right agreements with the conferences. A bold and creative initiative is needed to level the playing field of college football.

However, what IF…?

…there is a major merger of three current conferences along with a reorganization of their assets (membership)?

...Three conferences, the ACC, Big12 and the new PAC12 merge and reorganize into four divisions, each with 12 schools.

That’s right, 48 schools total. That’s fire power!

The four new divisions would report into the new conference, not under separate conferences. This would avoid the administrative wars currently being experienced in college athletics.

Each school would play an eleven-game division schedule with one cross over game. Our new conference (let’s call it ALPHA Conference for now) would ask for eight of the sixteen playoffs berths, assuming the CFP goes to predicted 16-game playoff system.

Sounds like a new association outside of the NCAA?

Perhaps, but that would be up to the super 2 and the networks since they currently control the CFP. If the NCAA/CFP declines, then form as new association with four divisions of 12 schools each. The new association would then conduct their own National Championship Playoffs.

Below is a mock-up of such a new association/conference:

West Division:

Washington State

Oregon State

California (CAL)

Stanford

San Diego State

Arizona State

Arizona

UNLV

Boise State

BYU

Utah

Utah State

Heartland Division:

Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Iowa State

Colorado

Kansas

Kansas State

TCU

SMU

Baylor

Texas State

UTSA

Houston

East Division:

Pittsburgh

West Virginia

Cincinnati

Louisville

Boston College

Syracuse

Virginia

Virginia Tech

UConn

Army

Navy

James Madison

South Division:

Miami

Clemson

Florida State

Georgia Tech

UCF

USF

North Carolina

NC State

Duke

Wake Forest

Tulane

Memphis

The Notre Dame question…

Currently, Notre Dame has a convenient scheduling agreement with the ACC for five football games per season and full membership in all other ACC sports.

Would the Irish seriously consider full membership in the ACC? Not likely because of a sweetheart financial model that makes them one of, if not the highest, grossing schools in the country. Therefore, we have left Notre Dame out of our model above. That could change if they are left out of the ability to join the Big Ten or their path to a national championship is cut off. The new association/conference could wind up with Notre Dame under those circumstances but don’t hold your breath.

BOTTOM LINE:

The SEC and B1G will continue to financially and competitively dominate college athletics until seriously challenged through realignment or a massive breakaway from the NCAA.

What are the chances of something like the above happening? Not likely unless there is massive change in way college athletics does things.

Remember… “change only occurs when the pain to stay the same exceeds the pain to change.”

For now, the University of Miami is well positioned for whatever the future holds.

GO CANES!