USC UCLA to the Big 10

[Radio Wave]

FYI

[Johnny Mac]

OK, it's time to shake things up and just put college football where it needs to go... this is my solution:

Make the current "P5" division 1A with four super conferences. I don't give a fudge how they split it up, just do it.
Make the current "G5" division 1AA with four super conferences.
Hold playoffs for each division.. holding the 1AA playoffs at the same time as FCS.
Right before the CFP finals hold "relegation bowls" with the final four of 1AA versus the last place teams from each of the Division 1A conferences. winners of the relegation bowls move to or stay in 1A.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

[PeteRasche]

I suspect a few other PAC teams will press for Big 10, the only possibilities being Oregon and UW. Then the Big 12 will see the window to call places like Arizona, maybe ASU, maybe Colorado or Utah (natural rival for BYU) or even Stanford, and say "hey, your conference just got a lot weaker, wanna come over?" (not mentioning that their own status is pretty shaky once OU and UT leave). Or maybe they just start talking about merging into a single super conference with 3 or 4 divisions.

Regardless, I suspect this is more harmful than advantageous to Memphis and SMU.

[waverider]

Nicole Auerbach said (on Twitter) that she spoke to someone who believes this is going to lead to the Big 10 and SEC becoming two 20 (or more) team super conferences in the near future.

[long green]

It’ll be be more than 20 apiece, imo. The Big 12, and much of the PAC 12, and much of the ACC will be left out. Good.

[tulaneoutlaw]

Yeah this is going to accelerate the long arc of separation of FBS. At this point there may be a sizable group of current P5s left behind which is good for all of us stuck at a non-P5 level. Our time at the top level of the sport is officially over, though, which sucks.

Some merger of the Big 12 and remaining Pac schools will be imminent. Too bad we aren't in that group.

[PeteRasche]

The only thing that would make the SEC and Big 10 that big is if they can't find a legal way to cut the chaff. They could be more like 14 to 16 if they could ditch Vandy, Northwestern, Rutgers, etc.

i have to imagine Big 12 is going to play the aggressor with this new vulnerability of the PAC. They'll clearly see this as a chance to firmly grasp the #3 P5 spot. It will be interesting to see what hapoens (fortunately or unfortunately i bet it doesn't touch the AAC whatsoever).

Our time at the top level of the sport is officially over, though, which sucks.

It has been for a while, we just refused to admit it.

[tulaneoutlaw]

The only thing that would make the SEC and Big 10 that big is if they can't find a legal way to cut the chaff. They could be more like 14 to 16 if they could ditch Vandy, Northwestern, Rutgers, etc.

i have to imagine Big 12 is going to play the aggressor with this new vulnerability of the PAC. They'll clearly see this as a chance to firmly grasp the #3 P5 spot. It will be interesting to see what hapoens (fortunately or unfortunately i bet it doesn't touch the AAC whatsoever).

Our time at the top level of the sport is officially over, though, which sucks.

It has been for a while, we just refused to admit it.

So has the entirety of the G5. This move just means we won't have the opportunity to even pretend by playing these schools on the field. We've not been competitive in 2 decades + but this is an official separation of the groups. I don't see a world in which the new super league, totally fueled by TV dollars, has room for the equivalent of FCS games for their brands.

[washwave]

If you want to bring this closer to home, if this had happened last year there's no way that the Big 12 would have taken UCF, Houston and Cincy sine they would have tried to poach the other Pac 12 teams instead. If this does really happen, there's probably more chaos in store.

[PeteRasche]

It has been for a while, we just refused to admit it.

So has the entirety of the G5.

Sorry, yes, I meant the royal we.

But the ugly truth is, the 3 P5 conferences LG mentioned are heading that way too. Seriously, after the SEC and Big 10 pick off like 3 to 5 more choice teams, those three are not exactly going to be wowing TV viewers with big names to tune in to see.

[PeteRasche]

If you want to bring this closer to home, if this had happened last year there's no way that the Big 12 would have taken UCF, Houston and Cincy sine they would have tried to poach the other Pac 12 teams instead. If this does really happen, there's probably more chaos in store.

Exactly, which is why I said Memphis and SMU have to be a little upset today.

Let us all shed a tear for our brethren.

[long green]

Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and Virginia are the next dominoes. I base this on nothing but suspicion.

[PeteRasche]

Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and Virginia are the next dominoes. I base this on nothing but suspicion.

Clemson? FSU? Miami? Syracuse?

[tulaneoutlaw]

Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and Virginia are the next dominoes. I base this on nothing but suspicion.

You have to know Clemson, Miami, and FSU are nervous about their standing. To your suspicion, it seems very unlikely the ACC survives this in its current form.

[MNAlum]

OK, it's time to shake things up and just put college football where it needs to go... this is my solution:

Make the current "P5" division 1A with four super conferences. I don't give a fudge how they split it up, just do it.
Make the current "G5" division 1AA with four super conferences.
Hold playoffs for each division.. holding the 1AA playoffs at the same time as FCS.
Right before the CFP finals hold "relegation bowls" with the final four of 1AA versus the last place teams from each of the Division 1A conferences. winners of the relegation bowls move to or stay in 1A.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

I agree JMac. While I hate that we cannot do better, this approach gives us the chance we do not have now.

[tulaneoutlaw]

Any plan with relegation is DOA. That's a remnant of another time, which is the only reason it still exists in soccer. Nobody is going to want to risk having the financial penalties that come with relegation of your school. It's a cool thought experiment but that's all it will ever be.

[Bham Wave]

If history repeats itself we will probably end up in some conference in a few years back with some of our old friends from the Metro, CUSA, and AAC.

Those schools always leave us only for us to join them a few years later.

This could easily happen if the cream of the crop in the Big 12 and the Pac 12 join forces to create something. The remnants of each conference would then be getting teams from AAC and Mountain West.

Another option would be the ACC falls apart and we end up with some teams from that conference.

Cincy, Houston, Louisville, TCU, Memphis, SMU, ECU, Va Tech, FSU, UCF and others might all be in our future again.

[waverider]

Now that the sec block has been lifted with the addition of Texas, I could see Clemson, Miami and/or Florida St joining the sec. North Carolina may lean towards the Big 10 because of basketball and they still add something football-wise to matter.

Another market I could see the SEC going after is Va Tech.

Big 10 was smart to grab the entire LA market by grabbing both teams instead of risking a share with the sec. They now have NY and LA and will likely have an equal, or bigger, TV deal than the sec.

We very well may end up in a combination AAC and ACC. The AAACC , or Metro II.

[tulaneoutlaw]

If we end up in a football conference with Louisville, VT, or FSU in the next 20 years, I will eat my hat. Feel free to bookmark this and remind me.

[waverider]

If we end up in a football conference with Louisville, VT, or FSU in the next 20 years, I will eat my hat. Feel free to bookmark this and remind me.

Those schools will have already left the ACC before we rejoin the leftovers.

[Baywave1]

If this comes to fruition, it almost certainly helps Tulane. Fifty or so P teams above it is better by definition than the 70 or so today even if ultimate organization of that is unclear. .

Will this finally unleash the antitrust litigation genie?

I guess CFP expands from 4 to who knows, 24?

On the popcorn front, what happens to KU? Does best D1 MBB program save or sink with worst D1A football program?

[tulaneoutlaw]

If we end up in a football conference with Louisville, VT, or FSU in the next 20 years, I will eat my hat. Feel free to bookmark this and remind me.

Those schools will have already left the ACC before we rejoin the leftovers.

Precisely. Would be very surprised to see any of those three brands left out.

The best thing the ACC could do right now is start trying to poach the cream of the B12 and Pac crop. Washington and Oregon are probably already headed to the B10. But grab the Arizona schools, Utah and Stanford, Baylor, OK St., Kansas, Kansas St., TCU, and TTU and really lean on ND and you *might* have a viable third wheel. There's no national title brand there, but at least you are signaling your in it to win it. I'm not sure the ACC has been proactive enough though. They are the only conference that hired from within the college ranks for their most recent commissioner search and I feel like he's probably letting them down in this environment.

[tulaneoutlaw]

NCAA basketball is in major flux now too. TV money fueled realignment has caused all of this movement. Why should St. Peter's get a shot anymore? There were already prominent voices at the P5 level asking that question. It won't shock me to see a "big schools only" kind of tournament eventually.

[Baywave1]

One more side note: Hope B1G west coast schools Olympic sports enjoy becoming the ultimate road warriors.

[Bham Wave]

I wonder how long till these "super conferences" start eliminating some of their bottom feeders. It hasn't happened since the Big East booted Temple but you have to think it will come soon.