Big ten conference realignment8/15/2023 ![]() ![]() But for fans of playoff expansion, this is amazing news. Does this mean we just play the Big Ten Championship Game at the Rose Bowl? While many reports state that SoFi Stadium is the favorite for the game, the option is on the table. We can’t have a Rose Bowl without the Pac-12 as it stands. The Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff So, with every team gone, the Pac-12 becomes a thing of the past, which has more ramifications than conference realignment alone. I don’t think the Pac-12 will be able to poach teams just because everyone will view them as unstable, making it less likely we see teams from the Mountain West make the so-called “jump.” As much as brands like Colorado State and San Diego State could use the larger media markets, teams may be more hesitant than aggressive. I believe we’ll see Oregon and Washington try to keep their little brothers by their hip in their move, but the Big Ten may want to take it one move at a time. So where does this leave Washington State, Oregon State, and California? My guess is that the Big Ten would swallow all of them up, just maybe not at the same time. We’ll get more into this later when we talk about the Big 12. Expect schools like Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State to escape to the Big 12. What happens if the Pac-12 loses those three schools? More will be scrambling to get out. ![]() ![]() They’re all in the Association of American Universities (AAU), which is just a fancy term used to describe research universities with the desired athletic programs. All programs fit the mold the Big Ten wants to keep exactly. Washington, Oregon, and Stanford will get the nod from the Big Ten to be the next move. Once things finalize with another program that will end up joining another conference we will talk about later, chaos will ensue. Losing the two biggest brands hurts, but not as much as what will occur soon. Maybe the easiest conference to predict - collapse. What would happen to a program like Wake Forest which may not be super appealing to either side? Which conference would snatch up North Carolina and Duke? While that stuff can’t be predicted until we get closer to the end of that media rights contract, I have a few more things that can be predicted. This would then leave half of the conference’s schools in a purgatory where they don’t know if it is worth paying the buyout and leaving the ACC if either of the eventual super conferences would want their presence. Clemson would make the move as well just because of how dominant of a football brand it has become over the last decade.īut is it viable to bring in just three more teams? We may see the SEC add one more team from the ACC that would bring in a rivalry like Louisville for Kentucky or Georgia Tech for Georgia. Imagine a Florida-Florida State game to decide who goes to the SEC Playoffs (that is what I like to call foreshadowing). The Florida schools are a no-brainer because it creates a world where we can get them to all play each other every year and have it mean more than just bragging rights and slight recruiting advantages. The most likely candidates to make this move would include Clemson, Florida State, and Miami. The SEC would pay out more than double the ACC would if it brought in new schools. Revenue projections from March: /dJkWxVOg37- Nicole Auerbach June 30, 2022 Will the Power 5 soon become the Power 2? While we aren’t at a “Power 2” just yet when it comes to super conferences, we are there financially. Even with a large buyout, the opportunity to join the SEC for larger programs may still be worth it. You’re probably asking me about why I said this is also a bad spot. Simply put, schools will need to pay a hefty buyout if they want to leave. The ACC is currently in the midst of a media rights contract with ESPN worth $240 million annually until 2036. I know that is really contradictory, but hear me out. So, I present to you, the future of realignment. But instead of rejecting this movement, we can instead forecast the future changes so we’re not nearly as blindsided as many of us were on that historic Thursday afternoon when USC and UCLA jumped to the Big Ten. Change is a scary thing, especially when it affects the sport we all love. Whether you are a fan of this changing world or you want it to stay the same forever, we must all adapt. As you can probably tell by now if you have been anywhere near the college football world over the last few days, conferences are changing. ![]()
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