The big hot-button topic among college football fans heading into the season? Conference realignment. Old rivalries lost, travel costs increasing, programs left out – the chaos continues to spread to every corner of collegiate athletics.
The rapid reorganization of college athletic conferences driven by television wars that discount non-revenue sports left us with a geographically non-sensical mess. Fret not. I possess the solution to all of our worries. Allow me to present my master plan to preserve the regionality of college football.
Step 1 of Conference Realignment: Break Up the Big 12
With Texas and Oklahoma on the verge of leaving the conference for the SEC, the Big 12 appeared to be on the ropes. This demise, however, was prematurely reported. In my plan, we will complete the demise.
Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, and Houston join Texas in the SEC. Oklahoma backs out of the SEC and instead heads to the Big Ten. Joining Oklahoma in the Big Ten? Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, recent Big 12 addition Colorado, and another SEC defection in Missouri.
BYU, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State head west while West Virginia, UCF, and Cincinnati head east.
Step 2: A New Pacific-Based Conference
The Big Ten, realizing the addition of the West Coast schools only desired to join the conference in order to have access to the freshwater of the Great Lakes, give USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington the boot. The four schools join forces with BYU, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State to form a new conference that Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, and Cal also join.
This new conference which we’ll call something fresh like the Pacific Athletic Conference, will see the writing on the wall and decide to talk the Mountain West into forming a mega-conference with multiple divisions. They also pick up a couple of far-flung CUSA teams. I present to you the Pacific Athletic Conference.
Pacific Division
USC
UCLA
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
Arizona
Arizona State
Cal
Stanford
Mountain Division
Utah
BYU
Air Force
Colorado State
UNLV
New Mexico
Wyoming
San Diego State
Western Division
Boise State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
Utah State
New Mexico State
UTEP
Step 3: Reorganizing the SEC
As mentioned above, the SEC receives an influx of Texas teams. In addition to those fleeing the Big 12 – Rice and SMU also join the party! This might seem messy but trust me when I say that the new SEC divisions will be easy. With the Texas schools being on the southern and western fringes of the conference, I have this step of conference realignment covered. Toss in Arkansas for good measure and ouila.
Southwest Division
Texas A&M
Texas
Baylor
SMU
Rice
TCU
Texas Tech
Houston
Arkansas
Southeast Division
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Alabama
Auburn
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
Tennessee
South Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Step 4: Reorganizing The Big Ten
With the Big 12 schools plus Mizzou and Oklahoma coming over, the Big Ten will also need to be reorganized. This is once again an easy task. Meanwhile, Rutgers and Maryland have decided to head to the east after not having much success in the Big Ten.
A Division of Eight Big Teams
Iowa State
Missouri
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Nebraska
Colorado
A Division of Ten Big Teams Plus One
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Step 5: The New Look ACC
With several teams looking to find a new home in the eastern part of the United States, the ACC welcomes them with open arms. The influx of West Virginia, UCF, Cincinnati, Maryland, and Rutgers means some more realignment is at hand. UConn also elects to end their independence by joining the ACC. I’ve thought ahead.
Big Eastern Division
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
Pitt
UConn
UCF
Cincinnati
Rutgers
Syracuse
Boston College
Louisville
Atlantic Coastal Division
Clemson
Florida State
Miami
Maryland
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
Wake Forest
Virginia
Step 6: The Dissolution of Conference USA
CUSA has been hanging on by a thread in recent years – a battered ship cast about on the tidal waves of realignment. With New Mexico State and UTEP bound for the WAC, errrrr, Western Division of the Pacific Athletic Conference, the remaining teams need a home. FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, MTSU, Sam Houston State, and Western Kentucky? Welcome to the Fun Belt. Kennesaw State rises to the Sun Belt in 2024 as well.
Step 7: Final Form Fun Belt
The American Athletic Conference loses SMU and Rice to the SEC. Realizing that AAC resembles ACC a little too much, and hoping to become a mega-conference in their own right, the American Athletic Conference teams join with the Sun Belt under that banner. The result is a divine and glorious Sun Belt that will conquer the world. The divisions here will be a little trickier, unfortunately. Also, Temple becomes independent.
Fun Belt West Division
Tulsa
Texas State
North Texas
Sam Houston State
UTSA
Arkansas State
Tulane
Lousiana Tech
ULL
ULM
Southern Miss
Fun Belt South Division
Florida International
Florida Atlantic
USF
UAB
South Alabama
Troy
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Kennesaw State
Memphis
Fun Belt North Division
MTSU
Western Kentucky
Coastal Carolina
East Carolina
Charlotte
Appalachian State
James Madison
Old Dominion
Liberty
Marshall
Navy
Step 8: Protect MACtion at all costs
The MAC is perfect. The MAC is sacred. We do absolutely nothing to change the MAC over the course of conference realignment. It is a beacon of hope to all who want college football to revert back to a sport focused on regionality. MACtion is magic.
The Final Step: Six-Team Playoff
Everyone gets to dance. The SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and PAC (short for Pacific Athletic Conference) champions will all get a berth in the playoffs. So too do the champs of the Final Form Fun Belt and the MAC. A champion will be crowned to satisfy those who complain about wanting to find a definitive national champion. “But Jay, what about conferences with three divisions? How will a champion be decided?” you ask. Y’all can put together a small post-season conference tournament to determine a champion, I have faith.
So there you have it, college football fixed. You’re welcome.