Hey Big Ten or Pac-12! – Live on the Edge and Do the Unthinkable!

Anywhooo. . .The only reason I’m writing this post is because I want to get it out of my head and on to the internets so someone out there can read it and think about how ignorant of an idea this would be. – No really… that’s the only reason I’m writing this. – Honest.

So, the other day I was reading some pathetic opinion piece from a so-called “professional”.  The article was about the ever-changing world of college football conference realignment. 

As I read the article, I thought to myself…

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(Imagine a “thought bubble” magically appears with this statement:) 

The Big 12 currently, as it stands, has 10 universities.  Of those universities Oklahoma and Texas have requested to be added to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which was approved by the SEC today; however, it won’t take affect until 2025 or 2026.  So, that leaves eight remaining universities in the defunct Big 12:  Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas St., Oklahoma St. and West Virginia.

Each of these remaining conferences would need to add some teams and are most likely looking at pilfering from the eight remaining programs left in the defunct Big 12.  In all honesty, I really can’t see the ACC going after any of the remaining programs, except for maybe West Virginia because of location and the rivalry with Virginia and Pittsburgh who are currently members of the ACC.  That would be the only team that would make sense for the ACC. 

Consequently, I can see the benefits for the Pac 12 and the Big Ten conferences to add some of the remaining Big 12 programs, and here’s where I think the Big Ten or Pac-12 should do the outrageously ingenious, diabolical makeover of college conference realignment by adding enough programs from the Big12 to create a mega-conference of 20 programs.

That’s correct.  20 team, mega-conference!  

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Crazy?  –  Yep! 

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Insane? – indeed!!  

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Ingenious?  –  Uh…maybe?  

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Personally, I think the Pac-12 would benefit the most and here are my arguments for the Pac-12 to add all eight remaining schools from the Big 12:

• Pac-20 Conference with two, ten-team divisions (East and West).
  • East division:  USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington St., Oregon, Oregon St., California, Stanford, Colorado, Utah
  • West division:  Kansas, Kansas St., Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia, Iowa St., Oklahoma St., Arizona, Arizona St
• They would have television markets covering every time zone in the USA: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific. 
• They add eight programs with different pedigrees in both men’s and women’s athletics.
• Recruiting mecca with 20 programs spread over 11 states from coast to coast (West Virginia in the east, thru Texas and the Pacific West Coast) 
• Revenue increases for all programs across the board. 
• Travel expenses for football and other sports are not as costly due to a 9-game football division schedule within the specific divisions and one or two cross-division games rotating teams every year.  Other sports can travel as needed.
• Division winners would make it to Conference Championship game.  
• Possibly more exposure for playoffs and bowl games. 

These are just a few reasons…but I think it would work and it would give the Pac-12 some exposure across the nation.  One of the biggest gripes from the Pac-12 recently, has been how little exposure they have across the nation, but this would change that in a big way.

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Now, I know the Big Ten is a different beast.  That conference is all about education and the somewhat prestigious AAU . . .but . . . The Big Ten is also in a competition with the ACC and SEC for athletics prowess on the East Coast, so what better way to slap the SEC and ACC in the face if the Big Ten adds six more programs and in so doing, takes a bite out of Texas recruiting?

My pathetically personal opinion is that it would behoove the Big Ten to add the following programs to their otherwise prestigious conference to create a mega-conference for athletics: Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, TCU, West Virginia and Oklahoma State.  –  (I can see Texas Tech and Kansas State moving to the Mountain West or Pac 12.  No offense to either program, but I just don’t see either one as a good fit in the Big Ten.)  

So, here are my arguments for these additions to the Big Ten…

• Big Ten rebrands to the Big XX.
• Big XX creates two, ten-team divisions that cover the central part of the nation as well as the east coast.
  • East Division:  Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan St., Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia
  • Central Division: Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma St., TCU, Baylor, Kansas, Iowa State, Northwestern
• The added six programs bring various pedigrees in both men’s and women’s athletics. 
• Recruiting becomes more regional. 
• Regional rivalries can be continued, created or renewed.
• Revenue increases for all programs within the conference. – A mega-conference could lead to mega-deals for streaming or television rights.
• Travel expenses are not as costly due to a 9-game division schedule and one or two cross-division games rotating every year.
• Division winners would play in Conference Championship game. 
• Possibly more exposure for playoffs and bowl games.

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Now, granted, there are serious downsides to either of these scenarios.  One possibility is that the ACC and SEC decide they don’t have enough teams and they both merge with another conference to create multi-mega-conferences which would really make college athletics even more of a royal mess than it already is.  

I miss the days of the old conferences when things weren’t so muddled and pathetic.  

Oh well, be that as it may, as I stated in my opening paragraph, I only wanted to post my thoughts on conference realignment to the internets with the hope that someone in the electronic world of pathetic stupidity and ignorance might read it and find it to be as pathetic of an idea as there ever was.

Pathetic ideas is what makes this blog so great!

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