NCAA Conference Realignment

Well, it looks like all the rumors of college athletics being turned upside-down are about to come true.

The Big Ten has been talking about expansion for months now, and today the first domino to fall was Nebraska all but agreeing to move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten Conference. That's pretty epic right there. And Colorado is reportedly leaving the Big 12, as well, and heading to the Pac 10. The Pac 10 didn't even appear to be a player in expansion as late as last week and now there is talk that they're going to lure 5 more teams from the Big 12, including the prized Texas Longhorns program. Everyone wants Texas because of their monstrous revenue-generating fan-base. The Big Ten is said to also be interested in Texas. And Oklahoma may go to the SEC. I don't know what's going to happen with all that but I know one thing: The Big 12 is all but dead.

I was of the opinion that the Big 12 was the second most powerful conference in college football behind the SEC so it's pretty stunning that the conference could completely dissolve in a matter of days.

The Big Ten might be satisfied with just Nebraska but I doubt it.

If the Big 12 is dead, that leaves 10 more teams looking for homes. Do you really think the Pac 10 or Big Ten would turn Texas down if they wanted to join either conference? What if Oklahoma really does join the SEC and they bring Texas with them? The SEC wouldn't just be a super conference at that point. They could petition the NFL to become their ninth division.

Geographically, not much of this makes sense. I mean, Texas in the Pac 10? They would look even dumber in the Big Ten. Geography has nothing to do with this, of course. It's all about money. Everything is about money.

The Big Ten wants to expand because they want foot-prints in untapped television markets. By landing Nebraska, they get a state that is nuts about their Cornhuskers. The conference can then go to the cable outlets in the state and tell them that they should put their network on their expanded basic package. I don't understand exactly how it works but from what I've researched, the network gets something like $2 per subscriber every month. Well, you expand that into a whole new region and that's a lot more money. The conference also wants to expand because 12 teams are required in-order to have a conference championship game. I don't know why a conference needs 12 for that. I'll have to ask my resident college athletics expert, Mike Strejcek. I'm sure he'll have the answer.

I'm sure the Big Ten would take more teams if the prospects were attractive enough. They would take Notre Dame in a heart-beat, of course, but as everyone knows, the Fighting Irish are too good for conference affiliations. Well, in football, anyway. They need the Big East for their other athletic programs. I guess "independent" doesn't suit the Notre Dame bowling team quite as well as it does the football program.

I know Notre Dame is all high-and-mighty about being a football independent, but I think they need a conference. I know the program still lands top recruits, but they're not getting the elite of the elite kids anymore. Schools like Texas, Alabama, Ohio State and Florida are landing the nation's top high school players these days. And I think part of the reason why is Notre Dame's insistence on being an independent.

What does a prospective football recruit have to hang his hat on at Notre Dame?

Of course, playing at South Bend in front of sell-out crowds and national audiences every week is awesome. But unless Notre Dame runs the table and gets to play in a national title game or even a BCS game, there is nothing else. A minor bowl for Notre Dame is considered beneath them. A kid will never have the pride of winning a conference championship at Notre Dame under their current independent status. Even if a team doesn't win a national title, they can still have a successful season by winning a conference title.

At Notre Dame, it's national title or bust. A college recruit might like the idea of playing in the SEC title game against Alabama better than the thought of a mid-November contest against Navy.

Where will a team like Kansas wind-up? There is talk of them moving to the Big East, which would be nice, at least for the already loaded basketball conference. But would that really make sense? Are they going to rename the conference "The Big East with special guest Kansas?" Sounds like a great concert from the 70's, but I don't know about a college sports conference.

The Big Ten was talking about raiding the Big East conference. They reportedly wanted Rutgers for the New York television market. I know they're not exactly crazy about the Scarlet Knights up in New Jersey, but that's not important. It's about getting their network into the New York cable market.

Schools like PITT and Cincinnati would make more sense competitively and geographically, but Penn state already provides the conference with the Pittsburgh tv market so there will be little use for PITT from that standpoint, anyway. And the Buckeyes already have the market cornered in Ohio so why bring in the Bearcats?

This is all so crazy. Being a PITT fan, I hope they wind up somewhere. Even if the Big East stays as is or they expand and bring in a Kansas or Maryland or even bring back Boston College, I'll be happy with that. If they land in the Big Ten or even ACC, I'll take that, too.

There will probably be 4 super conferences: The Pac 10, the Big Ten, the SEC, and maybe a hybrid of the Big East and ACC. None of this is really official right now and even when it does become official, it won't take effect for at least a few years. But make no mistake, the landscape is changing and things will never be the same.

PITT fans, be prepared to start up new rivalries with the likes of the North Carolina Tar Heels or Wisconsin Badgers. Texas fans, forget about Oklahoma. I'm sure that annual Longhorns/Huskies game will be very fullfilling for you.