But at most there would be three cross-country road trips for California teams, and no more than two for any of the 14 other members.) 4. CT kickoffs. (Sure, travel could be an issue. Plus, sign me up for "Big Ten after dark" - 9:30 p.m. Why Penn State here and not the East? Might not be the worst thing for the league to separate the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes. The academia division? The California schools stick together while recruiting the Big Ten’s lone existing private institution in Northwestern and a semi-private in Penn State. The West: California, Northwestern, Penn State, Stanford, UCLA and USC. All three of Iowa’s Big Ten trophy opponents continue Indiana-Purdue is reunited again divisionally and Minnesota-Wisconsin can still battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on an annual basis. The Midwest: Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin. The traditions of Ohio State-Michigan and Michigan-Michigan State remain intact. The East: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Rutgers. These three six-team divisions (in football) would be fun to create, but here was my initial split. 3: The Big Ten’s 18 teams split nicely into three divisions. Not that anyone cares about hoops in this realignment circus. Plus, the basketball would be pretty great. The Sun Belt's survival may offer lessons for a way out.Įven if the Big Ten scoops up the California schools, a new 16-team merger of the Pac-12 and Big 12 would have rich headliners in Washington and Oregon. The Pac-8 Division: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU (or maybe Boise State, if the Cougars want to remain independent), Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Washington and Washington State. (Reuniting Colorado with some old Big 8/Big 12 rivals is a fun twist, plus it kind of works out geographically.) The Big 8 Division: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech. The two-division way I have it lining up … 2. The remaining Pac-12 and Big 12 teams consolidate and add one more (BYU?) to form a 16-team super league. Such a move would give the ACC 15 teams plus its loose affiliation with independent Notre Dame - so essentially, for future scheduling purposes, a 16-team league. The Mountaineers are already geographical mismatches with the Big 12. West Virginia joins the Atlantic Coast Conference. This is meant to skip over the upcoming months (years?) of posturing and legal battles and serve as a fun exercise to demonstrate there are potential win-win solutions for the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 to combat the SEC’s eventual acquisition of two of the nation’s richest college brands. How would it work? I outlined the shell of this on Wednesday night’s Hawk Central radio show. More: New Pac-12 boss Kliavkoff doesn't see expansion as a must Such a move would add marquee brands and world-class academic institutions to the Big Ten while leaving plenty of room for three other power conferences to thrive. The Big Ten's changes could come as soon as the 2023 season, according to The Athletic.I’m not sure who suggested this first, but I heard Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel theorize that the Big Ten should join forces with the Pac-12’s four California schools - UCLA, USC, California and Stanford - and grow to 18 teams. This would help the Big Ten to better leverage its scheduling opportunities with the ACC and Pac-12, conference partners with whom the league is working to battle the SEC. The partnership, called "The Alliance," was formed last summer after Oklahoma and Texas formally announced they're leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, beginning with the 2025 college football season. The Athletic reports the league is also considering lowering its conference slate from nine games to eight. In January, Iowa AD Gary Barta told The Athletic the Big Ten has had conversations about ending its divisional format in football in favor of a model where each team would have three protected opponents they play each season while cycling through the other 10 teams on a regular basis. Last week, Haller and the Big Ten's 13 other athletic directors met for two days in suburban Chicago. Haller was speaking Monday at a Detroit Economic Club function. RELATED: Abandoning Divisions? Adopting Pods? Expanding To 16 Members? Here Are 4 Scenarios For A Big Ten Realignment In Football “There will be,” Haller said, when asked whether realignment and other changes will be coming to the conference. On Monday, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller confirmed the Big Ten has been paying attention and is planning changes of its own.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |