Realigning College Football’s Conferences

The Big Ten announced last month that it would be seeking an expansion from 11 to 12. Many teams have been floated around as possibilities, many from the Big East (Syracuse, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Louisville) and the Big 12 (Missouri, Iowa State).

Meanwhile, Boise State has another undefeated season that will end in nothing other than being the underdog champion for another season. TCU loses only to Boise State after an amazing season and fans are left wondering when will one of these non-power conference teams, one of these mid-major teams get a shot at the title.

My prediction: never.

Sad prediction, I know. But college football, more than any other sport in existence, seems to be a sport of tradition. Teams have played each other every year for 100 years or more. They play for more than pride. Often (especially in the Big Ten), they play for random trinkets of old — Paul Bunyan's Axe, the Little Brown Jug, and the list goes on and on.

College football decision-makers are wary of change because it means leaving behind traditions that have existed for their entire lives and longer and once a tradition is broken it may be impossible to get the magic back.

What these decision-makers need to realize is that fans (at least most fans) care far more about good football than they do about tradition. There are exceptions to this of course. For example: I want to see the Army vs. Navy game every year until I am dead and gone. I think that is a worthwhile tradition that shouldn't be touched. But I think there must be a way that we can keep some of the greatest traditions alive and make better football.

I suggest two things: realignment and consistency.

Consistency: every major conference (if not every conference) should have the same number of teams. I suggest 12. These 12 teams should be split into two divisions of six and six, or however it is seen to be fitting. This is how the SEC, Big 12, and ACC currently operate.

The question is how do we get the Big Ten, Pac-10, and the Big East to jump on board with this notion and what teams do we give them?
I believe the following teams deserve a look to make the jump into a major conference: Boise State, Utah, BYU, and TCU. There are others I would hear arguments for, but those four can hardly be denied. They've all made huge strides in the past decade and look promising for the future.

Boise State and BYU could easily transition into the Pac-10 ... well, not completely easily, but they are within the basic range of the region.
Utah wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Pac-10, but they are more in the Big 12 region, as is TCU. That would require a realignment that might be difficult with all the politics involved.

The thing that makes the most sense geographically would be to move Iowa State into the Big Ten, increasing them to 12 teams and putting TCU or Utah in the Big 12. That, unfortunately, leaves one team out and two more spots to fill out the Big East.

Now we're most certainly stuck. The possibilities I've offered so far would be difficult enough. What I'm about to offer as a possibility next is nearly impossible.

Making room for both Utah and TCU in the Big 12 means moving both Missouri and Iowa State into the Big Ten. Unfortunately, this means moving a team out of the Big Ten and who is the most sensible team? Penn State.

Though Penn State is a perennial powerhouse in the Big Ten, their foes on the field and their foes in recruiting are very different. Sure, there is some overlap, but Penn State spends a lot of time fighting with Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Cincinnati over players. I would hate to see Penn State leave the Big Ten and I certainly don't think they ever will, but for the good of college football, I think it might be the best thing.

That leaves on open spot in the Big East and who should fill it other than Notre Dame, a team that's sat far too long in the independent category of college football. They are a team that champions the idea of tradition in college football. Are they still worthy of being that team?

That would leave us with six power conferences of 12 teams each. Having such continuity between conferences would allow for a much easier implementation of another thing that is vastly against tradition — a college football playoff.

Conference champions only, top two ranked teams get byes, operating much like one-half of the NFL playoff system, leaving us with far fewer teams who can claim a piece of the title.