If college sports for the P5 would negotiate as 1 for everything tier 1, 2 & the content that currently falls to networks which would probably eventually be streaming, I believe this would be a great 72 or 80 team setup. For 72 omit the last two teams each league.

I realize some teams left these leagues previously when competing for revenue and squabbles over broadcasting but under a unified system the reason for that is gone.

The Pac is a little weaker but its really hard to make them strong without sending some of Big 12 teams there. It just seems to put too much of a geographical strain to send Big 12 teams there and if they don't get the bigger brands in Texas & OU its not really made that much better (We could try and get creative with an old Big 8 contingent to the PAC 12 and maybe the Big 12 take the Arizona Schools but its hard to make the PAC 12 as good overall football wise).

I show the subtractions & additions for each league.

B1G
add:NC, Duke, Va., ND., UCONN, SYR, BC
subtract Neb

SEC
add: Va. Tech, NC St., FSU, Clemson, Ga. Tech, Pitt, Cincy, Louisville, WF, Temple
subtract: Texas A&M, Missouri, Arkansas, LSU

Big 12,
add: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Houston, Memphis, UCF, USF

PAC
add: BYU, Boise St., New Mexico, Nevada,
Colorado St., Hawaii or Wyoming, San Diego St.,
Fresno St.

It would really have great rivalries, give each league sufficient recruiting bases and cover about as much of the country with college football as possible.

(02-06-2016 03:17 PM)Win5002 Wrote:  If college sports for the P5 would negotiate as 1 for everything tier 1, 2 & the content that currently falls to networks which would probably eventually be streaming, I believe this would be a great 72 or 80 team setup. For 72 omit the last two teams each league.

I realize some teams left these leagues previously when competing for revenue and squabbles over broadcasting but under a unified system the reason for that is gone.

The Pac is a little weaker but its really hard to make them strong without sending some of Big 12 teams there. It just seems to put too much of a geographical strain to send Big 12 teams there and if they don't get the bigger brands in Texas & OU its not really made that much better (We could try and get creative with an old Big 8 contingent to the PAC 12 and maybe the Big 12 take the Arizona Schools but its hard to make the PAC 12 as good overall football wise).

I show the subtractions & additions for each league.

B1G
add:NC, Duke, Va., ND., UCONN, SYR, BC
subtract Neb

SEC
add: Va. Tech, NC St., FSU, Clemson, Ga. Tech, Pitt, Cincy, Louisville, WF, Temple
subtract: Texas A&M, Missouri, Arkansas, LSU

Big 12,
add: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Houston, Memphis, UCF, USF

PAC
add: BYU, Boise St., New Mexico, Nevada,
Colorado St., Hawaii or Wyoming, San Diego St.,
Fresno St.

It would really have great rivalries, give each league sufficient recruiting bases and cover about as much of the country with college football as possible.

I doubt we wind up with a symmetrical set of conferences. But if we do it will likely be 3 conferences of 20.

I will say this though to play along with your exercise. If we did have 4 symmetrical conferences they would consist of no more than 18 schools each as the big investment level of participation by FBS schools drops off significantly at about position 71. So if we took a strong private with good academics for 72 I could see a 4 x 18. And of course the 4 x 16 is still out there too, but with the market model beginning to fade that may not be very likely either.

Still I'll give your exercise the good ole college try at 18 & 16.

Big 10:
Duke, Maryland, Penn State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia
Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin

SEC:
Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, N.C. State, South Carolina
Alabama, Florida State, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech
Arkansas, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Miss State, Missouri, Texas A&M

Big 12:
Boston College, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia
Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
Baylor, Georgia Tech, Miami, T.C.U., Texas, Texas Tech

PAC:
Boise State, Brigham Young, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Wash State
California, Fresno State, Nevada, Stanford, Utah, Wyoming/or San Diego St.
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, New Mexico, U.C.L.A., U.S.C.

At 16:

Big 10:
Connecticut, Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers
Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue
Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska

ACC:
Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Louisville, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest
Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech

SEC:
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee
Louisiana State, Mississippi, Miss State, Texas A&M
Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech

PAC:
Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas
Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah
California, Cal Los Angeles, Southern California, Stanford

Your probably right we end up with 72 at the most(64 is more likely) but as l mentioned I think college sports is better if more of the country is represented than not represented. As I mentioned you could just eliminate the last 2 teams for each league for 72.

Keep in mind I was also posting under the theory power league college sports negotiated as one so there was not revenue advantages among the leagues and so I tried to make them equal and promote as many rivalries as I could.

If the top leagues decided to negotiate as one body then I don't think you'd see any realignment because...

1) The leagues would be partners, but not actually united as one entity.

2) Each school would theoretically be paid the same so no motivation to move for monetary reasons.

3) No good reason to move for scheduling purposes either because the strength of each league would be dependent on the existence of the contract. As soon as the contract is up then there is the possibility to go back to negotiations by individual conferences. Too risky to change leagues.