Now that ACC vs. Maryland is resolved it is time to go from 5 conferences to 4 for the new Division 4. I think the Big 12 is the weakest and so I suggest the following:

Texas, Texas Tech and Iowa State to Pac 12
Baylor and TCU to SEC
OU, OSU, Kansas and K. State to Big 10
West Virginia to ACC

Big 10 also adds U Conn and Virginia if possible.

My dream is four 20 team conferences each with 4 Pods of 5 teams. Each team plays the teams in their Pod every year and then rotates the others.

The Big 10 plays the Pac 12 in one Semi-Final game at the Rose Bowl and the SEC plays the ACC in the other Semi-Final game. Both Semi-Final games are on New Years with the Final a week later.

Bob Bowlsby should become the new Commissioner of Division 4.

Pods in Big 10 are:
OU, OSU, KU, K. State and NE
IL, WI, MN, IA and NW
MI, MSU, OSU, IN and Purdue
VA, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland and U Conn.

Well, Hawkeye. I like that Big 10.

(08-08-2014 04:40 PM)Hawkeye Fan Wrote:  Now that ACC vs. Maryland is resolved it is time to go from 5 conferences to 4 for the new Division 4. I think the Big 12 is the weakest and so I suggest the following:

Texas, Texas Tech and Iowa State to Pac 12
Baylor and TCU to SEC
OU, OSU, Kansas and K. State to Big 10
West Virginia to ACC

Big 10 also adds U Conn and Virginia if possible.

My dream is four 20 team conferences each with 4 Pods of 5 teams. Each team plays the teams in their Pod every year and then rotates the others.

The Big 10 plays the Pac 12 in one Semi-Final game at the Rose Bowl and the SEC plays the ACC in the other Semi-Final game. Both Semi-Final games are on New Years with the Final a week later.

Bob Bowlsby should become the new Commissioner of Division 4.

Pods in Big 10 are:
OU, OSU, KU, K. State and NE
IL, WI, MN, IA and NW
MI, MSU, OSU, IN and Purdue
VA, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland and U Conn.

Why not break up the strongest? Break up the SEC!!! They've monopolized spots in the championship game for too long.

Actually you get some interesting alignments (and geographically pretty sound) if you split the SEC in half and supplement each side with Big 12 or ACC schools and supplement the Pac 12 with Big 12 schools. Big 10 fills in with either ACC or Big 12 schools.

So how is the Big 12 the weakest? Its been #2 or #3 in football strength for a number of years running. Its been nearly a decade since it was behind either the Big 10 or ACC in the computer rankings. It was #1 in men's basketball last year and has been near the top for a number of years running. In football attendance it is 3rd behind the SEC and Big 10. In average revenue per school it is comfortably #3, well ahead of the Pac 12 and ACC and not that far behind the Big 10 and SEC. In average conference distributions per member it was #2 last year (and that didn't include Tier 3 while #1 Big 10 did). So what is your opinion based on?

Ouch....Bullet is firing bullets

Oh boy, another thread on B1G world domination.

(08-08-2014 04:40 PM)Hawkeye Fan Wrote:  Baylor and TCU to SEC
OU, OSU, Kansas and K. State to Big 10

Bob Bowlsby should become the new Commissioner of Division 4.

NO thank you.

(08-08-2014 05:12 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 04:40 PM)Hawkeye Fan Wrote:  Now that ACC vs. Maryland is resolved it is time to go from 5 conferences to 4 for the new Division 4. I think the Big 12 is the weakest and so I suggest the following:

Texas, Texas Tech and Iowa State to Pac 12
Baylor and TCU to SEC
OU, OSU, Kansas and K. State to Big 10
West Virginia to ACC

Big 10 also adds U Conn and Virginia if possible.

My dream is four 20 team conferences each with 4 Pods of 5 teams. Each team plays the teams in their Pod every year and then rotates the others.

The Big 10 plays the Pac 12 in one Semi-Final game at the Rose Bowl and the SEC plays the ACC in the other Semi-Final game. Both Semi-Final games are on New Years with the Final a week later.

Bob Bowlsby should become the new Commissioner of Division 4.

Pods in Big 10 are:
OU, OSU, KU, K. State and NE
IL, WI, MN, IA and NW
MI, MSU, OSU, IN and Purdue
VA, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland and U Conn.

Why not break up the strongest? Break up the SEC!!! They've monopolized spots in the championship game for too long.

Actually you get some interesting alignments (and geographically pretty sound) if you split the SEC in half and supplement each side with Big 12 or ACC schools and supplement the Pac 12 with Big 12 schools. Big 10 fills in with either ACC or Big 12 schools.

So how is the Big 12 the weakest? Its been #2 or #3 in football strength for a number of years running. Its been nearly a decade since it was behind either the Big 10 or ACC in the computer rankings. It was #1 in men's basketball last year and has been near the top for a number of years running. In football attendance it is 3rd behind the SEC and Big 10. In average revenue per school it is comfortably #3, well ahead of the Pac 12 and ACC and not that far behind the Big 10 and SEC. In average conference distributions per member it was #2 last year (and that didn't include Tier 3 while #1 Big 10 did). So what is your opinion based on?

Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M have all left the conference recently. I don't think that is a sign of strength. From what I read, OU wanted to join the Big 10. If OU goes, I would bet OSU would follow. I can't imagine Indiana, Kentucky, NC State or Oregon State (non-football powers) or schools like them leaving their respective conferences.

(08-08-2014 05:12 PM)bullet Wrote:  Why not break up the strongest? Break up the SEC!!! They've monopolized spots in the championship game for too long.

Pac 16:
UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Southern California
Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado
Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State
Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi

Big 16:
Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State
Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa State, Tennessee
South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State

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

ACC:
Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Louisville
Virginia Tech, Virginia, Clemson, Auburn
North Carolina, North Carolina State State, Duke, Wake Forest
Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), Georgia, Florida State

By going to quads with no fixed rivals, the Big 16 guarantees everyone a game in Texas each year, the Pac 16 guarantees everyone game in California, and the ACC guarantees its members a game in North Carolina each year and one in Florida in alternating years.

I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

(08-08-2014 07:53 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

Well I do believe there will be one more massive round. I am not of the mindset that creating new relationships destroys old relationships, rivalries and traditions.

Say if the Big Ten was to go to 16 teams and four divisions. Now that we have autonomy, it should be much more understandable for average folks that new division rules would and will be passed if desired. Thus with four divisions of four you have your three games in division and two games against every other division for a 9 game conference season. I don't see why playing a team every other year would destroy that relationship. In fact I think it could even strengthen it. Say you are on one of those teams and you are playing for one of the many Big Ten Trophy games. You may only have one chance at that trophy during your "playing" years at your school. That makes it very important to win it.

So let's say the Big Ten ends up with Kansas and Oklahoma as I surmise. How do they cause more relationships, rivalries and traditions to be destroyed? The Rose Bowl tradition? That died years ago. The tradition of playing everyone in the Big Ten every year? That too is already dead. Further expansion causes zero harm and yet would bring about so many new opportunities and actually would rekindle a major rivalry of the past between Oklahoma and Nebraska.

There are some cross relations between the staff at Iowa and Oklahoma so if those two schools were suddenly in the same division, that wouldn't be so bad either. Just give us a protected game against Minnesota and we will play the other three teams in that division once every three years. No big deal. Kansas and Iowa actually have a lot in common. I don't mind seeing new relationships blossom if it causes everyone to be better off.

Blocking progress for "tradition sake" is a very backward perspective in my opinion. New traditions can always come about. Four divisions, a conference tournament and four conference champions getting into an expanded National Tournament.

Sounds much better than what we have now.


I just don't think the Op's idea makes much sense. Texas has already said they don't want to go West. I don't even need to go beyond that.

(08-08-2014 07:53 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

That is what has made the Big 10 and the SEC the strongest conferences financially. They're messing with it.

(08-08-2014 08:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:53 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

That is what has made the Big 10 and the SEC the strongest conferences financially. They're messing with it.

Their fans and alumni are not going to stop supporting them. If anything they will gain more general football fans. If they lose any of their old traditionals, they will gain many more by having a much more interesting product.

People love tournaments. It is a very simple truth.

(08-08-2014 08:10 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 08:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:53 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

That is what has made the Big 10 and the SEC the strongest conferences financially. They're messing with it.

Their fans and alumni are not going to stop supporting them. If anything they will gain more general football fans. If they lose any of their old traditionals, they will gain many more by having a much more interesting product.

People love tournaments. It is a very simple truth.

The Big 10 and SEC will grow to 16 as will the PAC 12.

The B12 will lose 4 to the PAC 12
THe ACC will lose 2 each to the BIG 10 and SEC

Whats left of the B12 will be divided into the ACC(WVU) and the 5 remaining B12 will merge with AAC schools except for UCONN which will end up in the ACC.

Oh look...UConn fans are back to clamoring for the ACC to be carved up. They're as pathetic as WVU fans use to be.

Why stop at 4? Why not consolidate into 1 conference with 14 divisions

Pacific
USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford

Northwest
Oregon, oregon state, Wash, Wash St.

Mountain
Ariz, Ariz. St., Utah, Colorado

Southwest
Texas, Texas Tech, Okie, Okie St.

DELTA
Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, LSU, Arky

Plains
Neb, Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas St.

Rivers
Minny, Wiscy, iowa, ILL, NW

Lakes
Mich, Mich. St., ohio st., Indy, Purdue

EAST
Pitt, Syracuse, BC, Notre Dame, west virginia

Atlantic
penn state, MD, Rut, Virginia, VT

Coastal
UNC, NCSU, Wake, Duke, Clemson, South Carolina

South
Florida St., Miami, Florida, Georgia, GT

Gulf
auburn, Bama, Ole Miss, Miss. ST.

Valley
Tenn, Vandy, Kentucky, Louisville

Looking down the road, I'm not sure that Texas ever joins a different conference. If the do, I think financially and academically (if not athletically too), it behooves them to join the Big Ten...and if they are joining, then Oklahoma joining as well makes sense. Again, I think Texas might go independent before they hitch their wagon to a different conference.

Kansas and Oklahoma to the Big Ten makes sense...to 16.
OkSt and another Texas school to the SEC makes sense...to 16.
WVU or UConn to the ACC...makes sense to 16.
But I just can't see the Pac-12 expanding...to make this a clean 64 team thing...

How I would break up the Big 12 conference :
I consider it a given that the Pac-12 won't expand without Texas and Texas has stated they'd rather go east and not be in the SEC.

4 team conference playoffs

ACC
-----
North
-----
Boston College
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Syracuse

West
-----
Louisville
Texas
Virginia
Virginia Tech

East
-----
Duke
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Wake

South
-----
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Miami



SEC
-----
East
-----
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina

North
-----
Missouri
Kentucky
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
West Virginia

South
-----
Arkansas
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Texas A&M

West
----
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State (I assume OU won't leave without OSU)
Texas Christian (or Baylor)
Texas Tech



Big 10
-----
East
-----
Connecticut
Maryland
Penn State
Rutgers

Central
-----
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State

North
-----
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin

West
-----
Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Nebraska


Pac-12 - Unchanged



Independent
-----
Army
BYU



So, Iowa State and either TCU or Baylor were left out.

One thing I am certain of is that Texas will never come alone as a full member to the ACC. If you want them as a full member you will have to take a couple TX schools as well. Dodds is on video saying that Texas would never want to be in WVU shoes of being on an island.

(08-08-2014 08:10 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 08:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:53 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-08-2014 07:50 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  I really wish I could defend the Hawkeye fan.

The appeal of college football is based more on tradition than any other major sport, even MLB. Any ideas about breaking the conferences up in to "pods" or whatnot would shatter the conference ties that, while having been frayed somewhat by realignment, are still very powerful symbols of continuity with that tradition. For example, while I have never, ever been a fan of the Big 10, I thoroughly respect its longstanding rivalries and traditions and consider them to be integral to the fabric of the game.

I would hate to see that change.

That is what has made the Big 10 and the SEC the strongest conferences financially. They're messing with it.

Their fans and alumni are not going to stop supporting them. If anything they will gain more general football fans. If they lose any of their old traditionals, they will gain many more by having a much more interesting product.

People love tournaments. It is a very simple truth.

I don't see how SEC or B1G football can be any more interesting than they already are. They are thoroughly interesting to me. Smashing them up into "pods" in order to feed some techno-cratic desire to see a more "rational" competitive or geographic structure is an alienating thought to me. I admit I do not care at all who wins the Old Oaken Bucket game, but the fact that this game exists and that Purdue and Indiana fans care about it makes me happy. It's part of college football.

So far, lots of changes have occurred: Compared to say 25 years ago, the SEC now has 14 schools not 10, it is split into divisions and has a conference title game, and it no longer sends its champion automatically to the Sugar Bowl.

And yet, the cumulative effects of all these changes has not altered the essential character of the conference and its competitive traditions. These "pod" systems would, and to me that price is too high to pay.