The Realignment Solution
Like most of us I have proposed "the perfect solution" in the past. Realignment to end all realignment, but alas, there was always a flaw.
But, not this time.
The problem:
divide the 65 P5 teams into conferences that will maximize revenue, provide reasonable competitiveness and do it in a compact regional footprint that keeps traditional rivalries to increase fan interest. Whew!
Knowing that football is weakest on the coasts and strongest in the middle of the country, I found it necessary to continue with 5 conferences. Ten members in the two coastal conferences and 15 members each in the conferences located in the center.
BTW in researching rivals, I learned that Rutgers probably has fewer rivals than any other P5 school, which is why I placed that school in the eastern coastal conference.
Also since it seems inevitable that we are moving toward an 8 team playoff, it is only fitting that the 3 stronger conferences (the middle one's) will get two teams each in the playoff while the coastal conferences will only get one representative. How those teams are chosen should be left up to the individual conference.
Also know that all games are to be played against other P5 teams. No play outside of the 65 team league.
Starting from left to right:
The PAC
(this conference plays a round robin format-9 conference games)
Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, Southern Cal, Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
Big 12
(this conference like the B1G and SEC play in pods of 5. Playing all of the teams in your own pod every year while alternating the other 2 pods to make a 9 conference game schedule).
Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri
Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Baylor
SEC
LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn
West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
Miami, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech
B1G
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State
Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern
Boston College, Syracuse, Penn State, Pitt, Ohio State
ACC
(this conference plays a 9 game round robin schedule like the PAC)
Rutgers, Maryland, UVa, Virginia Tech, Carolina, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, South Carolina
(This post was last modified: 03-15-2021 01:16 PM by XLance.)
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