We all know how realignment really went but sometimes it’s fun to pose a what if, even if that What If isn’t grounded in reality. So humor me a little here:

In the late 80s, instead of Penn St coming to the Big Ten, Ohio St and Michigan look at the great success programs like Penn St, ND, Florida St, and Miami are having and decide they are tired of the Big 2 and Little 8 jokes and decide they want to be independent too.

Of course, this means they need a home for Olympic sports. Penn St and ND both reach out and they set out to create a conference that won’t officially sponsor football but will have a loose scheduling alliance in that sport.

Pitt, WVU, and Rutgers help round out the membership.

With these big players all committed to independent football there’s no sense of urgency for Florida St or Miami to commit to conferences in the early 90s.

We end up with a much different looking Bowl Alliance/Bowl Coalition, one where you have autobids and permanent tie in’s for some conferences but lots of at-larges for all of the major independents.

Elsewhere in realignment world, Arkansas and SC still go to the SEC but I think it’s harder to say what happens with everyone else.

Does the Big 8 merge/raid the Big Ten (or vice versa?)
Or does the Big 8 still partially merge with the SWC?

I can see the ND/Mich/Ohio St/Penn St conference maybe someday deciding to officially sponsor football.

Thoughts on what might have played out in this scenario?

If it's the 80's, Rutgers was completely irrelevant. Syracuse would have made more sense.

(01-14-2021 02:59 PM)schmolik Wrote:  If it's the 80's, Rutgers was completely irrelevant. Syracuse would have made more sense.

I contemplated putting Syracuse in my hypothetical league but I think they were pretty wed to the Big East at the time

(01-14-2021 03:44 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 02:59 PM)schmolik Wrote:  If it's the 80's, Rutgers was completely irrelevant. Syracuse would have made more sense.

I contemplated putting Syracuse in my hypothetical league but I think they were pretty wed to the Big East at the time

How about Boston College then? They weren't too far from the Flutie era. Heck, I'd take Temple over Buttgers. Or Cincinnati.

(01-14-2021 02:44 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  We all know how realignment really went but sometimes it’s fun to pose a what if, even if that What If isn’t grounded in reality. So humor me a little here:

In the late 80s, instead of Penn St coming to the Big Ten, Ohio St and Michigan look at the great success programs like Penn St, ND, Florida St, and Miami are having and decide they are tired of the Big 2 and Little 8 jokes and decide they want to be independent too.

Of course, this means they need a home for Olympic sports. Penn St and ND both reach out and they set out to create a conference that won’t officially sponsor football but will have a loose scheduling alliance in that sport.

Pitt, WVU, and Rutgers help round out the membership.

With these big players all committed to independent football there’s no sense of urgency for Florida St or Miami to commit to conferences in the early 90s.

We end up with a much different looking Bowl Alliance/Bowl Coalition, one where you have autobids and permanent tie in’s for some conferences but lots of at-larges for all of the major independents.

Elsewhere in realignment world, Arkansas and SC still go to the SEC but I think it’s harder to say what happens with everyone else.

Does the Big 8 merge/raid the Big Ten (or vice versa?)
Or does the Big 8 still partially merge with the SWC?

I can see the ND/Mich/Ohio St/Penn St conference maybe someday deciding to officially sponsor football.

Thoughts on what might have played out in this scenario?

I think the SEC still adds Arkansas and South Carolina and Florida St still joins the ACC. Perhaps the Big 8 splits with 4 (Iowa St, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) joining the remaining 8 of the B1G and 4 (Colorado, Kansas St, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St) joining the SWC. The ECC forms with: Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio St, Penn St, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, West Virginia.

When the Big East begins to lose football schools, the ACC and ECC split the schools and sooner than our timeline. The ECC decides to start football and Notre Dame is a member!

ACC + Boston College
ECC + Pittsburgh, Syracuse

The ACC core are not happy after 1 or 2 seasons and split. The SEC picks up Clemson and Florida St for 14. The ECC goes to 16 after it picks up Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina St, and Virginia. Boston College and Wake Forest either join CUSA or go independent. PAC picks up Utah and Colorado for 12. BYU joins the SWC.

We end up with:

PAC
North: California, Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, Washington, Washington St
South: Arizona, Arizona St, Colorado, UCLA, USC, Utah

B1G
West: Iowa, Iowa St, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern
East: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan St, Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin

SWC
West: BYU, Kansas St, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas, Texas Tech
South: Baylor, Houston, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M

ECC
Coastal: Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina St, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Eastern: Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio St, Penn St, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse

SEC
West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi St, Vanderbilt
East: Clemson, Florida, Florida St, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee

CUSA
West: Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB
East: Central Florida, Connecticut, East Carolina, South Florida, Temple, Wake Forest