I want to still be a fan of CFB in 10 years. The last couple years has really given my Fandom pause.

I can't wait for the P5 to create 5 ginormous conferences stretching all over the US. Then all the money dries up and they realize they ruined college football because of greed.

(05-22-2023 07:18 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I'd like to see the P2 go to 20+ teams each and split off. Go full professional.

Leave the rest of us to implement a regional quasi amateur (you know, COLLEGE athletics).

I know your point goes beyond this, but if the "P2" or whatever breaks away, I'm out as a college football fan. G5 conferences are getting closer to a potential playoff run, where we can truly prove we deserve to be among the best of the best.

If that opportunity is yanked away, I'm done. There's a bunch of other sports I follow where my favorite team is actually allowed to compete for (and win) championships, and I have no interest in watching an NFL minor league. I'd just watch the NFL instead.

I want the Singularity.

1 Professional College Football League (about 72 teams)

Conferences keep expanding and poaching teams till we end up the Power 2 looking like the AFC and NFC.

When there is two, ESPN & Fox, maybe three if one counts CBS’s portion, monopolizing corporate broadcasting of college sports; they have much power in driving expansion and realignment. They tend to favor consolidation to lower overhead costs, and enhance their picking and choosing as to which games to feature and when.

Broadcasting networks can be fickle. Decisions can come from the top down, sometimes without stating a convincing rationale. Priorities can shift, and turnover of executives are often frequent. Reliance on them can have a “gamble” dimension.

Conferences have to maintain control of their membership, and abide by a degree of fairness and equity, and cope with internal issues that may be of no direct interest of the networks.

There are pros and cons to all of it. We’ve already have seen individual schools and a few conferences taking some troubling hits due to the media aspects and NIL developments.

(05-22-2023 07:38 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I want to still be a fan of CFB in 10 years. The last couple years has really given my Fandom pause.

That's rather vague. You could be bothered by any number of different things. Rape scandals, huge coaches' salaries, NIL, pay for play, transfer portal, opt-outs of bowls, realignment, huge ticket prices, domination by a few programs, national recruiting (much more so than in the past),...

(05-21-2023 06:00 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  I'd like to see a P4x16, even though that ship has sailed IRL.

ACC
East: Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest
North: Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
South: Central Florida, Florida, Florida State, Miami-FL
West: Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina

Big 16
East: Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse
North: Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State
South: Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue
West: Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Pac-16
East: Houston, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
North: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
South: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah
West: California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

SEC
East: Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
North: Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska
South: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
West: Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Sign me up for this.. But drop UTAH and add BYU.

Honestly, I'd prefer it to be over, even though its good for business (at least, in the short term).

Folks who pine for change for change's sake...ought to be careful what they wish for.

What do I want from realignment?

As a Louisville fan:

I'd like to see the ACC stabilize, but I don't have any huge amount of fear if we end up in an expanded Bi12 which would be the clear third conference after the Big 2. I think that's a situation that could also serve us well.

As an EKU fan:

Anything that gets us a seat at the FBS table. I'm not picky. Obviously some movement with C-USA would be our most likely opportunity, but I'd be thrilled with the MAC or (erven less likely) the Sun Belt) if they happened to be interested for some reason.

I'd like to see the pac/acc/B12 not merge. Ideally the eastern B12 teams are able to get out and into a new acc. I think if those mid tier conferences can stay alive and not become weird national groups of schools that don't care about playing eachother, it'll be really fun football to watch.

Also, I'd like to see Kennesaw get an sec invite. Would settle for acc or B12 too I guess.

As a UCF fan, I got my wish which was UCF getting in to a Power 5 Conference. Everything else is gravy.

If I had one more realignment wish, I guess I would go big and would add UCF to the SEC.

However if we are talking about what I would like to happen that seems to be within the realm of possibility, I think best case for UCF would be to add Colorado, Arizona (maybe ASU, SDSU also) to sure up the 4th window and then later on get UL, Pitt, Miami, and maybe another school or two to sure up the East.

The schools don't matter as much as the Big 12 solidifying itself as the 3rd best conference, although it would be great to have some rivals closer to home, especially another school in Florida. I think UCF, Miami would be a good rivalry after a while.

My wish for SEC expansion.

Go to 24 by adding:

FSU
UNC (otherwise NCSU)
UVA (otherwise VPI)
Miami
Pitt
Syracuse
BC (ND if they would come)
KU

Protect FL completely. The B1G take some decent ACC schools in the south while the SEC moves into B1G country (NE Corridor). Solidify bb (especially for a potential breakaway).

Other candidates: NCSU, VPI, GT, Clemson, and CU. I have omitted Clemson because I think USC is enough in SC.

The other options are 28 and 32, but that's a discussion in about 15-20 years, I think.

I am also enamored of JR's suggestion regarding taking in the entire ACC on a merger theory, which forces the SEC to 30, then add KU and probably CU.

My pseudo-retro conferences:

PAC 12 North: Washington, Wash St, Oregon, Ore St, Cal, Stanford
PAC 12 South: USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona St, Utah, Colorado

Big 12 North: Iowa St, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas St, Oklahoma, Okla St
Big 12 South: Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor, TCU, BYU

SEC West: Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss St, Alabama, Auburn
SEC East: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, S Carolina, Georgia, Florida

Big 10 West: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue
Big 10 East: Indiana, Ohio St, Michigan, Mich St, Penn St, Rutgers

ACC Atlantic: BC, Maryland, NC St, WF, Clemson, Florida St
ACC Coastal: UVA, VT, UNC, Duke, GT, Miami

Big East: UConn, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, WVU, Cincinnati, Louisville, USF, UCF

Alternatively, you could split the Big East schools among the Big 10 (Syracuse & Pitt), SEC (WVU & Louisville), and ACC (UConn, Cincy, USF, & UCF).

I want to see Utah, Colorado, Arizona State, Arizona leave to the Big 12 XVI.

Oregon & Washington to the Big Ten.

Stanford & California to the ACC in football and/or all sports if not in the WCC.

Oregon State, Washington State to the MWC with enhanced TV deals like Boise State.

JohninTX:

Sorry about that, John. Typing all that up on my phone got me confused. I'd definitely want A&M in the Big 12. I'd have to rework where to put Utah. In short form...I want things much the way they were. Maybe not 100%, but pretty close. I think the old Big 10, old Big 12 (especially the old SWC components)...those fostered the most heated rivalries and excitement. Thanks for pointing out the error.

(Rutgers)
(Penn State)
(Maryland)
Pittsburgh
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Miami (FL)

to the Big Ten

It is a shame to lose the history of the ACC.

Wish list? Not possible? Fantasy? I'll play.

A.) The AAC took SIX C-USA teams. Six! That was a killer and unexpected they would take THAT many.

So--- I am going to ask for just TWO teams back (just two)--and I'll be MORE than fair-- the AAC can decide which two. ANY two of the six--send 'em back--we gladly will take them!

B.) C-USA DEATH. The league was down to five teams. It should have been ended.

RESULT:

--- Only four "G4's" to share the same amount of CFP money

--- Media deals might be a little better (one less conference-more demand for media inventory)

--- Less teams means better available players and more/better money games with P5

WKU, MT, La Tech, UTEP would HAVE to be taken by somebody; MAC, SBC, MW--those leagues would be just slightly bigger. FIU goes Indy if not taken. Liberty, NMSU (IF not taken) stay Indy. DONE.

WKU
EKU
MTSU
Chattanooga
North Alabama
South Alabama
Southern Miss
LA Tech
McNeese St
Central Ark
Ark St
Missouri St
SFA
SHSU

Let's take the current ACC, the entire PAC, and even some Big 12s, give ND their freedom.

American:
BC, Cuse, Pitt, UL, UVA, WVU, ISU, VT, UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake, GT, Clem, FSU, Miami

National:
TTech, TCU, Ore St, KU, KState, Baylor, CU, Utah, Stanford, Cal, OU, UW, WSU, OSU, AZ, ASU

Here's where it gets crazy. Use the ACCs divisonless format for each division. 10 conference games. Each school will have 2 locked division rivals, play 4 additional division teams and then 4 teams in the opposite division. Top ranked American team will play top ranked National team in the Conference Championship Game. One team in each division will only be able to have 1 permenant division rival. For maths sake they'll simple become each other's 2nd rival. I think Stanford and UVA fit that role perfectly.

This allows every team in the entire conference to play each other at least once in a 4 year span. Keeps travel to a minimum and has enough cross divisional games for it to feel like a cohesive conference despite it's size.