🏈 Conference realignment talk again

[planomateo]

Sounds like OU's President isn't happy with things. A bit funny as they wanted to maintain the conference tiering rights and helped to run off others with Texas years ago.

 

[rick4bama]

What realignment for the Big 12 with only 10 teams. When I read the title of the thread I thought it was about the SEC? What school would want to go to the Big 12 anyway? Houston maybe?

 

[Che Boludo]

What realignment for the Big 12 with only 10 teams. When I read the title of the thread I thought it was about the SEC? What school would want to go to the Big 12 anyway? Houston maybe?

I think the rub from what ive read is that OU is demanding a Conference CG, expansion, and basically an end to the longhorn network as it is.

I'm fairly certain they could expand relatively easily. Houston, BYU, Boise St, all seem plausible, or maybe, Fresno, SDSU, Cincy, Memphis, southern Miss or a smaller Florida school to a lesser extent. Their accepting WVU seems to throw academics and regional concerns out the window. But I'm not certain of the member conditions of the conference.

The linked article and others speculate on where OU might land if they can't get their expansion agenda pushed along with other demands.

Article takes a stance that it would be a battle between Big 10 and SEC as each looked to secure essentially a crown jewel in OU.

Fallout would be the need to add another school to balance divisions, which could/would likely either further degrade the Big 12 or disrupt the ACC.

For fun, I'd speculate if the longshot happens and OU does leave, they'd either bring Okie Lite with them or be forced to play a UF-FSU type rivalry which would end the Red River shootout.

So, let's say Okie State tags along to the SEC west. Move mizzou to the West and Bama and Auburn to the East. 16 team league and traditional rivalries maintained outside of Bama-MSU. The SEC moves to a 9 game schedule. Permanent cross division rivals end. Schools play 2 cross division games a year (one home and one away). Over 4 years, a player has opportunity to play every team in the SEC.

If Okie state doesn't join, OU joins the west and the East raids the ACC with heavy pressure placed on a NC school or VA team. And we all debate markets, $, and current member blocks to certain options again. The balance of power in the west would be incredibly lopsided. Opens the door to end divisional Champs representing in the SECCG. But, to do that, do we end DIVs in whole?

Lots of "what ifs" and room for speculation on choices and impacts, but it is the off season, so why not?

 

[mhardiman]

^ with 16 teams I'd prefer 4 divisions of 4 teams.

 

[TerryP]

For fun, I'd speculate if the longshot happens and OU does leave, they'd either bring Okie Lite with them or be forced to play a UF-FSU type rivalry which would end the Red River shootout.

Ya know, if they kept the game with Texas it would be that "UF-FSU type rivalry" game. In fact, it would be a return to the traditional RRR. In OU's case, I'm thinking they've only been conference 'mates' for close to 20 of 115 years of that game. I want to say OU and TX started playing in 1900.

 

[Che Boludo]

^ with 16 teams I'd prefer 4 divisions of 4 teams.

How would you envision division alignment, scheduling, and conference champ determination under that scenario?

 

[Che Boludo]

Ya know, if they kept the game with Texas it would be that "UF-FSU type rivalry" game. In fact, it would be a return to the traditional RRR. In OU's case, I'm thinking they've only been conference 'mates' for close to 20 of 115 years of that game. I want to say OU and TX started playing in 1900.

They actually were conference mates briefly as charter members of the Southwest Conference, but OU left after just 5 years to join what would become the Big 8. That alone sets the stage for why the Big 12 may have be destined to fracture and fail. Texas' ego was too much then for OU, too much for Arky in 91, too much for aTm, and now becoming center stage of the conference debate again

But, your right in that the majority of the rivalry has been a non conference matchup.

However, to my speculation where okie st doesn't join with OU in a 16 team conference with almost certainly a 9 game conference schedule, OU would have to choose between keeping the RRR or Bedlam as playing both plus 9 SEC Games would be a bit much.

I think state pressures force Bedlam to remain and we'd see the end of the RRR.

 

[planomateo]

OU's President David Boren is the former Governor & US Senator for Oklahoma for 20+ years. How much influence did Oklahoma State folks buy during those 20 years of public service and how will it impact their future?

 

[Che Boludo]

OU's President David Boren is the former Governor & US Senator for Oklahoma for 20+ years. How much influence did Oklahoma State folks buy during those 20 years of public service and how will it impact their future?

I'm not going on limb to guess that one Okie St folk in particular by the name of T. Boone Pickens will influence that fate significantly

 

[OldPlayer]

^ with 16 teams I'd prefer 4 divisions of 4 teams.

A team wins its division by beating the other 3 teams. Then what? That team could be 3-9 at the end of the season.

 

[mhardiman]

How would you envision division alignment, scheduling, and conference champ determination under that scenario?

West - A&M, LSU, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. South - Miss., Miss. St., Alabama and Auburn. East - Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, a North Carolina or Virginia school. North (the weakest Div.) - Tennessee, Vandy, Kentucky, Mizzou.
Teams will play there three divisional games, two Inter-divisional rivalries , and three rotational home and home games with each division equaling eight conference games. I did a schedule scenario using this format a couple years ago and the scheduling worked out much better then what the SEC has to deal with today with 14 teams and two divisions. To be exact teams will play more often in this format than they did before A&M and Mizzou joined the league.
I'll post up the schedule format I came up with in a couple days. I don't have access to the file right now.

A team wins its division by beating the other 3 teams. Then what? That team could be 3-9 at the end of the season.

I think it is in the interest of the other major conferences to allow a conference simi-finals game if they wanted to go that route. If not you can use the divisions for scheduling purposes only and the two best teams due to conference record or CFP ranking play in the conference championship. Even if my scenario where to play out, and with the North being the weakest division I seriously doubt you would have a 3-9 divisional winner.

I'd be okay with doing away with divisions all together, but with sixteen teams and divisions remain than you have got to have more than two divisions or it becomes more like two completely different conferences.

 

[OldPlayer]

West - A&M, LSU, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. South - Miss., Miss. St., Alabama and Auburn. East - Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, a North Carolina or Virginia school. North (the weakest Div.) - Tennessee, Vandy, Kentucky, Mizzou.
Teams will play there three divisional games, two Inter-divisional rivalries , and three rotational home and home games with each division equaling eight conference games. I did a schedule scenario using this format a couple years ago and the scheduling worked out much better then what the SEC has to deal with today with 14 teams and two divisions. To be exact teams will play more often in this format than they did before A&M and Mizzou joined the league.
I'll post up the schedule format I came up with in a couple days. I don't have access to the file right now.


I think it is in the interest of the other major conferences to allow a conference simi-finals game if they wanted to go that route. If not you can use the divisions for scheduling purposes only and the two best teams due to conference record or CFP ranking play in the conference championship. Even if my scenario where to play out, and with the North being the weakest division I seriously doubt you would have a 3-9 divisional winner.

I'd be okay with doing away with divisions all together, but with sixteen teams and divisions remain than you have got to have more than two divisions or it becomes more like two completely different conferences.

Nobody wants to play another game. SEC schedules are tough enough but with this scenario a team goes through their schedule, then plays another game to reach the conference championship, then a bowl game then a possible NC game. When would you play this extra game? School presidents will be concerned about the conflict with exams. It would put the SEC at a disadvantage against other conferences as they go into the post season.

 

[mhardiman]

Agreed; nobody wants an extra conference game. That's why I left it at an eight game conference schedule. The only teams that would have to do an extra game is the divisional winners. Or you could do like I said and use divisions only for scheduling purposes only and the two top teams with the best conference records, or the two top teams per the CFP polls play in the conference championship game. Even if those two teams are from the same division; does not matter. Eight teams in one division is too much; either one out of seven years we'd play a Georgia, Florida, or even Tennessee (eight conference game schedule inter-divisional rivalries would have to go) and one out of fourteen we'd visit Athen, Gainesville, and Knoxville. Personally being from Tennessee I'd rather not play the Iron Bowl then to lose the ThirdTober game.

 

[Che Boludo]

Agreed; nobody wants an extra conference game. That's why I left it at an eight game conference schedule. The only teams that would have to do an extra game is the divisional winners. Or you could do like I said and use divisions only for scheduling purposes only and the two top teams with the best conference records, or the two top teams per the CFP polls play in the conference championship game. Even if those two teams are from the same division; does not matter. Eight teams in one division is too much; either one out of seven years we'd play a Georgia, Florida, or even Tennessee (eight conference game schedule inter-divisional rivalries would have to go) and one out of fourteen we'd visit Athen, Gainesville, and Knoxville. Personally being from Tennessee I'd rather not play the Iron Bowl then to lose the ThirdTober game.

16 teams requires a 9 game schedule. 7 divisional game and a 2 game cross divisional schedule. A player playing 4 years would see every team in the SEC.

If that occurs, I'm in favor of moving Bama and Auburn to the east and mizzou to the west to maintain the better historical rivalries.

But, that requires getting 1 great team and 1 good team to fill the void and avoid having the west becoming the joke that the east has been post-Tebow

 

[TerryP]

Agreed; nobody** wants an extra conference game.

I'd like a nine game schedule for conference play.

**assuming nobody actually means no one except UA's HC.

 

[planomateo]

I've been in support of 9 game conference for a while now, all the other SEC coaches were NOT.

 

[TerryP]

^^ forgot 'not' ^^ @planomateo

 

[TerryP]

BTW, I have a very hard time even entertaining the idea Chadd Scott has a inkling on what's going on in the Big 12 other than what he's read ... in other words, just like a number of you guys.

In the hypothetical world ... I imagine OU as a better fit for the B1G. Force Texas out west.

 

[OldPlayer]

While it would be easy to find two teams who want to join the SEC, it would be difficult to find two teams who can. New conference agreements include extremely high penalties to leave. Where does the money come from? Yes, the conference and teams could pony up some money, but remember that we're talking about two teams, not one. That's a lot of money to sacrifice when most schools aren't profitable.

 

[mhardiman]

I'd like a nine game schedule for conference play.

**assuming nobody actually means no one except UA's HC.

That