This week, or perhaps very shortly in the coming weeks, was supposed to be the beginning of an entirely new era in collegiate athletics, and college football in particular. Depending on what kind of personality that you have, what school you root for, and your general perception of the NCAA- you were either extremely disappointed in the last few days or breathing the ultimate sigh of relief.
For a week and and half, all of college football looked like it was going to make massive overhauls in its conference realignment. Reports started coming from all over the media about a rumor heard, plane tracking, and possible silent deals. In short, it looked a lot like those last few weeks of recruiting before signing day- the exciting and the ridiculous.
What eventually happened was a whirlwind of moderate change, enforcement, and general speculation that kept fans on their toes and had their thumbs on their Twitter refresh button. It was less “Holy shit! Mayan Apocalypse 2012,” and more, “The Cold War is over- what in the fuck do we do with these Slavic countries?”
Here are a few of my thoughts:
The Big Ten ( or whatever you want to call them) deserves a “Well played,” shout out. Jim Delany and the Big Ten are the absolute instigators in all of the madness that has happened. It was the Big Ten that really began this thing when they announced that they would begin to look into conference expansion. Once they got the ball rolling- everyone was in play. Speculation from the media, bloggers, and message board hounds instantly began their wet dreams and started mapping out what they thought would happen. Scenario after scenario was discussed, cussed, and called a must.
On a podcast with In The Bleachers this winter, I brought up Nebraska to the Big Ten before just about anyone was really talking about it. ( Please commence with the back patting… now). As I discussed this with friends and colleagues, I was routinely told, “No fucking way.” My oh my, sometimes shit does stick to the wall, doesn’t it?
Obviously, The Big Ten could have gone apeshit and grabbed 2 if not 3 Big East teams fairly easy. Rutgers, UConn, Syracuse, Pitt- basically whoever they wanted. It the end, most of the Big East “plays” were probably designed to put Notre Dame at the table and used as a scare tactic. The bluff didn’t work.
The same tactics were used to a bigger extent in the Big 12 with Texas and Texas A&M. Obviously, The Big Ten wanted Texas, but the flirtations with Missouri and Nebraska and the Pac-10 rumors for the Big 12 South started some events in motion that eventually lead Nebraska to defect from the Big 12 and become the 12th member of the Big Ten. Nebraska is not the Texas grab, but they are better then ANYTHING the Big East had to offer.
If you put the TV demographics aside, Nebraska was about as good a move as the Big Ten could have made for football, outside of adding Notre Dame to the conference. The only other realistic move the Big Ten could have made to improve itself athletically, especially in football (I’m keeping the TV stuff out of this) would have been to add Missouri and Pittsburgh. The lone move with Nebraska is solid, and even though the Big Ten said it may look more into expansion later in the future- it will probably end right there.
Well played- Clerks.
The Pac-10 has got Big Balls!!! Buffalo balls that is. If most of the blame is directed at the Big Ten for starting all of this conference expansion stuff, then most of the blame for pretty much ending it should go to the Pac-10.
Some of the biggest news was that the Pac-10 was shedding its conservative self, and would be making a play for Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Colorado. ( They wanted nothing to do with Baylor). Not only did this announcement help seal the deal for Nebraska to head to the Big Ten, but it was the big move we were all waiting to see. Would a mega-conference happen?
Colorado jumped on board very quickly, and ended any talk about being snubbed for Baylor to help get the Texas schools. Reports are now surfacing, that the Pac-10 really wanted to sub Oklahoma State for Kansas- and that made Texas a little worried (per expansion GURU: Chip Brown). Add that to Texas A&M not playing the role of “loyal little brother,” as they flirted with the SEC, and expansion basically stopped.
Texas made a money move to stay in a reformed Big 12 minus two. However, the impact of the Pac-10 bold move is huge. It didn’t really strengthen the Pac-10 all that much, but it opened the eyes of administrators everywhere that major changes mean MAJOR changes, and I’m not sure anyone was really ready for that just yet- if at all.
Besides the “balls,” the Pac-10 has got the “two Ute’s,” with the just recently reported news that Utah has accepted an invite to join the Pac-10. This was a much needed move by the Pac-10 with the addition of Colorado to help tie the conference together geographically.
The Mountain West Conference has to feel like a cheap hooker about right now. If the Pac-10 would have gone 16 teams, the MWC could have made a big play in grabbing the rest of the Big 12 (minus a possible Big 10 bound Mizzou) and Boise State to create a 14 team conference that would have been very strong. They could have even gone another step and added a Nevada and a Fresno State to keep up with what would be a 16 team conference structure throughout the country.
It didn’t happen. The MWC added Boise State but just lost the Utah Utes to the Pac-10. That is a big wound to a conference that could have had an even better case against the Big East as an automatic qualifier. I still believe with the Boise / Utah swap- that the MWC is still a better football conference then the Big East from top to bottom.
The Mountain West may start looking to the WAC, or even Conference USA for an addition to get back to a 10 team league- but the splash will be much, much smaller.
Notre Dame was the undisputed winner after the dust settles. Notre Dame wanted to remain Independent, and nothing has happened to change that fact. The Big East is not in any position to make “All in, or out,” ultimatums towards Notre Dame, and the Big 10 didn’t grab any of the Big East schools along with Nebraska to start a chain reaction that would have had the SEC plucking ACC schools which in turn would have had the ACC plucking more Big East schools, which would have ended the Big East- and ND would have to find a home for the rest of its sports programs- and its football team.
Also, this whole conference realignment discussion really had everyone talking about Notre Dame’s football schedule iin the future. Indirectly, I believe this helped ND forget about the Army game in 2013 and continue the series against Boston College. And oh yeah… Notre Dame has games scheduled with Miami too. really, it has Jack Swarbrick making a better effort then what we have seen in the recent past from Notre Dame on scheduling better opponents- more interesting opponents. Say what you will about BC, but having them on the schedule is a good thing, and I don’t hear a soul complaining about the Miami series which, by the way, ended like THIS and this:
So in the end, cooler heads and greed saved college football. I honestly believe that college football would have been heading to the fucking graveyard if four 16 team megatron conferences had been spawned. It just would not have been all that interesting to me. I truly believe that a few administrators and AD’s also could see the future harm, and work the back channels for a true peace COUGH, Jack, Ahem, Swar-cough, SNIFF, brick.
Texas really wants to launch their own network, and they still have some kind of pimp deal with the rest of the Big 12 minus 2. Texas could have fucked us- but greed actually saved the day.
You crazy sons of a bitches!
The future is still very bright for college football, and Notre Dame football. The world is saved… for now. ( Hey Delany! Sit the fuck down!).
