I am listening to Taylor Zarzar and Greg McElroy (XM college radio) and they are really hammering on what I have been thinking for a very long time. On the heels of Rutgers getting embarrassed by OSU 58-0, then Michigan 78-0, McElroy is questioning "what in the hell is Rutgers doing in the Big 10?" And then "why on earth would the Big 12 be entertaining UConn as a possible candidate?"
Here is what I would propose:
First, they need develop a committee that will reorganize each conference with the following criteria in mind:
1) Put the student athletes first. Keep in mind the cost associated - not just for football - but for lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, baseball, track and field etc.,for all of both men and womens sports. Think about UConn's traveling TIME and costs associated to go play Texas Tech, Baylor or KSU in any sport. I think you have to regional tie-ins for reduced cost and travel time (less missed school) and then create sensible and appropriate regional rivalries for the student athletes.
2) Put the student and non- student fans second. If your conference spans the country... Your fans are forced to fly and then likely rent a car to drive to away destinations. It is and will continue to grossly eliminate away fans going on road trips to see their school play. Close to your campus rivalries creates more fan interest and greatly improved attendance - for all sports.
3) The conferences have missed the boat on 1&2 because it's become all about "TV Markets". Finally...McElroy (and Zazar) reiterated what I have been thinking for years..Its not about the TV market, it's about who is tuning in. It's about TV viewership. Some of worst TV markets in the country include, South Bend, Indiana, Auburn and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the state of Mississppi, Clemson SC.. And on and on.
Who cares about the size of the market if no one is watching?
This is my suggestion to accomplish criteria 1, 2 and 3. The goal being 5 approximately 20 team conferences:
Proposed Super Conference Realignment:
ACC:
1) Connecticut
2) Syracuse
3) Rutgers
4) Boston College
5) U Mass
6) North Carolina
7) North Carolina State
8) East Carolina
9) Wake Forest
10) Duke
11) Clemson
12) South Carolina
13) Virginia
14) Virginia Tech
15) Maryland
16) Temple
17) Navy
18) Army
Big 10 (20)
1) Penn State
2) Pitt
3) West Virginia
4) Ohio State
5) Cincinnati
6) Michigan
7) Michigan State
8) Wisconsin
9) Purdue
10) Indiana
11) Notre Dame
12) Illinois
13) Northwestern
14) Minnesota
15) Iowa
16) Iowa State
17) Nebraska
SEC:
1) Kentucky
2) Louisville
3) Memphis
4) Vanderbilt
5) Tennessee
6) Georgia
7) Georgia Tech
8) Florida State
9) Florida
10) South Florida
11) Central Florida
12) Miami
13) Alabama
14) Auburn
15) Ole Miss
16) Mississippi State
17) LSU
18) Tulane
SWC:
1) Baylor
2) SMU
3) TCU
4) Houston
5) Texas
6) Texas A&M
7) Texas Tech
8) Rice
9) UT San Antonio
10) Oklahoma
11) Oklahoma State
12) Tulsa
13) Kansas
14) Kansas State
15) Missouri
16) Arkansas
17) Colorado
18) Colorado State
19) North Dakota State
Pac 20:
1) Arizona
2) Arizona State
3) San Diego State
4) UCLA
5) USC
6) Cal
7) Stanford
8) Utah
9) Utah State
10) BYU
11) Air Force
12) Oregon
13) Oregon State
14) Washington
15) Washington State
16) Hawaii
17) New Mexico
18) New Mexico State
19) Fresno State
20) Boise State
Here is what I would propose:
First, they need develop a committee that will reorganize each conference with the following criteria in mind:
1) Put the student athletes first. Keep in mind the cost associated - not just for football - but for lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, baseball, track and field etc.,for all of both men and womens sports. Think about UConn's traveling TIME and costs associated to go play Texas Tech, Baylor or KSU in any sport. I think you have to regional tie-ins for reduced cost and travel time (less missed school) and then create sensible and appropriate regional rivalries for the student athletes.
2) Put the student and non- student fans second. If your conference spans the country... Your fans are forced to fly and then likely rent a car to drive to away destinations. It is and will continue to grossly eliminate away fans going on road trips to see their school play. Close to your campus rivalries creates more fan interest and greatly improved attendance - for all sports.
3) The conferences have missed the boat on 1&2 because it's become all about "TV Markets". Finally...McElroy (and Zazar) reiterated what I have been thinking for years..Its not about the TV market, it's about who is tuning in. It's about TV viewership. Some of worst TV markets in the country include, South Bend, Indiana, Auburn and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the state of Mississppi, Clemson SC.. And on and on.
Who cares about the size of the market if no one is watching?
This is my suggestion to accomplish criteria 1, 2 and 3. The goal being 5 approximately 20 team conferences:
Proposed Super Conference Realignment:
ACC:
1) Connecticut
2) Syracuse
3) Rutgers
4) Boston College
5) U Mass
6) North Carolina
7) North Carolina State
8) East Carolina
9) Wake Forest
10) Duke
11) Clemson
12) South Carolina
13) Virginia
14) Virginia Tech
15) Maryland
16) Temple
17) Navy
18) Army
Big 10 (20)
1) Penn State
2) Pitt
3) West Virginia
4) Ohio State
5) Cincinnati
6) Michigan
7) Michigan State
8) Wisconsin
9) Purdue
10) Indiana
11) Notre Dame
12) Illinois
13) Northwestern
14) Minnesota
15) Iowa
16) Iowa State
17) Nebraska
SEC:
1) Kentucky
2) Louisville
3) Memphis
4) Vanderbilt
5) Tennessee
6) Georgia
7) Georgia Tech
8) Florida State
9) Florida
10) South Florida
11) Central Florida
12) Miami
13) Alabama
14) Auburn
15) Ole Miss
16) Mississippi State
17) LSU
18) Tulane
SWC:
1) Baylor
2) SMU
3) TCU
4) Houston
5) Texas
6) Texas A&M
7) Texas Tech
8) Rice
9) UT San Antonio
10) Oklahoma
11) Oklahoma State
12) Tulsa
13) Kansas
14) Kansas State
15) Missouri
16) Arkansas
17) Colorado
18) Colorado State
19) North Dakota State
Pac 20:
1) Arizona
2) Arizona State
3) San Diego State
4) UCLA
5) USC
6) Cal
7) Stanford
8) Utah
9) Utah State
10) BYU
11) Air Force
12) Oregon
13) Oregon State
14) Washington
15) Washington State
16) Hawaii
17) New Mexico
18) New Mexico State
19) Fresno State
20) Boise State
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