However, is conference alignment really done? Are more changes in the near future?
Let’s explore conference by conference, what could and should happen…
More after the jump…
Texas A&M almost went to the SEC. Colorado bolted for the Pac-10.
Pac-10 (well I guess the PAC-11?)
The Pac-10 made the right move by adding Colorado last week. Colorado has always belonged in that west coast market and in turn has provided the conference with the Denver area market. Now the next step will be adding a 12th team and creating a championship game. Boise State is out of the question. Someone please tell me something about Boise State, besides the fact that they have blue turf and a good football team. The Pac-10 likes to think that it’s a prestigious research based group. Next up is Utah from the Mountain West Conference. Utah is the perfect fit for the Pac-10 because of a large fan base and an unused market in Salt Lake City. A classified research university, Utah and the Pac-10 are a virtual match. A.Ivins says: Utah to the Pac-10 within the next two weeks.
Big 10 (well the Big 10 +2)
The biggest winner of them all when it comes to conference expansion had to be the Big 10. Adding Nebraska last week, couldn’t be any better for the conference. First off you have to realize that, Notre Dame was never coming to the Big 10, so the next best option out there had to be Nebraska, not Missouri. Almost everyone thought that Missouri was a lock for the Big 10, but Nebraska and legend athletic director Tom Osbourne wanted out. The Big 10 happened to be there at the right time. A. Ivins says: The Big 10 adds a championship game.
SEC
The SEC never really wanted to expand, although they almost had to. If the SEC ever has to go to 12 plus teams, I will guarantee that one of those teams will be Texas A&M. The Aggies are basically an SEC school out west, as the tradition and the fans make it something unique. The other teams that could be considered in an SEC expansion would include; Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Florida State, and that’s it. But let’s be honest, why would the nation’s best conference want to expand? A. Ivins says: The SEC doesn’t do anything this decade.
Big 12 (well the Big 12 -2)
All I got out of last week when it came to the Big 12, was that Texas and Orangebloods.com control the conference. The conference was literally on the verge of folding until Texas decided to stay put and not join the PAC-10. However, in the process two teams decided to jumped ship, and now the conference is in jeopardy of losing its championship game. The question is; does Texas’s athletic department and boosters want the conference to expand? Neither I nor anyone else at a current Big 12 school can really answer that question. If the conference where to expand some options could include: TCU, Utah and New Mexico. New Mexico? Yes I said New Mexico. The Lobos could easily make a play because of a new market, its basketball program and its geographical location. A. Ivins says: The Big 12 does what Texas says.
Big East
Remember three weeks ago, before all of the Big 12 drama? The Big East was the center of conference expansion talk, but that quickly took a back seat once word got out that teams were shifting conferences. Luckily for the conference, the Big 10 didn’t raid Rutgers or Connecticut during last week’s events. The Big East hands down has been a great basketball conference, but it really has lacked lately on the football field. Expansion has to be an option. Adding a program like Memphis, Eastern Carolina or UCF, could be the answer. Fed Ex, is willing to give someone a boatload of money if they were to take Memphis to a BCS conference, so why not if you’re the Big East? Memphis is the Big East, average football, great basketball and a program under the shadows of others. What is the difference between current Big East member, Louisville and Memphis? You tell me. A. Ivins says: Memphis to the Big East talks heat up within the next week, thanks to Fed Ex.
ACC
The ACC is sleeping more easily this week after word broke that the SEC wouldn’t expand. Last time there was a major conference shift, the ACC was the bad guys, raiding other conferences for teams. This time, it almost happened to them, but the SEC stayed put and decided not to expand. I can’t really see any reason why the ACC would want to add another team, so it’s safe to say, they won’t expand or add another school until they lose one. A. Ivins says: Nothing is happening here. (Yawn)
Mountain West
I feel as if the Mountain West is a BCS conference in some ways. The conference and its teams have been in the middle of conference expansion talks from day one. Adding Boise State was the right move, but it is almost written on the wall that the conference is going to lose Utah to the PAC-10. So what should the conference do? The Mountain West should have made a play last week for Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State. Why? Bringing in those programs to a conference that already includes, Boise State, BYU, New Mexico and others, would have made an instant case for a BCS bid. Yes, it’s easy to say that there was no chance four current BCS-programs would have joined the Mountain West, but you have to remember, last week they were almost without a conference. A. Ivins says: The Mountain West tries to keep Utah, and starts looking for others to replace them, options include: Fresno State and North Texas.
Western Athletic Conference
The WAC lost its best team in Boise State, and will most likely need to expand, as they could just as easily lose Fresno State. Two schools that could get a conference invite are North Texas and UTEP. North Texas wants out of the Sun Belt, and is a lot closer to WAC schools in terms of geographical location. A. Ivins says: The WAC will eventually extend an offer to North Texas.
Sun Belt, Conference USA, MAC
All of these conferences can’t do too much. It’s almost as if it’s a wait and see process in terms of if teams will be invited to other conferences. A. Ivins says: Big realignment and expansion is on the horizon, but how long will it take?
What to Watch Tonite: (7-3 overall)
2 p.m.
North Korea vs. Brazil FIFA World Cup ESPN- No one likes North Korea, but no one really knows too much about them. Brazil rolls here. A. Ivins likes Brazil 2 North Korea 0
7 p.m.
Philly at New York Yankees-Two of the more storied organizations over the past couple of years, and two aces on the mound in Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia. A. Ivins likes Yankees 6 Phillies 3
9 p.m.
Boston at L.A. NBA Finals ABC- Can the Celtics close it out? Will the refs be a factor? A. Ivins likes L.A. 95 Boston 94
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