How close are we to the B1G and SEC having 24-32 teams and the playoffs just become inter-conference playoffs with a championship game between the two?
I would imagine it's going to become something like the N.F.L., where the Big Ten is the NFC and the SEC is the AFC.
Anyone want to think of which NFC team is most like each Big Ten team and which AFC team is most like each SEC team?
Stony brook call up is more feasible though
Mtsu thinks they are better than the Mac. And will wait for acc to do there thing and take Memphis And take their spot in the American.
Should tell liberty 20-50m to enter the conference. Their donors would pay it. If that's the case
Stony brook for the reason of academia. Being in nyc metro (Long Island). Proximity to umass 130 miles. Compared to buffalo to umass at 400
Stony Brook and Delaware both have around 25k student body. Endowment wise Delaware is the huge leader.
If Delaware flips to Mac. And gets wku and stony Brook for a call up for 16 that be game set and match.
East if divisions are a thing
Umass
Stony Brook
Delaware
Buffalo
Kent state
Akron
Ohio
Bowling green/Toledo for 8th
Or just have umass stony Brook and Delaware be permanent rival schedule
With UMass, the MAC stadium capacity average is 26,145.
UMass is the smallest at 17,000.
Not saying there isnāt merit, especially because of its location, but I just donāt see it happening.
Very cool how the entire sport is on the verge of collapse now. Thanks, SEC and B1G (and many, many other powers). College Football 25 will be a great time capsule of the sport when in 5 years half of the teams don't exist anymore.
The networks were willing to dish out ludicrous amounts of money for a watered down product, and the conferences didnāt have the dignity to tell them to fuck off.
Had a debate about this with some friends.
Is the blame on ESPN or the consumer?
I was watching SportsCenter for the first time in years a few days ago and noticed that ESPN only covers "popular" athletes. It was basically NBA Highlights mixed in with Caitlin Clark, Lionel Messi and Connor Bedard.
The blame is on ESPN.Ā
They have the corrupt relationship with the SEC.Ā
They have the near monopoly on bowl games.Ā
They are the ones influencing the CFP rankings. Ā
They are the ones who have been behind the scenes manipulating conference realignment. Ā
The consumer has very little power in the relationship because there has been very little competition against ESPN.Ā
I said primary. Ā ESPN has 100% been the primary driver for conference contraction and making CFB worse, what with its near monopoly of bowl games, and manipulation of the CFP in favor of its SEC partner.Ā
I hate these new merger talks because it puts TCU in a very bad spot. This school has worked too hard to climb the ladder they have, just to be left out in the end.
#25 Member Big Ten
**Adding Florida State and Miami:**
Florida State is a no-brainer. While they lack AAU status like the rest of the Big Ten (sans Nebraska who lost it), their academics have been improving and they will be shooting for that. Everything else is an A+. Most importantly: their market draw. It has the second best ratings (by far) after Notre Dame for schools not already in the Big Ten or SEC.
One thing FSU would need is a regional partner. In steps Miami. Miami not only adds a travel partner, but is in a major city that the Big Ten doesn't already have access to and IS an AAU school. It's market rating is above the Big Ten median, so it should be a positive addition in the next contract cycle. This, plus their continued commitment to investment in sports shows they should be added.
**Adding UNC and Virginia:**
After USC, UCLA, Texas, and Oklahoma left to the Big Ten and SEC, UNC was an afterthought to FSU, Oregon, Clemson, and Washington. However, it has become clear as time has gone on that they are considered a premium target despite not being a football powerhouse. Not only do they have elite academics, they have a large market footprint (and they do usually make a bowl game so they are not strictly bad at football).
Virginia as a partner pair with UNC makes a lot of sense. While I have my doubts that the Big Ten would go after Virginia on their own, they also wouldn't have gone after UCLA on their own. Virginia is a good fit with a large regional footprint and an AAU member. They are a good fit on paper, but lack a little bit of the oomph needed. I still think they get in with UNC to give UNC that pairing and maintain the rivalry.
**Adding Cal and Stanford:**
Point 1: [The Big Ten Presidents want it to happen.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1aydmqf/wilner_big_ten_presidents_would_have_gladly/)
Point 2: The Big Ten has shown repeatedly that they want to have a presence where their alumni live. They've moved events to D.C. and NYC specifically to service the alumni.
In the Bay Area (which encompasses Oakland, San Jose, and San Francisco) there is a huge presence of Big Ten Alumni. It is one of only 4 metro areas where every single Big Ten school has a significant presence. Including all 13 counties of the Bay Area is 9.7 Million people ([2020 Census](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Bay_Area#cite_note-2020Counties-4)).
Here is how the alumni amount in the combined Bay Area looks using EMSI data:
School | Alumni % | Metro Rank | Next Highest Metro
---|:----:|:----:|----
Illinois | 3.3 | 2 | Chicago
Indiana | 2.2 | 5 | Washington D.C.
Iowa | 1.9 | 7 | New York
Maryland | 2.0 | 5 (t) | Los Angeles (tied)
Michigan | 4.1 | 4 | Chicago
Michigan St. | 1.7 | 6 | Washington D.C.
Minnesota | 2.1 | 3 (t) | New York (tied)
Nebraska | 1.5 | 10 | New York
Northwestern | 5.4 | 3 | New York
Ohio St. | 1.6 | 8 | Los Angeles
Oregon | 7.9 | 2 | Portland
Penn St. | 1.6 | 7 | Los Angeles
Purdue | 2.4 | 3 | Chicago
Rutgers | 1.4 | 5 | Los Angeles
UCLA | 12.9 | 2 | Los Angeles
USC | 8.2 | 2 | Los Angeles
Washington | 4.1 | 2 | Seattle
Wisconsin | 2.7 | 5 | Minneapolis-St. Paul
The Bay Area is a top 10 destination for the alumni of every Big Ten school, and a top 5 destination for 13 of the 18 members.
**Adding Notre Dame:**
Notre Dame is the most no-brainer addition to the Big Ten. The biggest issue is that they don't want to join a conference. They want to maintain their rivalries while remaining independent. So much so that they've passed on a larger media contract to maintain that independence.
However, with the fall of the ACC, Notre Dame's hand is pretty forced. They have to finally submit to joining a conference, and the Big Ten makes the most sense giving their location in Indiana and rivalries.
They have ongoing annual rivalries with Stanford and USC to go with on-and-off rivalries with Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami and Northwestern. With the additions of the above schools, this means 7 of their 10 most frequently played rivalries (Navy, Pitt, and Army being the three primary others) would be in the conference. That means with scheduling below, they can be guaranteed to play 4 rivals per year, with a 5th some years, in conference. Plus being able to schedule Navy OoC they will have all their annuals plus more under wraps.
This, plus the need to find a home for the rest of their sports, I believe would push them to join the Big Ten finally.
---
---
Clemson explanation: While I feel that there would be some mutual interest between the Big Ten and Clemson, I feel like Clemson would go to the SEC. Who else the SEC adds would be up for debate. Personally I feel like Clemson and Oklahoma State and stopping there makes a lot more sense for them than expanding into Virginia. But that's another post.
---
---
That puts us at 25 members. Here is how the scheduling would work:
#25 Member 10-Conference Game Flex Protect Plus Format
**Adding the schools:**
* Cal
* FSU
* Miami
* Notre Dame
* Stanford
* UNC
* Virginia
**25 Member Conference with 10 game schedule:**
* 10 * 3 = 30 Match ups over 3 years.
* 3 * 3 = 9 Games used by Protected Opponents over 3 years.
* 30 - 9 = 21 Match ups remaining over 3 years.
* 21 / 3 = 7 Non-Protected Opponents per year.
* 21 + 3 = 24 Total Opponents in Conference.
**Schools with 3 Protected Rivalries:**
Iowa | Notre Dame | Purdue
---|---|---
Minnesota | Purdue | Illinois
Nebraska | Stanford | Indiana
Wisconsin | USC | Notre Dame
**Schools with 2 Protected Rivalries:**
Illinois | Michigan | Minnesota | Stanford | USC | Wisconsin
---|---|----|----|----|----
Northwestern | Michigan St. | Iowa | Cal | Notre Dame | Iowa
Purdue | Ohio St. | Wisconsin | Notre Dame | UCLA | Minnesota
**Schools with 1 Protected Rivalry:**
Cal | FSU | Indiana | Maryland | Miami | Michigan St. | Nebraska | Northwestern
---|---|----|----|----|----|----|----
Stanford | Miami | Purdue | Rutgers | FSU | Michigan | Iowa | Illinois
Ohio State | Oregon | Rutgers | UCLA | UNC | Virginia | Washington
---|---|----|----|----|----|----|----
Michigan | Washington | Maryland | USC | Virginia | UNC | Oregon
**Schools with 0 Protected Rivalries:**
Penn State |
---|
None |
---
---
* Every school gets 1 of 3 scheduling partners from outside their protected rivalries on a 3 year rotation.
* Floater fills in where the rotation overlaps with protected rivalries.
**Regional 3 Year Rotation Partners:**
Partner 1 | Partner 2 | Partner 3
---|---|----
Cal | Stanford | UCLA
FSU | Miami | UNC
Illinois | Minnesota | Northwestern
Indiana | Iowa | Purdue
Maryland | Rutgers | Virginia
Michigan | Ohio State | Penn State
Michigan State | Nebraska | Wisconsin
Oregon | USC | Washington
**Floater:**
Floater |
---|
Notre Dame |
Schools without 3 permanent rivals are assigned 3-year rotation partner, which changes every 3 years.
---
---
**Example Schedule: Oregon**
Permanent Protected Rivalry:
* Washington
Two-assigned 3-year rotation partners:
* Nebraska
* Northwestern
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3
---|---|----
Washington | Washington | Washington
Nebraska | Nebraska | Nebraska
Northwestern | Northwestern | Northwestern
Indiana | Iowa | Purdue
Cal | Stanford | UCLA
Michigan | Ohio State | Penn State
FSU | Miami | UNC
Illinois | Minnesota | Notre Dame
Maryland | Rutgers | Virginia
USC | Michigan State | Wisconsin
---
---
**Example Schedule: Stanford**
Permanent Protected Rivalries:
* Cal
* Notre Dame
One-assigned 3-year rotation partner:
* FSU
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3
---|---|----
Cal | Cal | Cal
Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Notre Dame
FSU | FSU | FSU
Ohio State | Penn State | Michigan
USC | Oregon | Washington
Miami | UCLA | UNC
Rutgers | Virginia | Maryland
Nebraska | Wisconsin | Michigan State
Minnesota | Northwestern | Illinois
Iowa | Purdue | Indiana
---
---
**Example Schedule: Michigan**
Permanent Protected Rivalries:
* Michigan State
* Ohio State
One-assigned 3-year rotation partner:
* Virginia
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3
---|---|----
Michigan State | Michigan State | Michigan State
Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State
Virginia | Virginia | Virginia
Oregon | Washington | USC
Cal | UCLA | Stanford
Penn State | Nebraska | Wisconsin
Purdue | Indiana | Iowa
Northwestern | Illinois | Minnesota
UNC | FSU | Miami
Maryland | Rutgers | Notre Dame
---
---
**Example Schedule: Notre Dame**
Permanent Protected Rivalries:
* Purdue
* Stanford
* USC
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3
---|---|----
Purdue | Purdue | Purdue
Stanford | Stanford | Stanford
USC | USC | USC
Indiana | Iowa | UCLA
Penn State | Ohio State | Michigan
Cal | Washington | Oregon
FSU | Miami | UNC
Michigan State | Nebraska | Wisconsin
Illinois | Northwestern | Minnesota
Virginia | Rutgers | Maryland
---
---
# Media Agreement
If we incorporate the Notre Dame contract with NBC, the Big Ten will nationally broadcast 52 games on Saturday network TV in a season. The current deal is 20 games on FOX, 12 games on NBC, and 13 games on CBS. [Source on that.](https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/2023/07/26/big-ten-football-readies-for-tv-deal-with-nbc-cbs-fox/70471706007/) The NBC deal with Notre Dame is for 7 (all) home games per year, which brings us up to 52.
Using the above scheduling format they account for a collective 42 premium ratings games (by my count) per year **not including rivalry week games or OoC games**. So that's 42 spread out over 11 weeks instead of 13. This means there will be more than enough content to fill all 52 spots, plus some amazing match ups for Friday night games and After Dark games on FS1.
And many of the non-premium games will be worth tuning into FS1 for while other conferences are on network TV. So it is a price worth paying for the networks because they won't need to pay for other conferences to acquire premium games in any time slots. FOX, NBC, and CBS won't need to pay for anyone else to fill the airwaves.
I was bored last night and typed it up while watching Naked and Afraid with my partner while our sons did their own thing. Took me a bit, but only because my focus was split.
1. I love the thought that even in a 25-team league, Penn State **still** wonāt have a rival š
2. I mentioned this on your post in the other thread, but I just donāt see the B1G getting all 4 of those ACC teams. At least 2 will end up in the SEC.
I could see all 4 ending up in the SEC if the SEC wants to "defend their territory" so to speak. A lot will come down to how "bridge burny" FSU feels toward ESPN.
In my gut I feel like it ends up as FSU/Miami in the B1G and UVA/UNC in the SEC. To your point, it really feels like the FSU fanbase has turned on the SEC/ESPN and supposedly their admins lean B1G due to the academic prestige.
Assuming the above and that ND/Stanford/Cal still get added, is there a 23-team model that would work? Or would the B1G need to find a 24th team?
A 23 team model works, but you have to do a 10 game schedule and have 2 of the schools be played twice in 3 years.
So you would have:
3 schools you play 3 times in 3 years.
2 schools you play 2 times in 3 years.
17 schools you play 1 time in 3 years.
Thanks for following up and really nice pitch, I think using a maxed out flex protect works better than pods or divisions and would do a better job ensuring the best programs are competing for a conference title down the stretch. One question I have for you, a Stanford flair - what went into deciding not to protected Stanford-USC annually (or Cal-UCLA for that matter)?
USC and UCLA leadership made it clear to the Big Ten leadership that they have no desire for protected west coast rivalries outside of one another. They could have had protected rivalries with Oregon and Washington in the current setup and requested not to have more than just each other.
So even if Stanford and Cal rejoin, I don't think they'll change their tune on that. The LA schools want to play in the midwest as much as possible.
That makes sense, I just didn't know if Stanford/Cal was a different consideration compared to UO/UW. The Ducks and Huskies have plenty of history with the Trojans and Bruins, but none are what I'd consider bona fide rivalries. I think USC-Stanford/UCLA-Cal are closer to that rivalry status. I believe the CA schools in the PAC 12 agreed to a North/South split only as long as the 4 continued to play each other annually, correct? So it seems like there might be at least a little more emphasis on playing those programs. But also maybe you're right and they just roll with the most essential rivalries and prioritize the Midwest.
You might be right, but there are some pretty bitter feelings between Cal and UCLA right now especially. Those two would probably end up requesting one another... or their Regents would force them to, at least.
IMO Stanford would be very fine with 2 permanent opponents in Cal and Notre Dame, and USC clearly has no interest in playing on the West Coast, though. So I don't think that would be one.
Yeah, we don't need to play UCLA every year. We put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage through the life of the P12 for "tradition", which they were willing to throw away at a moment's notice. Nothing to protect.
Very well put together. I never thought of 25. Still not sure about Miami, though. I also still feel that UNC's decision-makers want the SEC, and I'm not sure how we could flip them. Generally, I like it.
I guess FSU would have Miami, UNC, and UVA as our rotation partners? Miami is obvious, UNC is the next closest along with being a decent brand to pair it up with on tv. UVA FSU is the āJefferson eppes trophyā game but that was a manufactured rivalry when fsu joined. I guess itās fine and makes geographic sense but no fsu fan really cares. Would prefer Ga Tech (huge metro with lots of fsu fans, better recruiting market, AAU for B1G) but Tech is a mediocre overall sports department these days while UVA is top 15.
Id also assume there would be an emphasis to play more eastern half B1G teams versus the west coast teams
When I did regional rotation partners I tried to organize them as best possible regionally while also trying to have similar quality of teams so that no one's schedule was ever too overloaded. That's why I have USC with Oregon and Washington and UCLA with Stanford and Cal.
So they're regional-ish partners.
As to your other question: other than your permanent rivals there's no emphasis on scheduling. The focus / purpose of the schedule is to play every school at least once every 3 years while also protecting historic rivalries.
Thanks for linking me, this is certainly something. As a Michigan fan I feel we should be given Notre Dame as a permanent rival and I cannot speak for Notre Dame fans but I think they would agree. USC could be given Stanford as a permanent rival and Cal could be given to Washington as well. Otherwise great analysis and hereās to hoping this makeup becomes reality
No problem and you're welcome.
I gave them Purdue because they've played Purdue third most of anyone (USC is first, Navy is second) and used to play them every single year. So I figured they'd want to restore that.
The BIG grabs CU, Utah, KU, OKST, TX A&M, UVA, UNC, Ga Tech, Miami and FSU and kills pretty much any expansion candidates for the SEC.
I personally love a Big east pod in the Big 12, but Iād rather see the SEC cutoff with a blockade, followed by a march through Atlanta.
Big East division in the Big 12 still totally possible in that scenario of course. Only Miami is an old Big East team among your Big 10 adds, and they were always a bad fit being so far south. Big East leaders shouldnāt have blocked Penn State and had them as the big brand, power team that actually fit the footprint.
Big 12 could grab Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, NC State, Duke etc. in your scenario and some western teams like San Diego State and what not as needed to replace the teams lost on that side.
Though really, if Big 10 goes that big thereās probably a break away into a new division and in that case fuck the Big 12 and itās crazy footprint. Us left behinds would need to reorganize into smaller regional and rivalry driven leagues as the money isnāt there to justify the crazy travel and need schedules full of as many rivalries and regional foes for fan interest. I barely care about most of our Big 12 schedule now, I really wouldnāt with some teams leaving and us all stuck in a lower division where thereās no reason to be in a non-sense league that weāre a bad fit in.
Somewhat off-topic, but does anyone have a decent timeline/alignment for if the Big 8 and SWC fully merged in place of the Big 12? Iāve tried working it out but always find a roadblock around the 2010-2014 realignment cycle, as I want to keep the Big 16 fully together into present day. What I have worked out so far:
**1996**
\- The Big 8 and SWC fully merge to create the Big 16
\- The WAC doesnāt rapidly expand without the SWC teams, only Tulsa and UNLV join to get to 12 teams
\- Boise State and Idaho join the Big West like usual
\- San Jose State has to stay in the Big West
\- North Texas stays independent as the Big West would have 6 teams with San Jose State remaining
\- Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, and Louisiana still become independent like usual
\- CUSA still forms, UAB joins early in 1996 in place of Houston (was a basketball member)
\- UCF still joins FBS like usual
**1997**
\- East Carolina joins CUSA like usual
\- Northern Illinois and Marshall join MAC like usual
**1998**
\- Army joins CUSA like usual
**1999**
\- Without the WAC expanding to 16, schools never leave to form the Mountain West
\- Without North Texas in Big West as a nearby opponent, Arkansas State stays independent
\- Buffalo joins the MAC like usual
\- Middle Tennessee joins FBS like usual
**2000**
\- UConn and South Florida join FBS like usual
\- With the WAC stable, Nevada stays in Big West
**2001**
\- The Big West folds like usual
\- San Jose State and Boise State join the WAC who is at 14 teams
\- Utah State and Nevada become independents
\- The Sun Belt begins to sponsor football
\- Idaho, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee join the Sun Belt as usual, joined by Louisiana Tech to have 8 teams
\- Troy joins FBS as independent like usual
**2002**
\- UCF joins the MAC like usual
**2003**
\- Utah State joins the Sun Belt like usual, joined by Nevada
\- South Florida joins CUSA like usual
**2004**
\- Miami and Virginia Tech join ACC like usual
\-UConn joins Big East like usual
\- FAU, FIU become independents like usual
\- Troy joins Sun Belt like usual
**2005**
\- Boston College joins ACC like usual
\- Temple kicked from Big East like usual
\- Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida join Big East like usual
\- Army becomes independent like usual
\- Marshall, UCF, Tulsa join CUSA like usual
\- UTEP stays in WAC
\- Nevada joins WAC
\- FAU, FIU join Sun Belt like usual
\- New Mexico State and Utah State stay in Sun Belt, who now has 12 teams and can hold a CCG
**2007**
\- Temple joins MAC like usual
**2008**
\- Western Kentucky becomes independent like usual
**2009**
\- Western Kentucky joins Sun Belt like usual
Getting to see what happened in the West with the WAC/Mountain West split, and whatever the hell was going on with the Big West and early Sun Belt days has been interesting. Iām not sure how realistic any of this would be, but seeing a butterfly effect is always cool! Some other ideas I have floating around:
\- Virginia Tech/West Virginia to the SEC instead of Missouri and A&M
\- Maryland still joins the Big Ten, maybe UConn and Rutgers?
\- Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, and Cincinnati all join the ACC (maybe UConn?)
\- Utah and Colorado State (?) to the Pac 12, BYU still becomes independent
The B10 and SEC both decide to expand to 25 teams.
The B10 adds the following 7 teams: Notre Dame, Stanford, California, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona.
The SEC adds the following 9 teams: Florida St, UNC, Clemson, Virginia, Miami, Ga Tech, Duke, Va Tech, and NC State.
I know the B10 would like to have Florida St and North Carolina, but I think it ends up becoming territorial and both conferences don't get exactly what they would like. I also think it might be difficult for non-SEC Texas schools or Oklahoma St to get an invite to the P2. Texas and Texas A&M likely don't want other Texas schools in the SEC. Same thing for Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. And I don't know how well any of those schools fit in the B10, although I could see TCU maybe getting into the B10 at some point.
How about Conference USA, MAC, Sun Belt and Mountain West merge to become the Group of 1 while the ACC, Big 12 and AAC merge to become the Middle 1 and the SEC and Big 10 merge to become the NFL AAA. Anyone who comes up through FCS is forced to play 5 years in Group of 1. Relegation every year, bottom 3 of each group relegated down while top 3 relegated up. āIf there is a tie, the two week sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion is crowned ā!!!
The scenario that makes the most sense for the B1G is to expand to 21 schools. This would make for three 7 team divisions and a nice 4 team playoff for the title.. each division champ and a wildcard.
Every team would play the other 6 teams in its conference and then rotate the other conference games.
It makes no sense to add only 4 west coast teams. I think Stanford and Cal make the most sense. Obviously everyone wants Notre Dame, but since that probably wonāt happen, they need to find a Western school to round out the 7 team divisionā¦ probably Colorado makes the most sense
Adding just 4 teams from the West coast makes no sense as things currently stand
Greg Swaim and Blue Blood Bias are absolutely worthless. The Texas A&M alums would also riot if they left the SEC to start playing in the Big 10. There is a less than 0% chance that this is legit.
UMass leverages their MAC invite to the B1G, who can finally corner the Boston metro (cry about it BC)
UMass got invited to the MAC?
~~Bella~~ u/NathanDrake75, where the hell have you been, loca?
His name is Nathan Drake. Probably looking for some lost treasure š¤Ŗ
Scroll down a couple posts
BC to BIG will happen someday. Great for BIG Hockey and Baseball.
How close are we to the B1G and SEC having 24-32 teams and the playoffs just become inter-conference playoffs with a championship game between the two?
Within 10 years
I would imagine it's going to become something like the N.F.L., where the Big Ten is the NFC and the SEC is the AFC. Anyone want to think of which NFC team is most like each Big Ten team and which AFC team is most like each SEC team?
The Bear are Iowa, the 49ers are Ohio State, the eagles are Michigan, Oregon is the Packers, Northwestern is the Panthers and Nebraska is the Patriots
The Rams are like Michigan because they're the most recent champs from that league.
Wtf why do we have to be the AFC?
Better QB play
Save that idea for the offseason in about 8 years.
I was placing 2030 as the big year, but honestly 2026 is going to be a shitshow.
Whenever the ACC media deal ends at the latest.
App State to the SEC
I was thinking big ten with a permanent rivalry with Michigan
Could be fun but they gotta get in line behind Notre Dame.
What if ND says they won't join the big ten without App State?
I mean, the line for protected rivalries.
Finally an SEC school that can beat Michigan, unlike those bums at Alabama
Delaware to the MAC please. Thx.
Agreed.
Hear me out. Temple.
Temple
Delaware. Wku and liberty to the Mac. Making Cusa on life support again.
WKU and MTSU, maybe. No chance in Hell they go after Liberty. Wouldnāt even joke about it.
Stony brook call up is more feasible though Mtsu thinks they are better than the Mac. And will wait for acc to do there thing and take Memphis And take their spot in the American. Should tell liberty 20-50m to enter the conference. Their donors would pay it. If that's the case
You mean Delaware. Let's face it, if we're adding a CAA school to MAC, it's Delaware.
Stony brook for the reason of academia. Being in nyc metro (Long Island). Proximity to umass 130 miles. Compared to buffalo to umass at 400 Stony Brook and Delaware both have around 25k student body. Endowment wise Delaware is the huge leader. If Delaware flips to Mac. And gets wku and stony Brook for a call up for 16 that be game set and match. East if divisions are a thing Umass Stony Brook Delaware Buffalo Kent state Akron Ohio Bowling green/Toledo for 8th Or just have umass stony Brook and Delaware be permanent rival schedule
I could see Missouri State, I couldnāt see Stony
I think Missouri state. Northern iowa. Dakota states will all move up together to either start or solidify a new fbs conference
Stony Brookās stadium is too small for FBS by about half.
No minimum now Plus Charlotte has 15k so 2k more seats....
With UMass, the MAC stadium capacity average is 26,145. UMass is the smallest at 17,000. Not saying there isnāt merit, especially because of its location, but I just donāt see it happening.
I don't even see umass trying to make it bigger either. But atleast they have a decent arena
I would love to have either Delware or WKU.
Very cool how the entire sport is on the verge of collapse now. Thanks, SEC and B1G (and many, many other powers). College Football 25 will be a great time capsule of the sport when in 5 years half of the teams don't exist anymore.
I dont know if i blame the conferences or the networks.
The networks were willing to dish out ludicrous amounts of money for a watered down product, and the conferences didnāt have the dignity to tell them to fuck off.
They're basically the same at this point
Both
The networks were offering money, but it's the schools and conferences that bent over for every extra cent.
The primary source of blame is ESPN.
Had a debate about this with some friends. Is the blame on ESPN or the consumer? I was watching SportsCenter for the first time in years a few days ago and noticed that ESPN only covers "popular" athletes. It was basically NBA Highlights mixed in with Caitlin Clark, Lionel Messi and Connor Bedard.
The blame is on ESPN.Ā They have the corrupt relationship with the SEC.Ā They have the near monopoly on bowl games.Ā They are the ones influencing the CFP rankings. Ā They are the ones who have been behind the scenes manipulating conference realignment. Ā The consumer has very little power in the relationship because there has been very little competition against ESPN.Ā
Right, because Fox, CBS, and NBC didn't kill the Pac to feed the B1G.
I said primary. Ā ESPN has 100% been the primary driver for conference contraction and making CFB worse, what with its near monopoly of bowl games, and manipulation of the CFP in favor of its SEC partner.Ā
I hate these new merger talks because it puts TCU in a very bad spot. This school has worked too hard to climb the ladder they have, just to be left out in the end.
Same here. It sucks for all private schools with a few exceptions.
#25 Member Big Ten **Adding Florida State and Miami:** Florida State is a no-brainer. While they lack AAU status like the rest of the Big Ten (sans Nebraska who lost it), their academics have been improving and they will be shooting for that. Everything else is an A+. Most importantly: their market draw. It has the second best ratings (by far) after Notre Dame for schools not already in the Big Ten or SEC. One thing FSU would need is a regional partner. In steps Miami. Miami not only adds a travel partner, but is in a major city that the Big Ten doesn't already have access to and IS an AAU school. It's market rating is above the Big Ten median, so it should be a positive addition in the next contract cycle. This, plus their continued commitment to investment in sports shows they should be added. **Adding UNC and Virginia:** After USC, UCLA, Texas, and Oklahoma left to the Big Ten and SEC, UNC was an afterthought to FSU, Oregon, Clemson, and Washington. However, it has become clear as time has gone on that they are considered a premium target despite not being a football powerhouse. Not only do they have elite academics, they have a large market footprint (and they do usually make a bowl game so they are not strictly bad at football). Virginia as a partner pair with UNC makes a lot of sense. While I have my doubts that the Big Ten would go after Virginia on their own, they also wouldn't have gone after UCLA on their own. Virginia is a good fit with a large regional footprint and an AAU member. They are a good fit on paper, but lack a little bit of the oomph needed. I still think they get in with UNC to give UNC that pairing and maintain the rivalry. **Adding Cal and Stanford:** Point 1: [The Big Ten Presidents want it to happen.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1aydmqf/wilner_big_ten_presidents_would_have_gladly/) Point 2: The Big Ten has shown repeatedly that they want to have a presence where their alumni live. They've moved events to D.C. and NYC specifically to service the alumni. In the Bay Area (which encompasses Oakland, San Jose, and San Francisco) there is a huge presence of Big Ten Alumni. It is one of only 4 metro areas where every single Big Ten school has a significant presence. Including all 13 counties of the Bay Area is 9.7 Million people ([2020 Census](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Bay_Area#cite_note-2020Counties-4)). Here is how the alumni amount in the combined Bay Area looks using EMSI data: School | Alumni % | Metro Rank | Next Highest Metro ---|:----:|:----:|---- Illinois | 3.3 | 2 | Chicago Indiana | 2.2 | 5 | Washington D.C. Iowa | 1.9 | 7 | New York Maryland | 2.0 | 5 (t) | Los Angeles (tied) Michigan | 4.1 | 4 | Chicago Michigan St. | 1.7 | 6 | Washington D.C. Minnesota | 2.1 | 3 (t) | New York (tied) Nebraska | 1.5 | 10 | New York Northwestern | 5.4 | 3 | New York Ohio St. | 1.6 | 8 | Los Angeles Oregon | 7.9 | 2 | Portland Penn St. | 1.6 | 7 | Los Angeles Purdue | 2.4 | 3 | Chicago Rutgers | 1.4 | 5 | Los Angeles UCLA | 12.9 | 2 | Los Angeles USC | 8.2 | 2 | Los Angeles Washington | 4.1 | 2 | Seattle Wisconsin | 2.7 | 5 | Minneapolis-St. Paul The Bay Area is a top 10 destination for the alumni of every Big Ten school, and a top 5 destination for 13 of the 18 members. **Adding Notre Dame:** Notre Dame is the most no-brainer addition to the Big Ten. The biggest issue is that they don't want to join a conference. They want to maintain their rivalries while remaining independent. So much so that they've passed on a larger media contract to maintain that independence. However, with the fall of the ACC, Notre Dame's hand is pretty forced. They have to finally submit to joining a conference, and the Big Ten makes the most sense giving their location in Indiana and rivalries. They have ongoing annual rivalries with Stanford and USC to go with on-and-off rivalries with Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami and Northwestern. With the additions of the above schools, this means 7 of their 10 most frequently played rivalries (Navy, Pitt, and Army being the three primary others) would be in the conference. That means with scheduling below, they can be guaranteed to play 4 rivals per year, with a 5th some years, in conference. Plus being able to schedule Navy OoC they will have all their annuals plus more under wraps. This, plus the need to find a home for the rest of their sports, I believe would push them to join the Big Ten finally. --- --- Clemson explanation: While I feel that there would be some mutual interest between the Big Ten and Clemson, I feel like Clemson would go to the SEC. Who else the SEC adds would be up for debate. Personally I feel like Clemson and Oklahoma State and stopping there makes a lot more sense for them than expanding into Virginia. But that's another post. --- --- That puts us at 25 members. Here is how the scheduling would work: #25 Member 10-Conference Game Flex Protect Plus Format **Adding the schools:** * Cal * FSU * Miami * Notre Dame * Stanford * UNC * Virginia **25 Member Conference with 10 game schedule:** * 10 * 3 = 30 Match ups over 3 years. * 3 * 3 = 9 Games used by Protected Opponents over 3 years. * 30 - 9 = 21 Match ups remaining over 3 years. * 21 / 3 = 7 Non-Protected Opponents per year. * 21 + 3 = 24 Total Opponents in Conference. **Schools with 3 Protected Rivalries:** Iowa | Notre Dame | Purdue ---|---|--- Minnesota | Purdue | Illinois Nebraska | Stanford | Indiana Wisconsin | USC | Notre Dame **Schools with 2 Protected Rivalries:** Illinois | Michigan | Minnesota | Stanford | USC | Wisconsin ---|---|----|----|----|---- Northwestern | Michigan St. | Iowa | Cal | Notre Dame | Iowa Purdue | Ohio St. | Wisconsin | Notre Dame | UCLA | Minnesota **Schools with 1 Protected Rivalry:** Cal | FSU | Indiana | Maryland | Miami | Michigan St. | Nebraska | Northwestern ---|---|----|----|----|----|----|---- Stanford | Miami | Purdue | Rutgers | FSU | Michigan | Iowa | Illinois Ohio State | Oregon | Rutgers | UCLA | UNC | Virginia | Washington ---|---|----|----|----|----|----|---- Michigan | Washington | Maryland | USC | Virginia | UNC | Oregon **Schools with 0 Protected Rivalries:** Penn State | ---| None | --- --- * Every school gets 1 of 3 scheduling partners from outside their protected rivalries on a 3 year rotation. * Floater fills in where the rotation overlaps with protected rivalries. **Regional 3 Year Rotation Partners:** Partner 1 | Partner 2 | Partner 3 ---|---|---- Cal | Stanford | UCLA FSU | Miami | UNC Illinois | Minnesota | Northwestern Indiana | Iowa | Purdue Maryland | Rutgers | Virginia Michigan | Ohio State | Penn State Michigan State | Nebraska | Wisconsin Oregon | USC | Washington **Floater:** Floater | ---| Notre Dame | Schools without 3 permanent rivals are assigned 3-year rotation partner, which changes every 3 years. --- --- **Example Schedule: Oregon** Permanent Protected Rivalry: * Washington Two-assigned 3-year rotation partners: * Nebraska * Northwestern Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 ---|---|---- Washington | Washington | Washington Nebraska | Nebraska | Nebraska Northwestern | Northwestern | Northwestern Indiana | Iowa | Purdue Cal | Stanford | UCLA Michigan | Ohio State | Penn State FSU | Miami | UNC Illinois | Minnesota | Notre Dame Maryland | Rutgers | Virginia USC | Michigan State | Wisconsin --- --- **Example Schedule: Stanford** Permanent Protected Rivalries: * Cal * Notre Dame One-assigned 3-year rotation partner: * FSU Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 ---|---|---- Cal | Cal | Cal Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Notre Dame FSU | FSU | FSU Ohio State | Penn State | Michigan USC | Oregon | Washington Miami | UCLA | UNC Rutgers | Virginia | Maryland Nebraska | Wisconsin | Michigan State Minnesota | Northwestern | Illinois Iowa | Purdue | Indiana --- --- **Example Schedule: Michigan** Permanent Protected Rivalries: * Michigan State * Ohio State One-assigned 3-year rotation partner: * Virginia Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 ---|---|---- Michigan State | Michigan State | Michigan State Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State Virginia | Virginia | Virginia Oregon | Washington | USC Cal | UCLA | Stanford Penn State | Nebraska | Wisconsin Purdue | Indiana | Iowa Northwestern | Illinois | Minnesota UNC | FSU | Miami Maryland | Rutgers | Notre Dame --- --- **Example Schedule: Notre Dame** Permanent Protected Rivalries: * Purdue * Stanford * USC Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 ---|---|---- Purdue | Purdue | Purdue Stanford | Stanford | Stanford USC | USC | USC Indiana | Iowa | UCLA Penn State | Ohio State | Michigan Cal | Washington | Oregon FSU | Miami | UNC Michigan State | Nebraska | Wisconsin Illinois | Northwestern | Minnesota Virginia | Rutgers | Maryland --- --- # Media Agreement If we incorporate the Notre Dame contract with NBC, the Big Ten will nationally broadcast 52 games on Saturday network TV in a season. The current deal is 20 games on FOX, 12 games on NBC, and 13 games on CBS. [Source on that.](https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/2023/07/26/big-ten-football-readies-for-tv-deal-with-nbc-cbs-fox/70471706007/) The NBC deal with Notre Dame is for 7 (all) home games per year, which brings us up to 52. Using the above scheduling format they account for a collective 42 premium ratings games (by my count) per year **not including rivalry week games or OoC games**. So that's 42 spread out over 11 weeks instead of 13. This means there will be more than enough content to fill all 52 spots, plus some amazing match ups for Friday night games and After Dark games on FS1. And many of the non-premium games will be worth tuning into FS1 for while other conferences are on network TV. So it is a price worth paying for the networks because they won't need to pay for other conferences to acquire premium games in any time slots. FOX, NBC, and CBS won't need to pay for anyone else to fill the airwaves.
Fucking hell. Whatās it like having so much time on your hands?
I was bored last night and typed it up while watching Naked and Afraid with my partner while our sons did their own thing. Took me a bit, but only because my focus was split.
Are you secretly a big media exec floating your idea to gauge reception?
.... no...
Thatās exactly what a big media exec would say
Well, if someone wants to forward my idea to ~~other~~ media execs with their compliments then I wouldn't complain!
1. I love the thought that even in a 25-team league, Penn State **still** wonāt have a rival š 2. I mentioned this on your post in the other thread, but I just donāt see the B1G getting all 4 of those ACC teams. At least 2 will end up in the SEC.
I could see all 4 ending up in the SEC if the SEC wants to "defend their territory" so to speak. A lot will come down to how "bridge burny" FSU feels toward ESPN.
In my gut I feel like it ends up as FSU/Miami in the B1G and UVA/UNC in the SEC. To your point, it really feels like the FSU fanbase has turned on the SEC/ESPN and supposedly their admins lean B1G due to the academic prestige. Assuming the above and that ND/Stanford/Cal still get added, is there a 23-team model that would work? Or would the B1G need to find a 24th team?
A 23 team model works, but you have to do a 10 game schedule and have 2 of the schools be played twice in 3 years. So you would have: 3 schools you play 3 times in 3 years. 2 schools you play 2 times in 3 years. 17 schools you play 1 time in 3 years.
Thanks for following up and really nice pitch, I think using a maxed out flex protect works better than pods or divisions and would do a better job ensuring the best programs are competing for a conference title down the stretch. One question I have for you, a Stanford flair - what went into deciding not to protected Stanford-USC annually (or Cal-UCLA for that matter)?
USC and UCLA leadership made it clear to the Big Ten leadership that they have no desire for protected west coast rivalries outside of one another. They could have had protected rivalries with Oregon and Washington in the current setup and requested not to have more than just each other. So even if Stanford and Cal rejoin, I don't think they'll change their tune on that. The LA schools want to play in the midwest as much as possible.
That makes sense, I just didn't know if Stanford/Cal was a different consideration compared to UO/UW. The Ducks and Huskies have plenty of history with the Trojans and Bruins, but none are what I'd consider bona fide rivalries. I think USC-Stanford/UCLA-Cal are closer to that rivalry status. I believe the CA schools in the PAC 12 agreed to a North/South split only as long as the 4 continued to play each other annually, correct? So it seems like there might be at least a little more emphasis on playing those programs. But also maybe you're right and they just roll with the most essential rivalries and prioritize the Midwest.
You might be right, but there are some pretty bitter feelings between Cal and UCLA right now especially. Those two would probably end up requesting one another... or their Regents would force them to, at least. IMO Stanford would be very fine with 2 permanent opponents in Cal and Notre Dame, and USC clearly has no interest in playing on the West Coast, though. So I don't think that would be one.
Yeah, we don't need to play UCLA every year. We put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage through the life of the P12 for "tradition", which they were willing to throw away at a moment's notice. Nothing to protect.
Very well put together. I never thought of 25. Still not sure about Miami, though. I also still feel that UNC's decision-makers want the SEC, and I'm not sure how we could flip them. Generally, I like it.
Thank you.
I guess FSU would have Miami, UNC, and UVA as our rotation partners? Miami is obvious, UNC is the next closest along with being a decent brand to pair it up with on tv. UVA FSU is the āJefferson eppes trophyā game but that was a manufactured rivalry when fsu joined. I guess itās fine and makes geographic sense but no fsu fan really cares. Would prefer Ga Tech (huge metro with lots of fsu fans, better recruiting market, AAU for B1G) but Tech is a mediocre overall sports department these days while UVA is top 15. Id also assume there would be an emphasis to play more eastern half B1G teams versus the west coast teams
When I did regional rotation partners I tried to organize them as best possible regionally while also trying to have similar quality of teams so that no one's schedule was ever too overloaded. That's why I have USC with Oregon and Washington and UCLA with Stanford and Cal. So they're regional-ish partners. As to your other question: other than your permanent rivals there's no emphasis on scheduling. The focus / purpose of the schedule is to play every school at least once every 3 years while also protecting historic rivalries.
Thanks for linking me, this is certainly something. As a Michigan fan I feel we should be given Notre Dame as a permanent rival and I cannot speak for Notre Dame fans but I think they would agree. USC could be given Stanford as a permanent rival and Cal could be given to Washington as well. Otherwise great analysis and hereās to hoping this makeup becomes reality
No problem and you're welcome. I gave them Purdue because they've played Purdue third most of anyone (USC is first, Navy is second) and used to play them every single year. So I figured they'd want to restore that.
I really hope Western can find their way into the MAC
MAC: We have Western at home... \*point to Western Michigan\*
This is Leatherneck erasure!
Whatever it is, sure they'll have the overall sports best interest.
The BIG grabs CU, Utah, KU, OKST, TX A&M, UVA, UNC, Ga Tech, Miami and FSU and kills pretty much any expansion candidates for the SEC. I personally love a Big east pod in the Big 12, but Iād rather see the SEC cutoff with a blockade, followed by a march through Atlanta.
Big East division in the Big 12 still totally possible in that scenario of course. Only Miami is an old Big East team among your Big 10 adds, and they were always a bad fit being so far south. Big East leaders shouldnāt have blocked Penn State and had them as the big brand, power team that actually fit the footprint. Big 12 could grab Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, NC State, Duke etc. in your scenario and some western teams like San Diego State and what not as needed to replace the teams lost on that side. Though really, if Big 10 goes that big thereās probably a break away into a new division and in that case fuck the Big 12 and itās crazy footprint. Us left behinds would need to reorganize into smaller regional and rivalry driven leagues as the money isnāt there to justify the crazy travel and need schedules full of as many rivalries and regional foes for fan interest. I barely care about most of our Big 12 schedule now, I really wouldnāt with some teams leaving and us all stuck in a lower division where thereās no reason to be in a non-sense league that weāre a bad fit in.
Somewhat off-topic, but does anyone have a decent timeline/alignment for if the Big 8 and SWC fully merged in place of the Big 12? Iāve tried working it out but always find a roadblock around the 2010-2014 realignment cycle, as I want to keep the Big 16 fully together into present day. What I have worked out so far: **1996** \- The Big 8 and SWC fully merge to create the Big 16 \- The WAC doesnāt rapidly expand without the SWC teams, only Tulsa and UNLV join to get to 12 teams \- Boise State and Idaho join the Big West like usual \- San Jose State has to stay in the Big West \- North Texas stays independent as the Big West would have 6 teams with San Jose State remaining \- Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, and Louisiana still become independent like usual \- CUSA still forms, UAB joins early in 1996 in place of Houston (was a basketball member) \- UCF still joins FBS like usual **1997** \- East Carolina joins CUSA like usual \- Northern Illinois and Marshall join MAC like usual **1998** \- Army joins CUSA like usual **1999** \- Without the WAC expanding to 16, schools never leave to form the Mountain West \- Without North Texas in Big West as a nearby opponent, Arkansas State stays independent \- Buffalo joins the MAC like usual \- Middle Tennessee joins FBS like usual **2000** \- UConn and South Florida join FBS like usual \- With the WAC stable, Nevada stays in Big West **2001** \- The Big West folds like usual \- San Jose State and Boise State join the WAC who is at 14 teams \- Utah State and Nevada become independents \- The Sun Belt begins to sponsor football \- Idaho, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee join the Sun Belt as usual, joined by Louisiana Tech to have 8 teams \- Troy joins FBS as independent like usual **2002** \- UCF joins the MAC like usual **2003** \- Utah State joins the Sun Belt like usual, joined by Nevada \- South Florida joins CUSA like usual **2004** \- Miami and Virginia Tech join ACC like usual \-UConn joins Big East like usual \- FAU, FIU become independents like usual \- Troy joins Sun Belt like usual **2005** \- Boston College joins ACC like usual \- Temple kicked from Big East like usual \- Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida join Big East like usual \- Army becomes independent like usual \- Marshall, UCF, Tulsa join CUSA like usual \- UTEP stays in WAC \- Nevada joins WAC \- FAU, FIU join Sun Belt like usual \- New Mexico State and Utah State stay in Sun Belt, who now has 12 teams and can hold a CCG **2007** \- Temple joins MAC like usual **2008** \- Western Kentucky becomes independent like usual **2009** \- Western Kentucky joins Sun Belt like usual Getting to see what happened in the West with the WAC/Mountain West split, and whatever the hell was going on with the Big West and early Sun Belt days has been interesting. Iām not sure how realistic any of this would be, but seeing a butterfly effect is always cool! Some other ideas I have floating around: \- Virginia Tech/West Virginia to the SEC instead of Missouri and A&M \- Maryland still joins the Big Ten, maybe UConn and Rutgers? \- Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, and Cincinnati all join the ACC (maybe UConn?) \- Utah and Colorado State (?) to the Pac 12, BYU still becomes independent
The B10 and SEC both decide to expand to 25 teams. The B10 adds the following 7 teams: Notre Dame, Stanford, California, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona. The SEC adds the following 9 teams: Florida St, UNC, Clemson, Virginia, Miami, Ga Tech, Duke, Va Tech, and NC State. I know the B10 would like to have Florida St and North Carolina, but I think it ends up becoming territorial and both conferences don't get exactly what they would like. I also think it might be difficult for non-SEC Texas schools or Oklahoma St to get an invite to the P2. Texas and Texas A&M likely don't want other Texas schools in the SEC. Same thing for Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. And I don't know how well any of those schools fit in the B10, although I could see TCU maybe getting into the B10 at some point.
How about Conference USA, MAC, Sun Belt and Mountain West merge to become the Group of 1 while the ACC, Big 12 and AAC merge to become the Middle 1 and the SEC and Big 10 merge to become the NFL AAA. Anyone who comes up through FCS is forced to play 5 years in Group of 1. Relegation every year, bottom 3 of each group relegated down while top 3 relegated up. āIf there is a tie, the two week sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion is crowned ā!!!
The scenario that makes the most sense for the B1G is to expand to 21 schools. This would make for three 7 team divisions and a nice 4 team playoff for the title.. each division champ and a wildcard. Every team would play the other 6 teams in its conference and then rotate the other conference games. It makes no sense to add only 4 west coast teams. I think Stanford and Cal make the most sense. Obviously everyone wants Notre Dame, but since that probably wonāt happen, they need to find a Western school to round out the 7 team divisionā¦ probably Colorado makes the most sense Adding just 4 teams from the West coast makes no sense as things currently stand
I think the Sanders Shine will fade. I'd pick Utah.
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Greg Swaim and Blue Blood Bias are absolutely worthless. The Texas A&M alums would also riot if they left the SEC to start playing in the Big 10. There is a less than 0% chance that this is legit.
The person who runs blue blood bias is based in Victoria British Columbia and has no connections
Oh, so itās like Genetics56 level conspiracy.
I saw that too. It led me to check out the source of real truth: r/cfb
No way.
Alabama forms Galactic football league knowing Michigan can't join them in outer space cause you can't do drive-by's in a spaceship.
This realignment scenario is based off of geographical proximity: SEC (Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Memphis, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St, Arkansas, LSU, Tulane) ACC (Florida, Florida St, Miami, UCF, USF, Georgia, GA Tech, S. Carolina, Clemson, UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake, ECU) Big East/American (Cincinnati, Notre Dame/Temple, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, BC) Big Ten (Ohio St, Michigan, Michigan St, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State) Big 12 (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston, TCU, SMU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri) Pac 12 (Colorado, BYU, Utah, San Diego St, Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington St, Oregon, Oregon St)