4/9/2023 0 Comments Conference realignment![]() ![]() The Big-12 has already introduced BYU, Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF to the conference, and is hoping to retain other programs that are rumored to be leaving. With the changing complexation of college football, expect other conferences to generate similar change. If a twelve team playoff were to occur at the end of this season, the SEC would most likely have five teams finish inside of the top twelve: Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, and Ole Miss. With the SEC being the most dominant force in the CFP, a unitary division system should help the conference increase their already dominant production of programs into CFB’s most premier tournament. The Playoff confirmed that it is expanding to a twelve team system however, it has not confirmed yet when that will occur. Now, with the likely implementation of this system, it will surely change the dynamic of the College Football Playoff. Now while commissioner Sankey did not specify much on what will happen with yearly rivalry games, one would assume that schools would do their best to maintain matchups such as Georgia-Florida, Alabama-Auburn, and Oklahoma-Texas. The final system, which seems to be what will come into effect Fall of 2025, includes a unitary division where opponents will alternate each year. For example, if Georgia’s group consisted of Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, then Georgia would play those three teams on a yearly basis and would rotate playing various teams from other pods to fill the remaining void on their schedule. This scenario would have resulted in the 16 SEC teams being divided evenly into four groups. The second scenario was a four team pod system. This more than likely would’ve slid Alabama and Auburn over to the Eastern division and placed Oklahoma and Texas in the Western division. The first option included keeping the “East” and “West” divisions but adding a new team to each division. But I don’t know that that’s in our best interest at this very moment.Commissioner Sankey has brought to light the inevitable probability that the SEC will abandon it’s division systems and move towards a unitary division.Įver since Texas and Oklahoma were admitted into the SEC, analysts and experts presented various forms of division realignment. I think I probably fielded three or four calls from institutions this week saying, ‘Hey, don’t forget about us if you’re looking to expand’. “There’s always a host of institutions either currently in the FCS or others, that we get constant phone calls. ![]() “I think we’re not necessarily going to wait and see, but there could be some Big 12 schools, there could be some Pac-12 schools that would be interested in the Mountain West Conference. “Some of our institutions had an opportunity to leave a year ago and join the American and opted to stay, and I think that was a smart move. “We solidified ourselves,” Thompson said. In early July, during an interview on KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM, Thompson expressed optimism about the current standing of the MW, and speculated that there could be Pac-12 or Big 12 teams that come calling, in the event of more realignment. Wednesday wasn’t the first time Thompson has let on that teams have approached the MW about potential membership.
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