Realignment almost over

[Buller64]

With WVU going to the B12 and Missouri to the SEC this round of realignment will end when the BE adds its 7 schools for football. The next round of realignment will occur beginning late 2012 and early 2013. At that time the schools will start switching around again until we have 4 mega conferences of 16 schools (64 programs). The B12 will fall apart then. The surviving conferences will be ACC, B10, Pac12 and SEC. The programs currently in those conferences will remain in the big 4 conferences (52 programs). The schools that will be joining them for certain are:

Texas

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Kansas

Kansas State

Rutgers

Connecticut

Notre Dame (will be forced to join a conference)

This leaves three slots open for the following schools (current AQ schools only):

Louisville

Baylor

West Viriginia

TCU

Iowa State

USF

Cincinnati

Under this scenario what should the programs left out of the big 4 conferences do, includingthose not currently have AQ status? In particular USF, since it seems likely that we will be one of the programs left out.

[BullFan98]

Do you also have the numbers to the Florida Power Ball Lottery in your crystal ball?

[Skingraft]

First off-stop calling Ms. Cleo...is she dead yet..are you reaching out to the beyond...

[dh5158]

With WVU going to the B12 and Missouri to the SEC this round of realignment will end when the BE adds its 7 schools for football. The next round of realignment will occur beginning late 2012 and early 2013. At that time the schools will start switching around again until we have 4 mega conferences of 16 schools (64 programs). The B12 will fall apart then. The surviving conferences will be ACC, B10, Pac12 and SEC. The programs currently in those conferences will remain in the big 4 conferences (52 programs). The schools that will be joining them for certain are:

Texas

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Kansas

Kansas State

Rutgers

Connecticut

Notre Dame (will be forced to join a conference)

This leaves three slots open for the following schools (current AQ schools only):

Louisville

Baylor

West Viriginia

TCU

Iowa State

USF

Cincinnati

Under this scenario what should the programs left out of the big 4 conferences do, includingthose not currently have AQ status? In particular USF, since it seems likely that we will be one of the programs left out.

You're mistaken. You forgot to add the left over teams of the new BE: UCF, UH, SMU and maybe Boise State, Navy and Air Force and someone else not known at this time.

[usfbullrider]

Isn't 5 conferences of 14 more likely?

[Buller64]

1) I did say current AQ schools, UCF, UH, SMU, AFA, Navy, Boise and one to be maned later are not currently AQ schools

2) 5 14 team conferences makes a lot of sense and is what I prefer but ESPN prefers 4 - 16 so that they can do a 4 - team playoff

3) This isn't calls to Miss Cleo (?), it seems rather obvious to me. This is how it is going to go unless the schools left out or Congress can force changes. Its all about the money for the big schools and this is how you maximize your money without having to "share the wealth."

4) I am convinced that before 2016 that this will become the structure of college football.

[Stier]

I still don't see the whole 4 mega conferences of 16 teams ever becoming reality!

[Bulls 1]

You forgot USF & Louisville to the big 12

[nobull.Bulls]

Guess we better quit screwing around and win that Big East title next year to go out big!

[Reliable Source]

This scenario is wrong on so many levels, starting with the 1st assumption that realignment is over for now. And I love the repeat of the, often quoted, but never explained premise, that ND will "have" to join a conference. No one has even come close to explaining the rationale for that to me.. They seem to be doing just fine without a conference(best TV deal in country, pick of the appropriate bowl game every year,, etc) the only reason they need a conference affiliation at all is to house their so-called "Olympic" sports and every conference in the country is lined up and ready to take those. The reason alignment isn't over is that the Big East hasn't collapsed yet. Without a "bell" cow left in the conference the only fools ready to join the Big East seem to be UCF and ECU. I mean Tater Head had to fly all over the country trying to sell a plan which changes every 3-4 days. What thinking school administration would buy into that mess?