Future Collegiate Conference Realignment

[Bourgeois Zee]

Did a Missouri fan make that?

No, but it does work out well for them, doesn't it?

Tennessee too (and perhaps Kentucky). At least in football.

The Southwest and Southeast Pod Champions might well be top seeds in an 8-team playoff format, but boy, would it be fun to get there!

In basketball, the pods are pretty balanced currently, with the Northeast likely the toughest pod. I'd guess 16 conference games-- home-and-home within the pod, then home or away with the other conference members?

[KronoRed]

I’m taking this as Texas A&M is falling into line:

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ahoma-join-sec

Yeah someone told them to sit down and shut up and dry their tears with a crap load of money.

[KronoRed]

If they do go with pods they will try and even out traditional powers while also making sure certain rivalries live on, that's why I think one pod will definitely be Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Vandy.

[Rojo Rijo]

Another method would be to remain divisions and do away with the annual cross division rivalries. Geographically this would probably mean sending Bama and Auburn to the East. So you’d play a 9 game conference schedule, 7 on your own side and then rotating pods of 2 on the other side. This would allow for the SECCG to be determined as normal.

[Assembly Hall]

Reports are that Okie St. has reached out to the B1G.

[RedTeamGo!]

Reports are that Okie St. has reached out to the B1G.

I get Okla St would not fit academically, but I think that would be a great fit athletics wise.

[Bourgeois Zee]

If they do go with pods they will try and even out traditional powers while also making sure certain rivalries live on, that's why I think one pod will definitely be Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Vandy.

Alabama v. Auburn, yes.

Tennessee v. Vandy, maybe, although I think UT would insist a bigger rival is Kentucky (basketball) or Georgia or Florida (football). Vandy probably wouldn't.

I can't see the four of them together, though, because it screws up the geography.

Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn, and Alabama, I get that. The latter two, Florida, and Georgia also make all the sense in the world. But putting the two Tennessee schools with the two Alabama schools means many other schools have much longer distances to travel for weaker conference rivals. Missouri make some sense geographically. South Carolina might as well. But South Carolina is over 850 miles from Missouri, and those schools really don't care much about one another.

One way to fix the geographic issue might be to split the two Tennessee schools. UK, Missouri, Arkansas, and Vandy could be a Northwest Pod. UT, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia could be a Southeast Pod. Alabama, Auburn, Starkville, and Ole Miss are the Central. Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, and LSU round it out.

[Assembly Hall]

I get Okla St would not fit academically, but I think that would be a great fit athletics wise.

I agree....perhaps that AAU thing doesn't matter anymore?

[Playadlc]

Any shot the SEC goes after some Big Ten schools?

[Assembly Hall]

Any shot the SEC goes after some Big Ten schools?

Rumor has it they have reached out to a couple...

[WVRed]

Another method would be to remain divisions and do away with the annual cross division rivalries. Geographically this would probably mean sending Bama and Auburn to the East. So you’d play a 9 game conference schedule, 7 on your own side and then rotating pods of 2 on the other side. This would allow for the SECCG to be determined as normal.

That would also turn the SEC East into the NBA Western Conference.

Matt Jones from KSR shared the same thing and essentially said if that happened Kentucky should vote against it. I’ve also seen one pod proposal which has Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Bama in the same conference.

I don’t think there is a clear cut solution. Pods are probably the best way to go. Play three teams in your division, four teams from another pod, and maybe two teams set that are rivals. If the rival is in a pod that is being played then sub out another team.

[WVRed]

It takes 3/4 of the league to approve it.

You know A&M won’t. Would Arkansas, LSU, and Missouri? Not too sure about the Alabama and Mississippi schools.

Could do a pod system as well:

SEC North:
Kentucky
Arkansas
Vanderbilt
Missouri

SEC East:
Georgia
Florida
South Carolina
Tennessee

SEC South:
Alabama
Auburn
Ole Miss
Mississippi State

SEC West:
LSU
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas A&M

Let’s stick with my pod proposal for this example and UK as the team.

Kentucky plays the following schedule:
@Arkansas
Vanderbilt
@Missouri

Let’s assign them the SEC South Pod:
@Alabama
Auburn
@Ole Miss
Mississippi State

Rivals:
@Tennessee
Florida

If they play the SEC East pod, assign them two other SEC teams.

[WVRed]

I smell BS on this one:

https://www.si.com/college/georgia/n...-michigan-sec-

Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, and Florida State being courted by the SEC to form a 20 team super conference.

I can’t imagine any of this coming to fruition.

[adkindo]

I am not ready to write the Big 12 off yet. I think Memphis and Cincinnati could slide in for the two possible vacancies. And if I was the conference I wouldn't stop there. Approach Houston and SMU. And BYU is still out there.

"If" they stayed together, I assume they would make some big swings. Arizona and Arizona State? Some ACC schools? I do not think it would work, but it is important to keep in mind that the ACC is under a terrible media deal that last forever....so if some schools could get out from the GOR, to make more money...maybe a 1% chance? The Arizona schools would only consider it if they believe their new TV deal will be as bad as their current one.

If none of that worked out and the 8 decided to stay together (which I doubt) the assumption is they would add at least 4 schools from the G5. I think Cincinnati and UCF would be near locks to get an invitation. I think USF would have a good chance as a package with UCF, and then I assume it would be Houston or BYU. Houston may have issues from Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech.

It is complicated though because I assure you that UCF and Cincinnati are not waiting to get invited to a Big12 without Texas and Oklahoma....they are both marketing themselves hoping to jump the line into the ACC. There are some reports out there that the ACC has some interest in UCF.

Staying together would basically only happen if no schools had anywhere to go...but reports suggest WVU is already working the ACC angle, OK State and some Texas schools angling for the PAC12....and Kansas & Iowa State trying to flirt with the Big10.

[adkindo]

The PAC 12 better be concerned about keeping their own schools.

as should the ACC. If the SEC expands to 16 with Texas and Oklahoma, I think it is only a matter of time before they go after Clemson and FSU.