In a world where money seems to drive everything, and corporate sponsors decide which sports drink you can have on the sidelines, the fans are left to debate one of the most talked about issues in college football this millennium: the BCS.
As a fan, I have often gotten deep into debates about how this conference should give up teams to that conference, this region is better than that region, on and on until really absolutely nothing is decided. Such is the world we live in.
Well, I’ve had enough. I’m tired of debating with no solutions. I’m tired of asking questions with no answers. I’m tired of conversations that last well into the night and make me...well, tired. So I decided to do something about it.
We all like to play God and pretend we’re in control of the world. We do it while driving, at work, at home, at church, at games, with friends, with family, with our pastor, with other random people we meet while drinking a beer and watching Vanderbilt get destroyed by Florida and wondering why they’re ever in the same conference (Don’t worry, that problem has been fixed).
So having heard a couple rumors going around about creating four “super conferences” from the six existing BCS conferences, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ve taken the six BCS conferences and combined them into four new conferences: North, South, East, and West. I apologize now for my lack of creativity in the names.
In creating these conferences, I looked at a few different criteria such as original conference membership, most recent win-loss record, geographic location, original conference standings, and final 2009 Top 25 positions. Then, using mostly geographic locations and original conference memberships, I was able to realign the existing BCS teams, with some small adjustments. A few teams were removed from the conferences all together because of their recent win-loss record, both overall and conference records, and some teams were added because of their competitiveness or the fact that Notre Dame should just be in a conference.
Ok, enough talk. Time to show the results.
| South | West | East | North |
| SEC/ACC Southern | Pac-10/Big 12 South | ACC Northern/Big East | Big 12 North/Big 10 |
| Alabama | Arizona | Boston College | Illinois |
| Arkansas | Arizona State | North Carolina | Indiana |
| Auburn | California | NC State | Iowa |
| Florida | Oregon | Wake Forest | Michigan |
| Georgia | Oregon State | Virginia Tech | Michigan State |
| Kentucky | Stanford | Duke | Minnesota |
| LSU | UCLA | Cincinnati | Northwestern |
| Mississippi | USC | Connecticut | Ohio State |
| Mississippi State | Washington | Louisville | Purdue |
| South Carolina | Texas | Pittsburgh | Wisconsin |
| Tennessee | Oklahoma State | Rutgers | Colorado |
| Miami (FL) | Texas Tech | South Florida | Nebraska |
| Florida State | Oklahoma | Syracuse | Missouri |
| Clemson | Texas A&M | West Virginia | Kansas |
| Georgia Tech | BYU1 | Notre Dame1 | Kansas State |
| TCU1 | Boise St1 | Penn State* | Iowa State |
| 1Added to four Super Conferences | | *Penn State added because of geographical location | |
There are numerous plusses and minuses to this new arrangement, and I’ll be the first to tell you that it probably is not the most fair arrangement that could be made. But forget the bad, focus on the good and look at the possibilities.
With 16 teams each, it allows for two 8-team divisions in each conference. The schedule for a 12 game season works out to have seven division games, 4 cross division games, and 1 additional game for the schools to decide on individually. Not much wiggle room with only 1 optional game, but this is a rough sketch not a final plan.
Just imagine this: In the South, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Miami (FL), and Florida State are all in conference. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, Oregon, and Oregon State fight for the West. The North has the classic Big 10 (minus Penn State for geographical reasons) with the weaker Big 12 North. The East will finally be able to settle the score between the ACC and Big East. The added teams: Boise State, BYU, TCU, and Notre Dame all have to put up or shut up now. No excuses when you’re playing in a real conference, you have to sort it out on the field.
There are teams that were removed from the original six conferences, but all were done so because of past win-loss records. These teams are: Vanderbilt (SEC), Baylor (Big 12), Washington State (Pac-10), Virginia (ACC), and Maryland (ACC). They would all be able to join whichever remaining conference they choose.
Also worth mentioning is that Utah was left out of the conferences because of a loaded West. However, I essentially handed them the Mountain West Conference Championship from now until eternity, or until Air Force can compete, which ever comes first. Army and Navy are also left out of the Super Four, but are able to join a new conference, or remain unassociated and continue as they have for years.
There is a possible way to include those last eight teams that didn’t make the cut, however, that would have created an 18 team conference. Which then leaves no possibility for non-conference opponents in the schedule, so I decided to stick with 16 and give the others a high five on their way out the door. Better luck next time. Now you can compete with teams closer to your skill level.
To the 64 teams that did make it though, time to start the Fall Madness.
