Realignment 2021: UT, OU to SEC; UH, UCF, UC, BYU to Big 12

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,897
Austin, TX
Texas and Oklahoma of the Big 12 have both reached out to the Southeastern Conference about potentially joining the powerful league, a high-ranking college official with knowledge of the situation told the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.

An announcement could come within a couple of weeks concerning the potential addition of UT and OU to the league, the person said, which would give the SEC 16 schools and make it the first of a national super-conference.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Texas-Oklahoma-reach-out-to-SEC-about-joining-16330080.php
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
That would be huge. Would love to know what Arkansas Missouri and TAMU think (recruiting)

I think most of the schools (SEC East I guess) that recruit more in FL than TX would be for it.

That would be basically one super league. B12-2-2 would becomelargely irrelevant

Oklahoma State has got to be shitting their pants
 
Last edited:

Kremlin Watcher

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
5,233
Orleans, MA
We would (probably) have the added bonus of Alabama moving to the East so we wouldn’t have to face them every year. The West powers would be Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
We would (probably) have the added bonus of Alabama moving to the East so we wouldn’t have to face them every year. The West powers would be Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU.
Auburn too? With Missouri coming west?
im thinking:
West:
Texas
Norman
Aggy
LSU
Ole Miss
Miss St
Piggy
Mizzou

East:
Kentucky
Tenn
Vandy
Georgia
Florida
South Carolina
Bama
Auburn
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,061
Hingham, MA
They should go to 4 divisions. Play each of your division teams twice for 6 games. Play 6 of the other 12 teams each year (if you finish 1st or 4th, you play the 1st and 4th place finisher from the other divisions; if you finish 2nd or 3rd, you play the 2nd and 3rd place finisher from the other divisions; or alternately, the NFL model of playing the entirety of another division, plus the same place finisher from the other two divisions). Then you can have a 4 team playoff for the SEC championship, the 4 division winners.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
So why exactly would the SEC want those two- they already have a Texas school and Oklahoma doesn't mean that much audience-wise?

Just splitting up more or less the same pie more.
Texas money
Okie just along for the ride
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,209
South of North
The answer (in search of a problem) as always, is promotion-relegation. A 4-tier structure of 16 teams with the top 3 and bottom 3 from divisions 2-4 and only the bottom 3 from division 1 competing for pro-rel would be fantastic. Probably means we're going back to a final 4 or final 2, but if it's the best 16 in division 1, I have less of a problem with that.

Yes, this is purely mental floss.
 
Last edited:

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,897
Austin, TX
I do think OU and UT makes the SEC's pie bigger, but the real question is if any other Big 12 school can say the same. I think Kansas with basketball and its AAU membership can make a compelling case to someone, but beyond that, I don't know who can move the needle. Maybe the Pac 12 is desperate enough to get into Central Time that they pick their two favorites.

I think a more likely outcome than 4 power conferences of 16 teams is the Pac 12, ACC, and Big 10 just letting the Big 12 effectively get relegated. They reload with some combination of BYU, Boise State, Houston, and Memphis and unsuccessfully try to fend off the fate of the Big East.

Another question is if the SEC does go full blown super conference, is it a given that they stop at 16? Or do they continue pushing north and try to pick off someone like UNC?
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,433
Harrisburg, Pa.
aggy will do everything it blow this up. They will not go back into a conference with Texas.

But back into a conference with piggy would be amazing. Do iiiiiiiit*.

* Texas doesn’t fit culturally in the SEC in any way, shape or form but cash talks (and the current Big 12 with WVU and Tech isn’t really stellar itself)
 
Last edited:

MuzzyField

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
I expected the next "shuffle" to occur when the 10-year playoff deal expired (2026?), but it looks like COVID losses (and greed) have accelerated the process. Does opening up the playoff media deal early and expanding it to 12 allow schools to avoid conference poison pills for leaving. Note: Texas can and will write whatever check it needs to in order to get what it wants done. What about a conference like the ACC and what they did after Maryland left in upping the exit penalty to discourage further flight?

4x16 (64) doesn't seem big enough... 80 or 96 seems better given 12 (and eventually 16) will make the playoff.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
The answer (in search of a problem) as always, is promotion-relegation. A 4-tier structure of 16 teams with the top 3 and bottom 3 from divisions 1-3 and only the bottom 3 from division 1 competing for pro-rel would be fantastic. Probably means we're going back to a final 4 or final 2, but if it's the best 16 in division 1, I have less of a problem with that.

Yes, this is purely mental floss.
There is de facto pro/rel in college sports w/r/t big time TV, which is the only league that matters. A second tier school like Gonzaga, Boise St, UCF/USF etc. will occasionally make themselves into a top ranked competitor and they will get good TV spots, while the dross of the Power 5 (Kansas football, Nebraska hoops etc) seldom or never get primo air time.
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,433
Harrisburg, Pa.
aggy will do everything it blow this up. They will not go back into a conference with Texas.

But back into a conference with piggy would be amazing. Do iiiiiiiit*.

* Texas doesn’t fit culturally in the SEC in any way, shape or form but cash talks (and the current Big 12 with WVU and Tech isn’t really stellar itself)
It’s a 75% vote threshold so they have no say. Sweet.
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,433
Harrisburg, Pa.
WFAA (they’d know) says next week UT and OU tell the Big 12 they aren’t renewing the media deal. That means the 2022-23 season they’d be out of the league there.

The Chronicle story sourced in OP was A&M leaking (reporter is an A&M guy through and through) to try to get instant support to vote against it, but of course that failed cause aggy is useless to everyone.
 
Last edited:

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
There's no chance for a variety of reasons, but if this goes through, I hope the SEC swaps out Aggy for Oklahoma State, too.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
The B1G won’t have them, but I think they’d be a good fit there. Same with WVU.
I think they’re going PAC12 frankly (with Texas Tech perhaps, Boise and one other mountain team)

Kansas and Kansas State the ones going to B1G to challenge ACC for best basketball conference imho

Baylor to C-USA perhaps
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,472
if I had to guess the 4 16-team super divisions:

SEC East:
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Georgia
Florida
Alabama
Auburn
South Carolina
Kentucky

SEC West
LSU
Arkansas
Texas
Oklahoma
Ole Miss
Miss St.
Missouri moves West
TAMU

PAC-16 North
Washington
Wash State
Oregon
Oregon State
Cal
Stanford
Boise
Nevada-Reno?

Pac-16 South
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Utah
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech

ACC Atlantic
BC
Syracuse
Clemson
FSU
Louisville
Wake Forest
NC State
Cincinnati/Temple

ACC Coastal
UNC
Duke
UVA
VTech
Miami
GA Tech
Pitt
WV

B1G East
Michigan
MSU
tOSU
Penn State
Rutgers
Indiana
Maryland
Purdue moves East

B1G West
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Nebraska
Iowa
Kansas
Kansas State
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,299
deep inside Guido territory
I think they’re going PAC12 frankly (with Texas Tech perhaps, Boise and one other mountain team)

Kansas and Kansas State the ones going to B1G to challenge ACC for best basketball conference imho

Baylor to C-USA perhaps
I don’t think the big ten has any use for Kansas and K State. They don’t bring a lot of TV sets and Kansas has a lot of problems.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
if I had to guess the 4 16-team super divisions:

SEC East:
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Georgia
Florida
Alabama
Auburn
South Carolina
Kentucky

SEC West
LSU
Arkansas
Texas
Oklahoma
Ole Miss
Miss St.
Missouri moves West
TAMU

PAC-16 North
Washington
Wash State
Oregon
Oregon State
Cal
Stanford
Boise
Nevada-Reno?

Pac-16 South
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Utah
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech

ACC Atlantic
BC
Syracuse
Clemson
FSU
Louisville
Wake Forest
NC State
Cincinnati/Temple

ACC Coastal
UNC
Duke
UVA
VTech
Miami
GA Tech
Pitt
WV

B1G East
Michigan
MSU
tOSU
Penn State
Rutgers
Indiana
Maryland
Purdue moves East

B1G West
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Nebraska
Iowa
Kansas
Kansas State
Liga de Uno

UConn
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,209
South of North
if I had to guess the 4 16-team super divisions:

[snip]
If there was pro-rel (I'm not letting the dream go damnit!), here's how the divisions would work out using the past 5 seasons of W-L for initial placement:

The Top Tier of College Football Brought to you by Some Annoying-ass Sponsor:
1. Bama
2. Clemson
3. OSU
4. OU
App St*
5. UGA
Boise St.*
UCF*
6. LSU
7. ND
8. Wisco
9. PSU
10. Washington
Memphis*
SDSU*
11. Iowa
12. OKST
UAB*
13. UF
14. Michigan
15. USC
Army*
16. TAMU

Division 2 Brought to you by a Cheeky Startup that has Some Self-Awareness:
1. App St.
2. Boise St.
3.UCF
4. Memphis
5. SDSU
6. UAB
7. Army
8. Troy
9. Utah
Liberty*
10. Auburn
11. Cincy
12. Western Mich.
13. Toledo
14. Miami
15. Ohio
16. Wash. St.

Division 3 Brought to you by Buffalo Wild Wings:

I don't care enough to do this but I will note that Tennessee and MSU still haven't made the list LOL. Surprisingly, neither does FSU.

Division 4 Brought to you by Blockbuster Video:

Did you know that Blockbuster used to sponsor a bowl game in Miami?

I moved G5 teams into division 2 and IAA goes into division 3 to start because I make the stupid rules for this stupid exercise.


Just for (more) kicks, here's how I would do alignments in the Premier League of Collegiate American Murderball:

The SEC Plus Clemson and Big 12 Conference:
1. Bama
2. Clemson
3. UGA
4. LSU
5. UF
6. TAMU
7. OU
8. OKST

The Big 10 Plus ND and PAC 12 Conference:
1. OSU
2. OU
3. ND
4. Wisco
5. PSU
6. Washington
7. Iowa
8. Michigan
9. USC

OU would be the geographic choice to also go to the SEC+ Conf. but I think that would create an even greater talent disparity. For ultimate conference parity within the Premier league, you could do something like:

1. Bama
2. OU
3. LSU
4. Wisco
5. Wash
6. Iowa
7. Mich
8. OKST

1. Clemson
2. OSU
3. UGA
4. ND
5. PSU
6. UF
7. USC
8. TAMU

I'd tune in for just about every game in that league!
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,299
deep inside Guido territory
This is going to leave Kansas in a bad, bad spot. Will a power conference want them and their embarrassment of a football team? We saw with UConn that having elite basketball will not get you in alone. Could Kansas end up somewhere like the AAC or Mountain West? Crazy times.
 

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,209
South of North
This is going to leave Kansas in a bad, bad spot. Will a power conference want them and their embarrassment of a football team? We saw with UConn that having elite basketball will not get you in alone. Could Kansas end up somewhere like the AAC or Mountain West? Crazy times.
It's about time the Ozarks region got their own conference. They can take Mizzou back to while they're at it!
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,433
Harrisburg, Pa.
This is going to leave Kansas in a bad, bad spot. Will a power conference want them and their embarrassment of a football team? We saw with UConn that having elite basketball will not get you in alone. Could Kansas end up somewhere like the AAC or Mountain West? Crazy times.
I think Kansas is a perfect ACC fit, honestly, if they want to expand west. They could pick up OK State and Baylor too.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
I think Kansas is a perfect ACC fit, honestly, if they want to expand west. They could pick up OK State and Baylor too.
Hard pass. There's nothing attractive to the ACC about the dreck of the Big 12. Conference doesn't need another hoops school, and certainly not one 1,000 miles away.
 

wonderland

New Member
Jul 20, 2005
525
Hard pass. There's nothing attractive to the ACC about the dreck of the Big 12. Conference doesn't need another hoops school, and certainly not one 1,000 miles away.
I think they should look to add West Virginia and say Cincinnati. You could split the football divisions into old acc (uva, unc, duke, wake, gt, ncst, Clemson, Florida state) into old big east (Pitt, BC, Syracuse, wvu, Louisville, vt, Miami, cincy). The divisions play each other (7 games) a yearly cross over game (uva-vt, BC-duke, wvu-ncst, miami-fsu, Syracuse-unc, Louisville-Clemson, cincy-wake, Pitt-gt). That’s 8 conference games. Go with that or add a rotating intradivisonal game similar to the SEC.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
I think they should look to add West Virginia and say Cincinnati. You could split the football divisions into old acc (uva, unc, duke, wake, gt, ncst, Clemson, Florida state) into old big east (Pitt, BC, Syracuse, wvu, Louisville, vt, Miami, cincy). The divisions play each other (7 games) a yearly cross over game (uva-vt, BC-duke, wvu-ncst, miami-fsu, Syracuse-unc, Louisville-Clemson, cincy-wake, Pitt-gt). That’s 8 conference games. Go with that or add a rotating intradivisonal game similar to the SEC.
As a Syracuse guy it'd be nice to have WVU back on the schedule, but I don't see how either of those schools adds much to the ACC. The football schedule is awful as it is with 14 teams and 2 divisions -- we play 6 conference teams just once every six years, which is colossally dumb. Miami and VT would not like your division set up at all, they want to be in the ACC, not a latter-day-Big East. More importantly, there's no incremental TV money to be had from adding the Morgantown and Cincinnati markets, and that's what ALL conference expansion is about anyway.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,897
Austin, TX
I don't think lacrosse is going to be driving the bus here.

I agree that WVU doesn't add enough to the ACC.

Maybe Kansas pulls a UConn and joins the Big East for basketball? Only mostly joking.