This past weekend the Athletic Coast Conference (ACC) accepted the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University as its newest members.
The ACC decided to take matters into its own hands, rather than waiting to see where teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M go.
Over the offseason, teams began moving from conference to conference.
Some of the moves have included Nebraska joining the Big Ten, Colorado and Utah joining the Pac-12 and TCU joining the Big East.
The inevitable realignment that is soon to occur was expected to happen over the offseason as major conferences waited to see where Texas and Oklahoma decided to go.
Texas delayed the major realignment when it decided to stick it out in the Big 12, but now that only looks like a temporary stall as Texas is also in talks to join another conference.
Well, Syracuse and Pittsburgh may have just ignited that flame again.
If the major realignment takes place, this is what I see happening as far as what teams would go where.
There will most likely be four, 16-team super conferences. the Pac-12, the Big Ten, the SEC and the ACC.
The Pac-12 claims to be content with having 12 teams, but it is no secret that they desperately want Texas and Oklahoma to join the conference.
Of the “available” teams, as far as teams that aren’t already in one of the four conferences named earlier, Texas and Oklahoma are the obvious standouts.
All four conferences would happily accept Texas and Oklahoma as members.
I personally see the Pac-12 landing both of them. I believe that once Texas makes up its mind to go somewhere, Oklahoma will follow, and so will Texas Tech and possibly Oklahoma State.
The SEC currently has 12 teams as well, although all signs are pointing to the SEC accepting Texas A&M’s bid this offseason, bringing the total to 13.
It was thought that the SEC would reach out to ACC schools like Maryland, Virginia Tech and Florida State. But now it seems that ACC schools will stay put since they are adding schools to become a power conference. Plus, there is a $20 million exit fee for ACC schools, a pretty expensive decision to make.
The SEC may decide to grab Missouri, or possibly West Virginia, one of the remaining teams in the barely afloat Big East. Either would be a good move for the SEC.
That would bring the total to 14. The SEC is obviously the best conference in college football, they might not feel the need to expand to 16 teams, so we shall see.
The Big Ten currently sits at 12 schools. Rumor has it that the Big Ten is more than comfortable with 12 schools and doesn’t plan to expand.
This could change however as the Big Ten certainly would not mind having Texas and Oklahoma.
But the other big team that’s sitting out there is one that the Big Ten has been after for years — Notre Dame.
The Big Ten would be more than happy to have the Fighting Irish join the conference, although Notre Dame is happy with their football independence.
But who knows? The Irish might feel the need to join the conference if the Major realignment takes place.
I could see the Big Ten going after a few of the “leftover’s” from the Big 12 and the Big East, teams like Iowa State, Connecticut, and Louisville.
Last is the ACC, after the two big additions of Pittsburgh and Syracuse this past weekend, the ACC is also interested in other Big East teams, such as Connecticut and Rutgers. It would also make sense to go after West Virginia.
The most important thing the ACC had to do was keep its current teams intact by keeping Virginia Tech and Florida State.
If nothing else, the decision to add Pittsburgh and Syracuse keeps teams already inside the ACC contempt with where the conference is going.
It will be interesting to see the realignment unfold.
Texas, it’s your turn, everyone is waiting on you to see where you go.
Once Texas makes a move, expect the flood gates to open.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to trollason@yahoo.com.
