Oklahoma and Texas made a major announcement a couple of months ago, announcing their intent to move to the SEC. That sent an earthquake across the college sports landscape, namely football. Now, the SEC has two more legendary football programs added to their repertoire, making them even more broken. With the Sooners and Longhorns moving, we officially have one mega-conference created.
It was a long time coming, but it finally happened. Now other conferences will try and compete with the SEC, especially since the conference is in bed with ESPN and their broadcasting rights. How should the new conferences look now that the SEC has a firm grip on the college football landscape?
First, let's look at how the SEC will look in the future. This is what the conference is shaping up to be soon:
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Mississippi State
Missouri
Oklahoma
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
Vanderbilt
Now that's a mega-conference that'll have control of the football landscape for years to come. The SEC's dominance doesn't just consist of football, though. You also have Kentucky for men's basketball, South Carolina for women's basketball, and Vanderbilt for baseball.
Now, let's do the same thing for the other conferences, shall we? Everyone loves a little parity, specifically in the sports landscape. We don't want just one conference having all the fun, although I'm sure Mark Emmert wouldn't care either way. After all, the NCAA has started to veer towards the way of FIFA.
We'll start with the Pac-12, which has hit hard times in football. For argument's sake, let's assume the Big 12 collapses. Yes, the conference has added new members. However, they're headed towards the Big East route in football. Let's see what the newly-named "Pac-16" would look like.
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Boise State
California
Colorado
Fresno State
Oregon
Oregon State
San Diego State
UCLA
USC
Utah
Washington
Washington State
Alternates
Nevada
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
UNLV
The poachings would be done from the Big 12 and Mountain West, where it would make geographical sense. San Diego State was a member of the Pac-12 in wrestling, after all. You have three competitive Big 12 schools in Baylor and BYU. Both schools have made the men's college basketball championship in the past two seasons, with Baylor winning it all. As for Boise State, you know about their competitive nature in college football. Therefore, it would make the most sense to poach them. While BYU is currently headed towards the Big 12, the Pac-12 should consider adding them if the Big 12 collapses. Proximity to Utah and the other Pac-12 schools along with its history makes the most sense.
Let's move onto the Big 10, where they've seen a renaissance of success in football. With Ohio State being Ohio State and Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State all being competitive, there's plenty of reason to be excited in middle America. Still, it doesn't hurt to add two more members, does it? Here's what the Big "10" would look like.
Kansas
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Iowa State
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin
Alternates
Cincinnati
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
You wouldn't add Kansas or Iowa State to the Big 10 solely for football. No, these are some of the best basketball schools in the land. In fact, Kansas is one of college basketball's blueblood schools, making this the obvious choice for Kevin Warren. Who wouldn't want to see the Jayhawks and Spartans go at it every year?
Finally, let's move on to the ACC, which is known as the premier college basketball conference. With both Duke and North Carolina, there should be plenty of good talent for the ACC to pick up. Here's what the conference should look like in the future:
Boston College
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Miami
Notre Dame
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Pitt
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
West Virginia
Alternates
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Coastal Carolina
Houston
South Florida
The Fighting Irish might be reluctant to become a full-fledged ACC member, including football. However, it's bound to happen at some point. As for West Virginia, it's another competitive basketball program led by Bob Huggins. If the ACC lands Houston, Coastal Carolina, or Cincinnati, it'll give the conference credibility in both basketball and football, making it a better conference overall.
Now, let's assume that the Big 12 doesn't collapse. They got their four members and they're doing fine. Cincinnati has taken over as the team to beat in football, Oklahoma State is dominating the wrestling landscape as usual, and Houston, Baylor, and Kansas are duking it out for college basketball supremacy. How should the conference look if it stays alive?
Baylor
BYU
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Coastal Carolina
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
SMU
TCU
Texas Tech
Utah State
UTSA
West Virginia
Alternates
Boise State
South Florida
Utah
If the Big 12 were to make it out alive of Oklahoma and Texas departing, this is what the conference make-up should look like. Utah State is a respectable school in both football and basketball, while the Roadrunners have kicked ass in football. SMU has made its return to being a prominent sports program, namely in football and basketball.
The NCAA isn't going to be the same, especially with its main sport changing to favor the SEC. The Big 12 exodus will have an impact on the sports world, creating new alliances and forging new rivalries. Whatever happens, be prepared for a wild ride as colleges shift to new conferences for more money and revenue opportunities.
