With the college football realignment smoke starting to look more like the fire that burned down the Pac-12 last summer, the ACC seems in danger of meeting the same fate. This comes just a few years after it appeared that the Big 12 was left for dead after Texas and Oklahoma announced their intention to leave back in 2021.
Power 2 Super Conference May Become a Power 3
There is a clear line between the Big 10/SEC and the Big 12/ACC. After that, there is another huge gap between them and the G5 conferences. You could say that college football is currently in a three-tier system.
The assumption and almost inevitable conclusion was that the Big 10 and SEC would eventually split up from the rest of college football and create their own super league. But the Big 12 seems to be trying to disrupt those plans and force the Super League to accept a third league.
This can happen if the Big 12 can secure Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and another ACC school, probably Virginia Tech, Lousiville, or Pittsburgh. There is also the idea that perhaps they could even get Notre Dame since Notre Dame may not be as happy as it has been in the past with being Independent.
If this happens, the Big 10 and SEC would likely also move up to 20 teams each and create a 3-Conference Super League with their own playoff system and postseason.
But what would that look like?
All Current Teams Would Remain In-Tact
The first assumption is that there won’t be any additional conference jumping. If the Big 10 really wanted any current Big 12 teams, they’d be there. The same can be said about the SEC. Also, due to legal issues and tradition, it is very unlikely that the SEC, Big 10, or Big 12 would be able to dump any teams.
Sure, the SEC may want to get rid of Vanderbilt, and the Big 10 may not see the value in Illinois, but getting rid of these teams would be very difficult. Because of that, they are all safe in this projection.
Big 10 Teams
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan State Spartans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Minnesota Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- UCLA Bruins
- UCS Trojans
- Washington Huskies
- Wisconsin Badgers
- NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
- STANFORD CARDINAL
If the Big 10 expanded to 20 teams, the obvious first choice would be Notre Dame. Notre Dame is already in the footprint, fits the culture, and has recently flirted with the conference. Stanford feels like a nice match with Notre Dame and Stanford also fits the Big 10 brand.
Big 12
- Arizona Wildcats
- Arizona State Sun Devils
- Baylor Bears
- BYU Cougars
- Cincinnati Bearkats
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Houston Cougars
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- UCF Knights
- Utah Utes
- West Virginia Mountaineers
- Clemson Tigers
- Florida State Seminoles
- Miami Hurricanes
- North Carolina State Wolfpack
According to multiple reports, Clemson and Florida State have been flirting with the Big 12, and if they leave, the Big 12 would have first pick at the remaining schools. The SEC and Big 10 may not be far behind, but if the Big 12 catches the other two by surprise, it may be able to sneak in and get Miami and NC State before any other conference can react.
SEC
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gaters
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Kentucky Wildcats
- LSU Tigers
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Missouri Tigers
- Oklahoma Tigers
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- DUKE BLUE DEVILS
- LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
- NORTH CAROLINA TARHEELS
- VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
The SEC will likely be the last to react and be left with the last pick. Louisville is an easy pick for the rivalry with Kentucky. North Carolina and Virginia are big brands on the coast that don’t drastically leave the SEC footprint. (VT is also an option.) The odd one here is Duke. With Duke, the choice would be a basketball addition. Considering the depth of the SEC, the football side may be fine adding a fourth team that isn’t another juggernaut on the gridiron.
Teams Left Out
- Every Current G5 Team
- Boston College
- California Golden Bears
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Oregon State
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- SMU Mustangs
- Syracuse Orange
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Washington State
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