Is College Football moving towards "Super Conferences"?

While college football is set to undergo a significant conference realignment in the coming years we look forward to more possible moves in the sports and the idea that College Football could be moving towards “Super Conferences”. 

We all remember back in 2011 when there was an exodus in the Big 12. Colorado fled to the PAC-12, Nebraska to the Big Ten and Missouri then Texas A&M made their way to the SEC.

Many rumors spread that the Big 12 was folding. A flurry of predictions by experts were projecting what conferences would get which schools to form what they were calling “Super Conferences”. Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the new PAC-16? Were Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State going to the Big Ten?

Eventually the dust settled, a few schools moved conferences and the Big 12 picked up TCU and West Virginia and thrived. But again, over a decade later,  we are having the same conversation. Major schools leaving their conferences for other opportunities, and a Power Five conference being left with questions.

A few years ago Texas and Oklahoma announced that they were leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. College football fans thought for sure the conference would be done this time. However, the Big 12 committee acted quickly and were able to land Houston, UCF, BYU and Cincinnati to replace Texas and OU. Not the same stature but it will restore the conference to twelve notable teams once Texas and OU leave and will actually put the Big 12 at 14 teams for the 2023 as Houston, UCF, BYU and Cincinnati will move into the conference this July while Texas and OU won’t leave for the SEC until 2024.

With the SEC gaining two more prominent football programs, other conferences flee to gain more teams. USC and UCLA announced this year that they are leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten, a surprising move that will give the Big Ten their first school in the Pacific Time Zone.

More rumors are flourishing that the PAC-12 may be in danger of dissolving with more stories linking other schools to possibly departing from the conference. The Big 12 could be eyeing Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to grow to a 16-team “Super Conference”. The Big Ten has looked at the possibility of expanding to 16 or even 18 teams and might look at Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford.

Again, these are all just rumors. The PAC-12 still looks to be sticking around and are looking into expanding the conference. It’s rumored that San Diego State and SMU are frontrunners to replace USC and UCLA, with other schools hoping for a shot to join the PAC-12 such as UNLV and Boise State.

The driving force behind this realignment frenzy is the desire for increased parity and financial stability. As the college football landscape continues to evolve, schools are actively seeking opportunities to enhance their competitive profiles and secure lucrative television contracts. In this quest for success, conferences have reevaluated their membership structures, leading to a seismic shift in the college football landscape.

With the landscape of the sport ever-evolving, these realignments promise to shape the future of college football, bringing new rivalries, heightened competition, and a renewed sense of enthusiasm to the game. Now the ACC looks like it could be at risk of losing teams.

The implications of this conference realignment stretch far beyond the gridiron. The economic impact on universities and local communities cannot be understated. With increased exposure and intensified rivalries, attendance and television ratings are expected to soar, bringing a significant boost to revenue streams. This influx of financial resources will undoubtedly enhance athletic facilities, scholarships, and academic programs, benefiting the entire campus community. It’s unsure how this might affect other sports but for the moment football is driving all the moves.