Read the opposing argument from Sports Geek.
Unless you have been under a rock the past few months, you’ve heard about the possible conference expansion rumors in college football. If you live in Big Ten country, as Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan do, then the idea of expansion excites you. Other parts of the country aren’t necessarily on board. Wherever you stand on it, we can all agree that it would forever change the landscape of college football. It would be the mother of all game changers. This would dwarf the most recent expansion, which took place when Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Miami left the Big East to join the ACC. Would a Super Conference, such as the one the Big Ten is considering, be a good thing? Why no, it certainly would not!
I’ve been reading up on this quite a bit as it has progressed. Tony Barnhardt of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has written many articles regarding the possible fallout from Big Ten expansion. And I’ve read countless other articles and had conversations with many people. The one thing we can all agree on is that it would be utter chaos.
Just for argument’s sake (and that’s what we like to do on this Web site), let’s assume that the recent rumors are true that Missouri, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. If those teams except, expect chaos times ten. By losing Missouri and Nebraska, the Big XII would no longer be the Big XII. What would they do, and where would they find their replacement teams? What, if anything, would the Big East do if they lost Rutgers? Would anyone outside of the Big East care?
After seeing the Big Ten becoming a Super Conference, it’s unrealistic to expect the SEC to sit by and pout on the sidelines. Would they go after a school like Texas? Florida State? Miami? Again, how would that affect the Big XII and the ACC? If that happens, would the ACC raid the Big East again and get replacement teams? Are you confused yet? Wait, there’s more! A whole lot more! Where does this leave Notre Dame? They have a television deal with NBC that runs through 2015. Where does that leave NBC?
And let’s not forget the madness that is the BCS. You just thought the BCS was frustrating and complicated before! Hah! Would it have to be redone? With 16 teams, is it fair to allow only the Big Ten one guaranteed spot in the BCS, if it even exists once this Super Conference idea is finally agreed upon? Would there be any reason to give conferences like the Big East and ACC automatic bids after their conferences are raided? And then there’s other smaller issues to consider like future non-conference scheduling, which is set up years in advance.
See all the questions I posed? That’s only just scratching the surface. The point I am trying to make is that it just causes too many problems, and brings up too many questions for all of college football. To borrow a word from a college football rivalry, it would be BEDLAM. It would be a severe state of pandemonium that could ruin college football.
