by Travis Normand
Last year, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) added two teams (Texas A&M and Missouri) in order to increase the total membership of the SEC to 14 teams.
This past week, the B1G (or Big 10 Conference) added Rutgers and Maryland in order to increase its membership from 12 teams to 14.
The moves by the B1G and SEC, at least to me, beg two questions:
- When will the Pac-12 move from 12 to 14 teams? (and)
- Which two teams will the Pac-12 add?
A few of the Pac-12’s choices, off the top of my head, would be: Hawaii, Fresno State, Boise State, Nevada, Colorado State, Utah State, UNLV, Air Force, Wyoming, UTEP, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, to name just a few.
It could get interesting…..!
OnePointSafety 
If the money is then it will happen concerning the Pac12 .
So Ndamokung Suh is now Matt Schaub’s urologist ?
Tophatal ….
i hope the PAC 12 doesn’t add anymore teams. the entire ‘let’s move here and there movement’ is a load. it’s not about the game anymore it’s about the money. and that is what’s going to eventually kill off the game. count on it.
Yeah, I hope they don’t add any more, but I think they probably will (unfortunately). We shall see. I agree that all the movement will hurt the game in the long run but hopefully I am wrong.
If nothing else, all this movement will really hurt the smaller schools as I can no longer keep track of what conference they are in (and I use to know what conference every team was in).
Oh well, the pendulum swings back and forth. Lets hope it starts swinging the other direction pretty soon.
Pac 12 has quantity , the question is , what about the quality ?
Tophatal
Currently, I like the make-up of the Pac-12. However, if they add two more teams, I don’t know where they will get two teams that anyone really cares about. For this reason I think they should stay at 12 (and don’t add two more).
The Big 10 was just did the same thing. I don’t mind them adding two teams, but why Maryland and Rutgers? What a boring addition.
Travis this has more to do with money , rather than the makeup or competitiveness of a conference . The bigger the pool , the money shared amongst the program, and unfortunately the indentured student athletes get absolutely nothing out of it at all .
The NCAA and the conferences that make up the hierarchy of the BCS have the federal government bent over a barrel as they each insert their fingers into the sphincters of the committee members of the House Oversight & Reform Committee . Strip away the NCAA’s tax exempt status and that of the BCS , then you’d have these two overly corrupt organizations towing the line and conducting their business affairs with a great deal more transparency .
Alan,
I hope that I didn’t give you the impression that I thought conference realignment was about something other than money. I am fully aware of what drives one school’s desire to join another conference and you are right, it has everything to do with money. However, I hate to make it sound so greedy by using such a generalized term as “money.” At least in the case of smaller school, they simply want a piece of the pie that is already being handed out to larger schools and conferences.
My comments about hoping the Pac-12 stayed at 12 schools was merely a reflection of the fact that I don’t know where they could find two schools that would add additional revenue to the conference and thus increase the pool of money. Conference money is typically brought in via television deals and bowl games, neither of which would be affected by adding two random schools that have small fan bases. For this reason, I think they should stay at 12 teams, but wouldn’t be shocked to see them move to 14.
As for your argument as to whether or not the student athlete gets anything in return for their services, well…we will have to leave that discussion for another day. Whether or not the students get any money doesn’t change the fact that realignment is a money driven activity.
Finally, you said that:
“The NCAA and the conferences that make up the hierarchy of the BCS have the federal government bent over a barrel . . . Strip away the NCAA’s tax exempt status and that of the BCS , then you’d have these two overly corrupt organizations towing the line and conducting their business affairs with a great deal more transparency.”
I wanted to ask you why you thought that changing their corporate tax status would change the way they do business? Also, how would it force them to increase transparency?
Thanks again.
Travis
Next to the Roman Catholic Church , the drug cartels in Latin America and the Italian Mob , the BCS conferences in conjunction with the NCAA , might just the most corrupt organizations existence . No disrespect to either Al Qaeda or the Taliban , as one views them as “heinous” terrorist groups .
Mark Emmert as the NCAA President seems to say all of the right things , but the guy is simply a puppet , while the marionettes are the conference commissioners and AD’s of the major conference schools . Need one say anymore on the matter at this juncture ?
I really appreciate your honest opinions and comments. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but I have been away for the past couple of days.
Anyway, I agree with you on the point that college football could have a better governing structure. I think the NCAA is “okay” for this job, but we apparently expect it to do more than it is willing to do. As you pointed out, this is most likely due to the fact that there are too many people trying to be in control (conferences, ADs, School presidents, the NCAA, etc.).
As for it being the most corrupt organization…..well, I am not sure I agree that it is the most “corrupt.” In fact, I am not really sure that I would agree that it is even “corrupt.” On the other hand, the NCAA does make some questionable decisions and I can understand why someone would think they were.
The NCAA is simply the lap dog of the major BCS ……. conferences , and nothing more than that ! Simply look at how the Infractions Committee have conducted their investigations and the idiocy that has tended to take place more often than not .
A slap on the wrist for one program , while other get punished with impunity . So explain to me what isn’t corrupt about the NCAA and the whole collegiate athletic system altogether . Mark Emmert , is simply powerless as the NCAA President .
Tophatal ………….
I agree, the NCAA is horribly inconsistent when it comes to regulating rule violations and handing out punishments.
The NCAA has yet to render a verdict on the Miami Hurricanes after the Nevin Shapiro scandal . And you have U Conn’s basketball program under Jim Calhoun committing all sort of violations , yet all they got was a slap on the wrist .
There is absolutely no credibility whatsoever within the BCS , much less the NCAA . Those institutions are corrupt and money driven , and if no one recognizes that fact , then they’re not that intelligent to begin with .
Tophatal ………..