Realignment 2021

[RhowdyRam02]

Well here we go again to the surprise of no one. Everyone knew there would be more realignment and that Texas and Oklahoma would be the schools getting it going after they almost blew up the Big 12 ten years ago.

Texas and Oklahoma officials plan to inform the Big 12 on Monday that they won’t renew when the league’s grant of rights expire in 2025, a step that clears the path for the SEC to formally consider adding Texas and OU, although there are rumors they could make the announcement even sooner. Will they play out the string in the Big 12? Will they look to leave before the grant of rights expire? Can Texas A&M block the move to the SEC like they want to? There are already Texas state legislators trying to introduce legislation blocking Texas from moving, mostly people that went to or represent the Baylor and Texas Tech districts. Supposedly the ACC and other conferences have reached out to the two schools.



The Big 12 was able to sort of keep things held together last time these rumblings happened, losing Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Nebraska but adding TCU and West Virginia. In addition to Texas and Oklahoma seeming to be on the way to the SEC, apparently Kansas and Iowa State are looking to jump ship and move to the Big 10.



Obviously West Virginia must be beside themselves and doing anything possible to talk themselves into the ACC. They were never a great fit for the Big 12 geographically, but any port in a storm when the alternative was the American conference. Did UConn make their move too soon? Sure they're in the Big East (any port in a storm when the alternative was the American conference), but they'd much rather be in the ACC. Can they get out of the Big East contract if the ACC becomes a possibility? Would the ACC be interested with how they were willing to crash football for men's basketball?

Another interesting thing will be what happens to the remnants of the Big 12. Do Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, and (maybe) West Virginia have enough swing to poach from the American? If so, they'd probably be looking at Cincinnati, Houston, SMU, and either Memphis, Central Florida, or South Florida. Are Oklahoma State and one of the remaining Texas schools attractive to the PAC 12?

Finally, if the American gets poached, does UMass become a candidate to join that conference? Have to imagine they would jump at that opportunity, because that conference is their ceiling. Do James Madison or Delaware look to make the jump to FBS now with all of these moving parts?

In other words, welcome to the college sports shit show of the early 20's! Read but don't trust anything on Twitter and hold on tight!

[reef]

Get ready for 4 Super Conferences

[NYGFan_Section208]

Texas and Oklahoma will move when and where Texas and Oklahoma want to. There's no monetary ceiling that can keep them put.
Seems maybe now they're taking a look at who they want to go with/what kind of landscape they can work out for the nicest landing spot.

[RF1]

Now official - Texas and Oklahoma has notified the Big12 of their intent to leave the conference. Look for a lot of falling dominos to soon follow. Does the Big 12 survive by adding members? If so, does this then very much hurt the AAC? The other option is for the Big 12 members to join other leagues and it appears some are already making overtures. With the recent legal setbacks of the NCAA and words by its president, it seems that the power football schools are headed to their own governing structure which may be apart from the rest of D1 schools.

[Rhodymob05]

What if they don't get in?

[Rhode_Island_Red]

What if they don't get in?

It's a foregone conclusion. They just have to go through the motions.

[reef]

Think they need 11 of 14 votes of the SEC to get in but should happen

[ramster]

They already know it will happen.
Football rules the roost.
Will be interesting to see how far down the Football impacts down to the AAC, MAC, etc. then down to the teams like UCONN, UMASS that are D1 and ultimately to CAA level FCS.

Non Football playing schools should always be concerned but even more now.

[Rhodymob05]

BIG 12 was a good conference, its a shame. Football wise, you still had OSU, WV, Baylor who have top 10 seasons, but I guess we will see what happens.

[reef]

SEC is the first super conference going to be interesting to see what happens with the others

[RhowdyRam02]

BIG 12 was a good conference, its a shame. Football wise, you still had OSU, WV, Baylor who have top 10 seasons, but I guess we will see what happens.

Eh, maybe because it's not my type of football (all offense, no defense), but the Big 12 to me was clearly battling it out with the Pac 12 for worst of the big 5. Specifically with the schools you mentioned, West Virginia was never a good geographical fit and Baylor is a cesspool where ideally nothing good would happen to them. I could see Oklahoma State and Texas Tech being a good match for the Pac 12 as a pod

[RhowdyRam02]

Latest news is the SEC unanimously approved Texas and Oklahoma's applications, which to me is a little bit of a surprise. I know they're always seeking unanimity in something like this, but I assumed they'd let Texas A&M vote no if they had enough votes as a hat tip to their fan base.

Texas regents have unanimously voted to join the SEC.

The Big 12 is claiming ESPN is colluding behind the scenes to blow up the conference so that Texas and Oklahoma can leave early without paying a fee to the conference and have sent a cease and desist letter

[NYGFan_Section208]

BIG 12 was a good conference, its a shame. Football wise, you still had OSU, WV, Baylor who have top 10 seasons, but I guess we will see what happens.

Eh, maybe because it's not my type of football (all offense, no defense), but the Big 12 to me was clearly battling it out with the Pac 12 for worst of the big 5. Specifically with the schools you mentioned, West Virginia was never a good geographical fit and Baylor is a cesspool where ideally nothing good would happen to them. I could see Oklahoma State and Texas Tech being a good match for the Pac 12 as a pod

No such thing as "too much offense"....

[ramster]

SEC has picked up some good programs from the old Southwest Conference

Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
Baylor University
University of Arkansas
University of Texas
Texas Tech University

[RhowdyRam02]

Last night Kansas to the Big 10 rumors started picking up steam







This does nothing to make Big 10 football better, but it takes one of the best pieces available to the Pac 12 off the board, helps put the Big 12 under, and puts their basketball closer to the ACC with one of the biggest bluebloods joining their ranks

[RhodyKyle]

I wonder if WVU would join them in the B1G or move to the ACC. They won't settle for the AAC and geographically won't fit the other power conferences.

[ramster]

Teams from the AAC and others will opt to fill the slots left open by Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and others
UMASS, UCONN and others have to be watching the realignment dominoes closely

[RhowdyRam02]

The Big 10 would never allow West Virginia in due to academics. The academics were an issue for the ACC previously, but they might need to add them now to shore up against the SEC

[reef]

Be a big coup for hoops if Big 10 gets Kansas

[RhodyKyle]

Cincinnati officially filed it's application to join the Big 12 in 2023. Word is UCF also filed their application. Just waiting for Houston and BYU to join them. Houston's board of regents approved the move to the Big 12 so guessing the application is coming shortly.

[Ramulous]

Time for the A10 to send out feelers to Wichita St

[steviep123]

Time for the A10 to send out feelers to Wichita St

Agreed - they should have done that years ago.

[Rhody74]

Who will be the first Atlantic 10 team on the Pacific coast?

[NYGFan_Section208]

Who will be the first Atlantic 10 team on the Pacific coast?

Pepperdine...please....beautiful area

[Rhody74]

Who will be the first Atlantic 10 team on the Pacific coast?

Pepperdine...please....beautiful area

Gonzaga …. Think big!

[NYGFan_Section208]

Who will be the first Atlantic 10 team on the Pacific coast?

Pepperdine...please....beautiful area

Gonzaga …. Think big!

I suppose...but if I'm thinking Rhode trip...give me the Waves...

[RhodyRams12]

[ramster]

Losing Oklahoma and Texas are huge losses for the Big 12 and huge gains for the SEC as the SEC loses no teams, only gains.

But the Big 12 picking up BYU is a big loss for the WCC (hurts Gonzaga for sure knowing their rivalry and geographical proximity)

BYU represents the largest Football AND Basketball facilities in the Big 12.

Adding Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida makes a very solid 4 team addition including BYU.

WCC names floated include Seattle and Grand Canyon University

AAC has 3 big holes to fill.

[ramster]

Houston and TCU could be headed to the PAC12

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-housto ... 00556.html

[Rhody15]

Houston and TCU could be headed to the PAC12

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-housto ... 00556.html

No they won’t.

Houston was just invited and accepted into the Big 12.

[RhodyKyle]

Houston and TCU could be headed to the PAC12

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-housto ... 00556.html

No they won’t.

Houston was just invited and accepted into the Big 12.

Literally the first paragraph addressed that fact - if Big 12 didn't bring Houston in, they and TCU could have been invited to the Pac 12.

[RhowdyRam02]

Time for the A10 to send out feelers to Wichita St

Absolutely. Try to poach them before the AAC tries to poach us. Add Wichita State, get rid of a couple of bottom feeders and away we go

[RhowdyRam02]

Latest rumors have Air Force, Colorado State, and Alabama Birmingham going to the American. If we could dump our bottom feeders/programs that don't invest in basketball, we are a significantly better basketball conference than the American and we should be looking to poach Wichita State. Hell, even as is we're probably a better conference. If you were them would you rather be in the A10, or in the following conference:

Air Force, Colorado State, UAB, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, and Tulsa

Alternate idea: Do we band together with VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis and one other A10 school and offer to jump to the American to give them a 16 team conference outside of football?

[RhodyKyle]

Belmont is on its way to the MVC. Leaving Murray State stranded.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/platfor ... ssion=true

[ramster]

Good move by Belmont moving from the 24th ranked Ohio Valley conference to the 11th ranked Missouri Valley conference based on NET. A10 is ranked #9.


https://www.warrennolan.com/basketball/ ... ferencenet

[UCH21377]

A10 asleep on this one Belmont would have been a good addition and Nashville a growing market.

[reef]

Yeah would have loved Belmont for the a10 good move by the MVC

[ramster]

[wpbrown8267]

Who is the math wizard running the MVC twitter account...MBB 20 conference titles since 2006...unless they are combining regular season and conf tourney...

[ramster]

[ramster]

Belmont goes to Missouri Valley

Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay all leaving for the Atlantic Sun

Shows how quickly a Conference can be decimated.

Best to be an elite team in your conference to maximize marketability when these things come to a town near you.

These 4 teams were among the top 5 in the OVC last season. Only Morehead State remains in the OVC from the top 5.

[ramster]

[RhodyKyle]

[ramster]

Saturday UCONN (0-6) visits UMASS (0-5) in Amherst in a battle of two winless FBS Independents.

UCONN is favored by 3.5 points

[Jersey77]

[Jersey77]

[RhowdyRam02]

The Sun Belt and Conference USA are both looking at James Madison among other moving parts

[NYGFan_Section208]

Great Fun Belt game last night between App State and Coastal Carolina...pleasant distraction from the ALCS....

[RF1]

[Jersey77]