I know the Big 12 is in good shape and all but....
Let's say the networks or playoff committee or whoever decides that college football must go to a 16 team, 4 conference model and only member teams will be eligle for the playoffs. How would that play out if enough current Big 12 members decide to leave simultaneously thus voiding the GOR? In my hypothetical world:
1. Notre Dame to ACC as full member due to current affiliation
2. B10 takes Kansas and Oklahoma.
3. PAC offers to guarantee Texas $ equal to LHN if they fold it into struggling PAC network. Texas accepts since B10 spots are taken and A&M doesn’t want them in SEC.
4. TTU, KSU & OSU follow Texas to PAC to get to 16 members
5. ACC takes WVU for geographical reasons and to restore rivalries.
This leaves 2 spots open in the SEC with TCU, Baylor & ISU left in the B12 along with BYU, all of the mountain west, and all of the AAC .
The SEC historically doesn’t like to take teams from a state where they already have a presence. But, I think they would make an exception by taking TCU since they belong to Dallas area while A&M are closer to Houston. Additionally, A&M doesn’t have a long history in the SEC to cast a veto and they may actually enjoy having an old Southwest member for rivalry purposes.
That leaves 1 spot open. We can eliminate BYU and the entire Mountain West due to geography. We can also eliminate Baylor, Houston & SMU now that both A&M and TCU are members. Navy, Temple, Tulane & Tulsa just aren’t big enough players to be considered so that leaves the following schools as competition with ISU for the last spot:
UCF
Cincinatti
UConn
Memphis
USF
ECU
UCF had a great season under Frost and is a large school but would Florida allow another in-state school? Unlike A&M, they have a long history with the conference and I have to believe that Florida State and/or Miami would be SEC members today if it was OK with the Gators. There was no ACC GOR keeping FSU & Miami in place when the SEC chose Missouri.
Memphis is out since they already have both Vandy and Tennessee. I don’t think UConn offers enough to overcome the geography.
So how does ISU stack up against ECU & Cincinatti in the eyes of the SEC? All 3 schools border a current SEC state but ISU is a State school as opposed to a city or directional school. ISU has a larger stadium and higher football attendance and our basketball program is much better than ECU’s.
So, as crazy as it sounds… is it possible that under the right circumstances Iowa State ends up in the SEC??
Let's say the networks or playoff committee or whoever decides that college football must go to a 16 team, 4 conference model and only member teams will be eligle for the playoffs. How would that play out if enough current Big 12 members decide to leave simultaneously thus voiding the GOR? In my hypothetical world:
1. Notre Dame to ACC as full member due to current affiliation
2. B10 takes Kansas and Oklahoma.
3. PAC offers to guarantee Texas $ equal to LHN if they fold it into struggling PAC network. Texas accepts since B10 spots are taken and A&M doesn’t want them in SEC.
4. TTU, KSU & OSU follow Texas to PAC to get to 16 members
5. ACC takes WVU for geographical reasons and to restore rivalries.
This leaves 2 spots open in the SEC with TCU, Baylor & ISU left in the B12 along with BYU, all of the mountain west, and all of the AAC .
The SEC historically doesn’t like to take teams from a state where they already have a presence. But, I think they would make an exception by taking TCU since they belong to Dallas area while A&M are closer to Houston. Additionally, A&M doesn’t have a long history in the SEC to cast a veto and they may actually enjoy having an old Southwest member for rivalry purposes.
That leaves 1 spot open. We can eliminate BYU and the entire Mountain West due to geography. We can also eliminate Baylor, Houston & SMU now that both A&M and TCU are members. Navy, Temple, Tulane & Tulsa just aren’t big enough players to be considered so that leaves the following schools as competition with ISU for the last spot:
UCF
Cincinatti
UConn
Memphis
USF
ECU
UCF had a great season under Frost and is a large school but would Florida allow another in-state school? Unlike A&M, they have a long history with the conference and I have to believe that Florida State and/or Miami would be SEC members today if it was OK with the Gators. There was no ACC GOR keeping FSU & Miami in place when the SEC chose Missouri.
Memphis is out since they already have both Vandy and Tennessee. I don’t think UConn offers enough to overcome the geography.
So how does ISU stack up against ECU & Cincinatti in the eyes of the SEC? All 3 schools border a current SEC state but ISU is a State school as opposed to a city or directional school. ISU has a larger stadium and higher football attendance and our basketball program is much better than ECU’s.
So, as crazy as it sounds… is it possible that under the right circumstances Iowa State ends up in the SEC??
