The Super Conference Is Upon Us

A seismic shift is looming in the college sports landscape.

The potential formation of the Super Conference is becoming a distinct possibility and there seems to be far too much smoke in the air for no fire to exist.

The recent Internet reports indicating that the Pac-10 is about to make formal offers to half of the existing Big 12, if true, will set the dominoes in motion.

Oddly enough, it may be the Mountain West that starts that first domino tipping.

A report from the Denver Post states that Boise State is set to receive a formal invitation on Monday, June 7.

The Mountain West has long petitioned for an automatic invite to the BCS series and adding Boise State would only aid in that petition.

With so many school presidents resistant to the idea of a playoff system to determine the National Champion and many focusing on the creation of a divisional championship game to generate more money, the creation of five Super Conferences may actually solve the playoff conundrum.

I think there would be very little argument come the Championship game if any of these five divisional winners found a seat at the Championship table.

These potential Super Conferences would be so tough that the winners would almost certainly be the Top Five ranked teams in the nation and it would essentially eliminate the “Cincinnati,” “Boise State” or “TCU,” fluke arguments that so many people like to toss around when arguing against their inclusion in BCS games.

Additionally, having five Super Conferences could lead to an easier-to-digest playoff system down the line if the five divisional winners were to face off in a round-robin format where the highest rated team by the BCS computer model receives a first-round bye.

Let’s take a look at the potential teams that could make up these Super Conferences:

Big East  

Let’s say Pittsburgh jumps to the Big-14 and the ACC loses four teams to the SEC.

The Big East could move for a home run swing to stay in contention and create their own Super Conference.

Existing teams in Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers, West Virginia, U of South Florida and Syracuse could be joined by ACC leftovers Boston College, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina Virginia, Virginia Tech and pluck the University of Central Florida from Conference USA and you are left with a tough 14-team league that automatically becomes the premiere basketball conference as well.

Big-14 

Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri and either the prize gem in Notre Dame or an invitation to Pittsburgh which would restore a rivalry with Penn State and create a new one with Ohio State.

Mountain West  

Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming. The addition of Boise State and the potential to pick up Big 12 leftovers in Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State would make the MWC a tough little division.

Add Houston and SMU from the Western Athletic Conference and you have a tough 16-team league that has natural rivalries between TCU and Baylor as well as Colorado State and Wyoming versus Kansas, K-State and Iowa State.

Pac-16  

Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State.

Potential invites of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Ok­lahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colo­rado would create a true powerhouse league.

SEC  

Would the SEC try to lure four more teams to move to a 16-team league?

Already the toughest division in football, they could get better if they reached out to take Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech and Clemson from the ACC, creating new rivalries a massive TV contract and the likelihood that no one would ever again go undefeated in SEC play.

A league that featured these four teams plus existing teams in Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt would continue to be the premier league.

It would seem that this level of upheaval is extremely unlikely and while a handful of teams will definitely change leagues, the advent of the Super Conference is upon us.

The financial benefits will outweigh all else and since football is the money maker for most schools, it will be the football programs that dictate the bulk of the decision making.

The realignment of all other sports will be a secondary concern to most athletic directors, school presidents, and others in a position of power.