TCU Football: Horned Frogs to Join the Big 12 Conference?

Look out, SEC! This time, the Big 12 is on the march.

TCU's (probably) going to join the Big 12.

Everybody should have picked up on the hint when TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said that while TCU was looking into joining the Big East next season, he would keep options open.

Well, he can thank the Lord. A floodgate has been opened.

Victor Boschini, Jr., TCU's Chancellor, has said that “these discussions with the Big 12 have huge implications for TCU. It will allow us to return to old rivalries, something our fans and others have been advocating for years. As always, we must consider what’s best for TCU and our student-athletes in this ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics. We look forward to continuing these discussions with the Big 12.”

This reporter believes that TCU will soon be in the Big 12. After all, that's where the money is. With conference members (including the omnipotent Texas Longhorns) agreeing to even out the revenue each school gains in the Big 12, there is not a better time for TCU to jump on the bandwagon.

Like Nebraska and Texas A&M, TCU now holds the key to conference expansion for the next year.

The Death of Big East Football?

In the past week or so, the Big East has been disemboweled. It's been left for dead by ACC-headed Pittsburgh and Syracuse, pretty much destroying the little respectability it had (cue "Big Easy" joke now). Once the Panthers and Orange leave a couple years down the road, only six members will remain. The quota rule to have a collegiate football conference is eight, so there is no doubt that dramatic conference re-alignment will continue on the Atlantic seaboard.

Here's a possible outcome.

Step 1—ACC Expands to 16 teams

The ACC has an inferiority complex. The Big East and the ACC are frequently thrown beer bottles of hate by college football fans. Many believe each should not be an automatic qualifying conference for a BCS bowl. Unfortunately, the ACC can't really pride itself on men's basketball. Yes, legendary Duke and prestigious UNC are the flagship teams for the conference, but any casual basketball fan knows half of the Big East can compete for the national title any year. Last year, 11 of the 16 men's basketball teams made it in the NCAA Tournament. UConn, a Big East member, won it all. UConn also dominates in women's basketball.

The ACC is jealous, and wants to finish off its geographical competition.

UConn will be offered an invitation and Rutgers will come along as part of a package deal, thus expanding the New York market and gaining more viewers.

Step 2—A Whole Lot of Crazy Projections

Cause and effect—and spider web thinking—ensue.  

Warning: do not read if you don't want a massive migraine.

The Big 12 will invite TCU and BYU to get back to ten teams (Missouri will go to the SEC). They'll consider inviting random teams from other BCS conferences (Louisville, Arkansas) but will eventually realize they cannot expand before they solidify their borders. They'll stick at 10 for now.

At four teams (West Virginia, Louisville, South Florida and Cincinnati), the members will invite ECU, UCF, Notre Dame, Air Force and Navy to get to nine teams.

Louisville, due to its rivalry with Kentucky, would probably go to the SEC due to its rivalry with Kentucky. Finally, the SEC would have another basketball powerhouse besides Kentucky. Assuming that Missouri will join the SEC, the SEC (knowing that none of these new rivalries or conference divisions will make any sense) will invite FSU.

FSU and Louisville will join the East, while Texas A&M and Missouri will join the West. Due to their proximity, Missouri and Louisville will become cross-divisional rivals, while FSU and Texas A&M will play each other annually.

Down to 15 teams, the ACC will invite USF to replace FSU. The Big East goes back down to eight football teams, and the Big East men's basketball tournament seeding becomes incredibly complex

Oh, enough already! The agony!

Figure it out for yourself, confused fans. Just do Custom Conferences on NCAA 12 already!