Conference Realignment: How Will SEC, Big 12, ACC & Big East Recruiting Change?

Well, by now, you've all heard and been aware of the firestorm that is been taking place in college sports. No, not the Penn State scandal. But the conference realignment changes.

Money is obviously the main driving force behind the realignments and changes, but we also have to look at this from a football point of view. So in this regard, we're just going to take a quick look at how some recruiting changes will affect things.

Here we go.

Big East Recruiting

The Big East is said to be pretty much inviting Boise State, Air Force, Navy, SMU, Houston and Central Florida.

This would give a school like Boise State some access into the Florida and Texas hotbeds by having a conference school in these markets. Air Force and Navy obviously aren't recruiting juggernauts for obvious reasons, so their arrivals won't have much impact.

But the Big East schools that remain loyal to the fledgling conference and stay would then surely have a firm in-road into the Houston-Metro area, Dallas-Metro area and Florida. 

It's obvious the Big East knew what it was doing when it was looking at new potential members.

Big 12 Recruiting: TCU

TCU got what it wanted all along. I'd have to imagine they were just overcome with joy when the Big 12 finally invited them to the conference.

They get to now compete with Texas year in and year out and are in an AQ/BCS conference. Sure, the Big East gave them the latter aspect, but staying in a regional/local conference is imperative.

Now, the Horned Frogs will really look attractive based on their conference realignment to the Big 12, and expect them to make a surge in recruiting as years go by.

Big 12 Recruiting: West Virginia

I'm not sure as when WVU will join the Big 12, but it's going to happen. The Mountaineers say it will be next year, while the Big East says it will be in 27 months.

Any way you slice it, this is a great coup for WVU. The Mountaineers will now be exposed to the Texas hotbed, as they will get to face Texas, TCU and Baylor.

Texas is one of the three prime hotbeds for recruiting talent, and attracting recruits from the Lone Star State will change Big 12 recruiting by seeing Texas recruits start to look at heading to Morgantown.

SEC Recruiting: Missouri & Texas A&M

I wrote a column a few weeks ago about Missouri and Texas A&M's move into the SEC. There are many, many positives for each school's addition to the league regarding as the most competitive in all of football.

This gives the SEC a flag in Texas, which is just huge. Can you imagine even more Texas talent being streamlined through the SEC? Wow. 

Missouri joining the conference is a solid coup as as well, as this will change recruiting by asking more schools to really sign a good number of speedier defenders each year to stop the Tigers spread offense.

I urge you to read my linked column at the top of this slide for in-depth information on the changes for the SEC due to expansion.