I remember attending Big 10 football games in East Lansing, Mich. years ago and bundling up against the cold wind blowing in from the large body of water to the west.
The wind came sweeping in from Lake Michigan and not the Pacific Ocean that lies half a continent away. Yet, those winds are mere breezes compared to the tidal wave headed our way in 2024.
One year after Texas and Oklahoma accepted an invitation to join the SEC, Southern California and UCLA made the stunning announcement last week they're joining with members of the Big 10 Conference. We've had realignment before, many times, but nothing like this.
Beginning in 2024, the Big 10 will extend from coast-to-coast and form what could grow eventually into a 20-team super conference. So, what will that look like?
I'm not sure. All I can think about at this point is Jeff Spicoli, the ultimate surfer dude from 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High', spending his winters ice fishing with 'Grumpy old Men' in the upper Midwest. An odd pairing, for sure.
The days of top Division I programs from the same region with similar characteristics and ethos grouped together for convenience are over. NFL 2, some are calling it.
And why is this happening? Money, of course. TV money, which trumps geography and fans' ability to get to the games.
I don't like West Coast football. Never have. Their teams put up gaudy offensive statistics that mask the dozens of missed tackles that infuriates coaches in the film room the next day. I much prefer a 21-14 game with a goal-line stand than 55-48 with no punts. That's what the Big 10 had traditionally been.
But, hey, this new brand of college football with free agency and NIL money is way over my head and I'm hesitant to ask if pursuing a college degree even matters anymore? Guess not, particularly for the top programs that'll increasingly serve as developmental leagues for the NFL, much like Triple-A affiliates for Major League Baseball.
Still, I'm silly enough to take a stab at what the Big 10 (Big 20?) might look like in 2024. I envision four Divisions with five teams in each pod. Something like this:
Great Lakes: Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Northwestern.
The Plains: Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Notre Dame or Iowa State, if the Irish refuse to join.
East: Maryland, Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State and Rutgers.
West: Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington.
First place teams in each division will play semifinal games with the winners advancing to the Big 10 (Big 20?) championship game in Indianapolis, Ind.
Might work.
Might not.
Either way, the SEC will surely roar back into action to form its own super conference. While you're enjoying a relaxing July 4th weekend, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is likely busy accepting calls from Division I programs hoping to follow Texas and Oklahoma into the league.
It's a long shot but perhaps an expanded SEC could look like this in the near future following the four-division, five-team format I suggested for the Big 10:
West: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and Missouri.
North: Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Louisville, and Cincinnati.
South: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, and Auburn.
East: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson, and Florida State.
If Clemson and Florida State can't get out of their financial obligations for withdrawal from the ACC, the SEC could consider other options like Oklahoma State, Houston, or West Virginia to reach 20 members.
Who knows? But one thing is certain. Teams on the lower rungs of Division I like those in the Sun Belt and MAC will be pushed down even more, especially in regard to TV exposure. Kind of sad, actually, with college football deteriorating further into the Haves and Have-Nots.
Maybe the obscure truTV network can help like it does during the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Nothing, I mean nothing, can get you fired up for Rutgers at UCLA late night Saturday more than Coastal Carolina at South Alabama on Tuesday or Wednesday.