Round and round the conferences go, who will stay and who will go, nobody knows.The games being played in college these days are not all about football.Athletic directors are very busy these days shopping their programs around for the best deal they can get. The games they play have nothing to do with what’s best for the players, the fans or even the state they represent.It’s everything about the root of all evil … the love of money.
This realignment mess started in the mid 2000s when the ACC stole Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College away from the Big East. Feeling the need to be even bigger, they once again turned to the Big East last week to steal away Pittsburgh and Syracuse.This basketball-rich conference now has 14 teams and will most likely look for two more candidates to create their 16-team super-conference.The ACC has emerged as an attractive football conference with its TV contracts, although a quarter of the league is involved in NCAA scandals.
Colorado and Nebraska are to blame for the latest ungluing of the conferences. They buddied up and decided to ditch the Big 12 for a more lucrative deal with the Pac-12. The Big 12 became shaky and has turned into a slippery slope. The University of Texas caused the final implosion of the conference when it decided to start its own Longhorn Network.Who would have thought this would offend the other schools? Wouldn’t everyone be happy for the longhorns to own and operate its own $30 million network and keep all of the revenue for itself?Texas was shocked when it was accused of being arrogant.Texas A&M is sick and tired of playing second fiddle to the Longhorns and took a bold step to let them know it.The SEC has welcomed the Aggies with open arms, and who would blame them for jumping ship to the most successful conference? This gives them the chance for national notoriety and big TV ratings and contracts.And since the SEC wins the national championship nearly every year, A&M is hoping for a trophy.
In all likelihood, the Big East and others will disband.Where powerhouse teams such as West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas will go is yet to be seen.But rest assured, they will be invited to play in one of the super-conferences that are beginning to form. The sad truth is that many other schools will be left out and be forced to fend for themselves.
Who’s really to blame?Could it be the networks that have become rich off of this multi-billion dollar revenue?It seems that lucrative TV deals have taken over common sense and reason.What about history and traditions?The game of conference roulette has all but killed the uniqueness of college football.Texas A&M will surely have to come up with a new fight song.Singing about sawing the horns off of the Texas mascot, Bevo, will no longer be relevant.
