Conference Armageddon 2010

I hope no one has copywrited that so it can be an acceptable title. I know the millions (one) out there who read this blog must be wondering, "Bearcats Blog, what do YOU think of conference realignment?" Thanks for asking. I am quite intrigued by all of this. Normally when stuff starts churning up the rumor mill, it gets old and stale to me within a week. But this, this is something completely different. This is shaping the very face of college athletics forever. And it's incredibly interesting. The dominos have already started to fall, as the Big 12 has completely gone to hell. Colorado has joined the Pac 10, and Nebraska has joined the Big 10. It's all but assumed that the Pac 10 is going to offer Texas sometime soon, and when Texas decides on what it's going to do, there goes Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State is being rumored to have joined the Pac 10 as I type. There were rumors floating about that the SEC is trying to get at Oklahoma, but it's being said Oklahoma wants to be with Texas. That's quite romantic of Oklahoma. Their rivalry with Texas isn't as deep as their rivalry with Nebraska, but it's sure as hell much more profitable. Oklahoma and Texas sellout the Cotton Bowl every season, money that Oklahoma just can't afford to pass up. Plus, with the way that the Big 12 was formatted, Oklahoma and Nebraska weren't really rivals anymore. The last big game between the two of them I remember was the Eric Crouch game back in 2001. Oklahoma and Texas' rivalry even translated to basketball, where Texas has been elite and Oklahoma was on an up swing. Nebraska hoops are poopy.

It's weird sitting here on the brink of destruction. It's one thing reading rumors and hearing talks about this and that happening, but it's a completely different thing when it's reality. If you are anything like me, you probably did a yeah right and a wanking motion when you heard the first rumors of the Big 10 ruling the world. And you would have been correct to do so. Because it was the Big 12 that has been the center piece the whole time. The Big 10 rumors could all come true, but unlike Missouri and Nebraska leaving the Big 12 to join the Big 10, it looks like Missouri could be joining the Big 10 because there is no Big 12. I hope that Texas decides to bolt to the Pac 10. I really do. Then, maybe, just maybe, the Pac 10, Big 10, and SEC could get together and get a playoff together. This is the only thing that is going to blow up the BCS. It would have to be super conferences waking up and embracing the money making machine that would be a college football playoff. Everyone else would join those 3 conferences if they wanted to do a playoff. Maybe not the Mountain West. They really want that BCS birth, and they would take it even if they were the only conference in it. The Mountain West should grow some balls and invite Boise State (as it's rumored Boise would join in a heartbeat), Kansas, and Kansas State. That would put the conference at 12 teams. Maybe even Iowa State if they think 13 teams would be groovy. That's assuming that the Big 12 combusts and doesn't offer TCU, which I don't think that they will because it's TCU. Here is another team, New Mexico State. Just fuck up the WAC, Mountain West. Fuck their couch. Hell, take Utah State and Nevada and have a 16 team league. They already have New Mexico, Utah, BYU, and UNLV, what more could those schools ask for?

After laying out that great plan for the Mountain West, what about the rest of the country? I'm very worried about the SEC and Big 10 raping the Big East. I think that West Virginia would go to the SEC, I think there is a chance that Louisville would go the SEC. Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse could all go to the Big 10. I have no idea where that leaves the 2 time Big East Champions. I think that the Big East should offer Kansas and Kansas State right now. Why wait for the conference to get pillaged? Go on the offensive Big East. Do I not want to go back to the days of the Great Midwest and Conference USA? Yes. I would like to avoid those days. I have a feeling that we are going to end up going back to that. I think that the conference could shake things up and mess with the A-14 and other leagues. That's all a slippery slope that's much harder to determine than what the MWC should get done. That's because no one starts rumors about Louisville, or Cincinnati or South Florida. We need someone to become the rumor starter. It's not going to be me, because obviously I have no good ideas besides Kansas and Kansas State joining the Big East. What's going to happen is that the Big East is going to explode, that's for sure. Let's say the Big 10 takes Rutgers and Pitt, who with Missouri and ND make 16. Then my plan of Kansas and K State joining works nearly perfectly. Finding a 16th basketball school wouldn't be necessary, or it would be I dunno, St Louis. Maybe even Memphis. The MWC rolls with 9 teams, as could Big East football. If the SEC were to raid, I think they would go after the ACC. I think they would take Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech and I dunno, let's say West Virginia. The ACC would probably go after the Big East to make up for the loss of teams, so let's say Louisville, Syracuse, South Florida and UConn. Where does that leave Cincinnati? We'd be the new Boise State. A gigantic fish in a bird fountain. Let's enjoy the times we have now Bearcat fans, we don't know when they will be here again.