With the "Free for All" that is college athletics, is it possible that in the near future schools will form conferences based upon a particular sport and level of spending (NIL and athletic department budgets).
Why not treat college athletics for what it has become - a minor league system for professional sports.
Conferences would be tiered - similar to Minor League Baseball with teams being added / removed based upon a level of spending by a program and its level of success over a 5 year window.
Lower rated "conferences" could play some of their games during the week to gain more exposure. Similar to what is done in college football currently.
For example, the top tier football conference would consist of Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Penn State. Tennessee and Florida State. Wins and losses would be weighted (based upon a series of factors) to allow for the best 12 teams amongst all conferences to be included in a college football playoff.
A basketball conference would consist of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, Kansas, Illinois, Purdue
and Connecticut, UCLA and Louisville. NCAA tournament seeding would still be based upon a weighted system but there would also be an opportunity for those teams who win a conference championship to join the NCAA tournament.
Almost everyone benefits, the TV networks, the fans and the universities. Only athletic departments at schools such as Vanderbilt (non competitive in a P4 conference) would incur financial losses initially. At the same time, it would become more competitive playing in a conference that includes Tulane, Rice and Wake Forest and perhaps the military academies. No one wants to watch Vanderbilt play Georgia but a more casual fam may watch Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
Thought it would be a worthwhile topic for discussion during a time there is absolutely nothing happening in the world of college athletics.
Obviously the terms and financial details would need to be worked, but what would be your thoughts as to the viability of this new "conference alignment"
Why not treat college athletics for what it has become - a minor league system for professional sports.
Conferences would be tiered - similar to Minor League Baseball with teams being added / removed based upon a level of spending by a program and its level of success over a 5 year window.
Lower rated "conferences" could play some of their games during the week to gain more exposure. Similar to what is done in college football currently.
For example, the top tier football conference would consist of Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Penn State. Tennessee and Florida State. Wins and losses would be weighted (based upon a series of factors) to allow for the best 12 teams amongst all conferences to be included in a college football playoff.
A basketball conference would consist of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, Kansas, Illinois, Purdue
and Connecticut, UCLA and Louisville. NCAA tournament seeding would still be based upon a weighted system but there would also be an opportunity for those teams who win a conference championship to join the NCAA tournament.
Almost everyone benefits, the TV networks, the fans and the universities. Only athletic departments at schools such as Vanderbilt (non competitive in a P4 conference) would incur financial losses initially. At the same time, it would become more competitive playing in a conference that includes Tulane, Rice and Wake Forest and perhaps the military academies. No one wants to watch Vanderbilt play Georgia but a more casual fam may watch Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
Thought it would be a worthwhile topic for discussion during a time there is absolutely nothing happening in the world of college athletics.
Obviously the terms and financial details would need to be worked, but what would be your thoughts as to the viability of this new "conference alignment"
