Posted on 11/18/2021 8:57:08 AM PST by dangus
The Big 12 expansion was so perfect that it pretty much ended not only the dream of another major FOOTBALL conference, but much of the need as well: The four strongest programs upon which a new major conference could best be founded upon (Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and Central Florida) have all at last found major-conference homes.
Most of the best of the remaining teams (Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, San Antonio, Liberty) are newer universities that are quite possibly merely hot. Only Memphis and Southern Methodist really got left out. (The Mountain West is such a sensible conference, I'm not even worried about its schools.)
Among NON-FOOTBALL teams, however, there ARE several good sports programs from the central states, scattered among weaker conferences. There aren't enough to form a full conference, but there are enough to form a strong, five-team DIVISION. (Three five-team divisions allow each team gets to play its best rivals twice, and everyone else once, for an optimal total of 18 games.)
The West Coast Conference, a non-football alliance of Christian universities had rested their hopes of being seen as a major conference upon Mormon giant, BYU. The WCC could improve by cobbling together several worthy teams from the South Central region. A major West-Coast conference would be appealing to a sports network like Fox Sports, since their games would be played AFTER games in the Eastern and Central time zones are finished.
I'm usually wary of over-expansion. It destroyed the old Big East, made a joke of the WAC, ruined the Atlantic 10 and severely weakened the ACC, but here are teams the WCC should be trying to land:
WICHITA STATE (Kansas)
The defending AAC champions, Wichita State has been to seven of the last eight NCAA tournaments. But they've left in the lurch by the American's demolition. A basketball-only college, WSU only joined the American to play teams like Connecticut, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Houston and Memphis, four of five of whom are gone or leaving.
GRAND CANYON (Arizona)
A growing college with three NCAA tournaments and eight post-season appearances in the past ten completed seasons, Grand Canyon is the star of the soon-to-be-decimated (AGAIN!) WAC. Grand Canyon could provide the 10th team among the two Pacific division, or the 5th team in the Central-States division.
SOUTHERN METHODIST (Texas)
The American offers SMU nothing. Considering it has a national following like other successful independents (Army, Navy, BYU, Notre Dame), SMU is in a great position to go independent in football, even if its following is smaller than those other schools. (It could also fit well into the Mountain West Conference, if it were inclined to expand.) The trick about being independent is lining up strong opponents, but SMU benefits from being near other private universities (TCU, Tulsa, Baylor, Rice) and ties to Mountain West teams (Air Force, New Mexico, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State) that would like the strength of schedule SMU would help them attain. SMU could make short-term investments in hot, smaller colleges (San Antonio, Appalachian State, Liberty, Coastal Carolina) to keep up its own strength of schedule, and hold its own against the Texas giants (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech) or Independents (Army, Navy, Notre Dame). Any 11 of those 19 potential rivals would be far better than any schedule within the hobbled American.
ORAL ROBERTS (Oklahoma)
Their stunning upsets of Florida and Ohio State make it easy to over-rate Oral Roberts; they only made it to the NCAA tournament after five losses in the weak Summit League. But they wouldn't be likely to bring shame on the WCC, and would fit in well.
CREIGHTON (Nebraska)
When the "Catholic 7" were desperate to re-establish themselves as the New Big East, Creighton was a sensible addition: a successful sports program that didn't fit geographically, but didn't fit anywhere else any better. Since coming to the Big East, it has neither been dominant nor rueful, and could possibly slip away into a central-states division of mostly Christian schools with neither feelings of good riddance or betrayal,... especially since the return of Connecticut means the size of the Big East is more awkward with Creighton (eleven teams) than without (ten). Or the Big East could add more geographically sensible teams (St. Louis, Dayton and/or Loyola, Illinois) and create two geographically Eastern and Mid-Western divisions.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN (Texas)
Just a decade ago, they returned to Division 1. Now, they've won an NCAA tournament game against Texas. Since their coach is gone, we'll have to see what happens this year; so far they've lost at Utah, and in overtime at Texas A&M.
SEATTLE
Seattle had a fair amount of success previously in the WCC, before dropping Division 1 athletics as a cost-containment measure. They're back in Division 1, but although they haven't particularly thrived since as a WAC team, such a major TV market could be desirable, giving the WCC representation in every major market in Pacific Coast Time.
Other, less appealing options include Denver, California Baptist, Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word (Texas).
Except for Ohio State winning the natty in 2014, all of the other national champions going all the way back to 2006 have been southeastern teams (either SEC teams or teams geographically in the southeast like Clemson and Florida State). You could count 2005 if you count Texas as being in the southeast.
So of the past 15 national champions, the southeast has won 14 and the entire rest of the country: 1.
By the way, my state alone has won most of the past dozen national championships (6 for Bama and 1 for Auburn = 7 out of 12). College football really is a southern thing. The rest of the country just doesn't get it like we do.
Do notice that two of the new Big 12 teams are in the Southeast (Central Florida, Houston), and a third is the best team in Ohio as of late (Cincinnati). Not that I expect any of them to win a national championship any time soon.
Now that you bring up the subject to my mind: WTF happened to Nebraska?
Is a major conference still a major conference if all it’s power house teams leave and are replaced by mid majors, major a major conference a mid major? That said, Texas and Oklahoma have consigned themselves to future mediocrity in the SEC. Ask Texas A&M, Missouri and Arkansas how easy it is for former SWC/Big 12 teams to compete in the SEC.
Those who tout the southeast and dismiss the rest of the US ...
Your mistake is that there is Alabama, followed well behind by Ohio State and Georgia ... and then a huge drop off to the rest of the US. Clemson, LSU, ... pop up now and again, because of a random, small generational group of players (e.g., built around a Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence). But then they fade. There are presently just three truly great football programs and then two dozen excellent programs more or less in a pack. The SEC is modestly overrepresented in this pack, but modestly and look good mostly because they hang with Alabama and Georgia.
It’s important to understand this, because as in any industry there is ongoing innovation (e.g., the transfer portal), and much much much more depth of talent coming out of high school. The Big 10 is exceedingly well positioned to take advantage.
They command more very big markets —> $$$
Their athletic departments excel in more sports —> $$$
Their schools are bigger, with more alumni —> $$$
I would agree that the southeastern US is MUCH more passionate about winning national championships. This is not an altogether healthy thing, especially if the SEC goes for a stretch where it wins, say, just 2 of 6 years, as might happen if Saban retires or if Ohio State has a QB (Quinn Ewers?) who wins them two natties in a row.
The Big 10 cares so very much more about conference play. At this point even Rutgers and Illinois aspire to contend for that conference championship, and their schools are investing and setting the bar accordingly.
What gives me the most confidence that the SEC will be humbled going forward, though, is the smugness and lack of humility of SEC fans. :) Pride goeth before the fall!
Are you calling the Big 12 a mid-major? Because I’ll grant you that it’s not as good as the SEC (in case you couldn’t tell this article is about BASKETBALL, so I have no dog in this fight), but it is WAY better than the ACC or the Pac 12 and arguably better than the Big 10. And, of course, in basketball, it’s the top conference among all the “football conferences” and likely to become even stronger.
You don’t need the SEC to show Texas it’s mediocre. It’s 2-5 against the rest of the Big 12. And Texas A&M is coming off a 9-1 season in the SEC after being below .500 for most of their Big 12 existence.
If I wanted to trash the SEC, I would point out that they are less a collegiate sports conference and more an NFL minor league, sucking billions off of idiot taxpayers’ teats. But then much more respected universities have forsaken studies even worse; how UNC is still accredited after their fake victims’ studies programs amazes and scandalizes me.
Yes. I know it’s about basketball, but since they led with the teams that are joining the Big 12 mostly for football reasons, and since football drives everything, that’s where I went. The Big 12 will be the equivalent of a mid major in football by 2025. You can call the conference whatever one wants but when you get to the point that the majors are filled with former mid majors, then that’s what it is. Oklahoma has been the class of the Big 12 for years, and had no business being in the CFP any of the years they were. Disclosure, my daughter went to OU.
Now basketball, a different story with Baylor, Kansas, now Cincinnati, BYU, Houston.
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