Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban. Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Ten has agreed to a league-wide halt of scheduling Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents to make a nine- or 10-game conference schedule feasible.
Alabama coach Nick Saban responded to that move by saying the Football Bowl Subdivision should have only five super conferences, with the members playing against each other.
“That’s what I’m for, so it might be 70 teams, and everybody’s got to play ’em,” Saban told the Birmingham News.
When Saban talks, people listen, including the NCAA. The ball is already in motion for reformation after the Big Ten’s bold move.
The creation of super conferences makes sense financially and to maintain a competitive balance. Those affected adversely are FCS programs and those at the FBS level who are not part of a super conference.
However, in Saban’s model with a 12-game schedule, three non-conference games can be scheduled, with two against other super conferences and one against a lower-level FBS team or FCS opponent.
The 55 or so lower-level FBS teams can form leagues and play for their own national title, or play as independents. A national-television contract broadcasting playoff games of the lower-level FBS teams will have a positive financial impact on these programs. Moreover, these programs have a better opportunity of being competitive amongst each other.
Notre Dame can remain independent and play the required five games against ACC opponents based on its affiliation with that conference. The Irish traditionally do not play FCS teams, so they can fill the remaining seven games with at least six against super-conference opponents.
Boise State can distinguish itself as an independent and play a similar schedule. Fringe programs can also claim independent status and fill the one-game spot available for a super-conference program after it fulfills its nine conference games and two against other super-conference foes.
Using Saban’s model, for the sake of argument, each super conference should have 14 teams, equaling 70 teams. The super conferences should be as follows: SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12.
The SEC already has 14 teams. The Big Ten will have 14 with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers in 2014. The ACC will have 14, replacing Maryland with Louisville. That leaves the Pac-12 and Big 12 needing to add programs to make Saban’s model work.
The Pac-12 would require two more teams and the Big 12 four. Who should be added to the Pac-12 and Big 12 to make this super-conference model work?
Pac-12: San Diego State and BYU. San Diego has the 28th largest television market in the country, according to Nielsen, ranking higher than Salt Lake City (Utah), which is 33rd. The Aztecs can join the Pac-12 Southern Division while BYU can split the state with the Utes and join the Pac-12 Northern Division. If the Cougars decide to remain independent, the Pac-12 can look at extending to Texas into the hefty television markets of Houston and Dallas (SMU). Boise State can also enter the picture, but the Pac-12 would welcome the San Diego market more than a competitive Bronco football program.
Big 12: Houston, SMU, Texas-San Antonio and Cincinnati. SMU (Dallas has the No. 5 television market) and Houston (No. 10) are no-brainers that should be added to the Big 12. The addition of Texas-San Antonio keeps the conference regional. San Antonio ranks as the 37th largest television market. The Roadrunners are a fledgling program, only in their third season of competition in 2013, but they can prosper with its recruiting base in Texas. The conference can extend to Cincinnati (No. 35 television market), which is not outlandish. Iowa State is in the conference. Another possibility is adding New Mexico (Albuquerque is the No. 47 market), Memphis (No. 49) or Tulsa (No. 59).
