College football: Four 16-team conferences?

[Auggie]

by Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle / 9-8-2011

Funny headline in the Chicago Tribune this week: "Big Ten content with its 12 teams."

That just about sums up the college football landscape, doesn't it? Hello, I must be going. Five of one, half-dozen of the other. If you think the conference alignments are chaotic now, wait until it all shakes down over the next year or two. It's going to be terrific, overbearing, invigorating and depressing, all at once.

I've spent the past few days trying to embrace what some have called inevitable: a Pac-16 conference adding Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. And I've taken the plunge, for two reasons. Conference "tradition" vanished decades ago, and if the end game is a national superstructure of four 16-team conferences - and secession from the NCAA - it's best to get on board.

SNIP

If you've been among the countless fans clamoring for a playoff system, be aware of (PAC-12 Commissioner Larry) Scott's power and the strong likelihood of 64 teams spread over four super-conferences. That's the future, leaving the NCAA (and the dreaded BCS) behind in football and creating a 16-team playoff, four teams from each conference, or perhaps something a bit more creative if there are enough independent powers - such as Notre Dame - to be seriously considered. (Then again, maybe Notre Dame hooks up with a conference; that would be an interesting development.)

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/08/SPT61L1BCN.DTL

Jenkins ends with, "college football leaves no room for nostalgia, sentiment or even common sense. Follow the coin, and remember that the sport itself, in essence, cannot be tarnished.

I like what he says.

[Condem]

1. Fucking Kenneth Starr rears his ugly head, again.

All of College Football is waiting to see what happens with A&M to the SEC. Baylor wants to block the move and with Starr as President of that fine institution, we know how adamant he can be about an issue. Going to be a while , as the lawyers sort this out.

[Auggie]

2. I like what the article suggests...

climb on board or be left out.

[Condem]

3. There's so much speculation out there, Auggie.

My last post in mad's Arkansas thread of last night. Texas and ND to the Big Ten. From the Northwestern football boards. Far fetched? Maybe, but this cat who posted it was right on 18 months ago. So much so, that the Big Ten office in Chitown was looking for the leak. From a financial standpoint, this move makes a lot of sense. I highly doubt Jim Delaney is sitting on his hands waiting for this thing to play out. He can afford to be very selective with his next move.

[Auggie]

5. Sure...

though honestly I don't care who ends up in what conference, unless it creates an unfair advantage. There's plenty of money to be made for everybody. And the fans get a true championship.

[KamaAina]

4. Starr is the president of Baylor?!

I knew there was a reason I was rooting for TCU the other night. :(

[madinmaryland]

6. I thought he was at Pepperdine?

:wtf:

[Condem]

7. Here's your hero's life story...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Starr

[KamaAina]

8. Pepperdine wanted him really badly, and vice versa

but his Clenis investigation dragged on so long that they reluctantly filled the position with someone presumably less evil.

By the way, may I call you "madinuglyuniform"? :rofl:

[madinmaryland]

9. You can call me "Ray", you can call me "Jay"...

:rofl:

[a la izquierda]

10. This article is just priceless...

Well, unless you're a Shorthorn fan. Read here:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/07/3345246/sooners-finally-lower-the-boom.html?storylink=addthis&fb_ref=.TmepU8B_diZ.like&fb_source=profile_multiline

[rpannier]

11. They're gonna be like the banks I see