RE: Alternate History and Future College Sports Realignment Scenarios
Since I haven't posted here in a while, here's a future realignment scenario!
Things start going down around 2033, as we approach the expiration of the ACC GOR. The Big Ten goes all in and extends invites to UVA, UNC, Duke, GT, Miami, and ND. The SEC responds by adding VT, NCSU, Clemson, and FSU, bringing the top 2 leagues up to 20 members.
Numbering just 5, the ACC left-behinds shack up with the Big 12. Memphis, USF, and Temple are raptured away from the AAC, and the Big 12 rebrands as the Big 20.
The MWC picks up a disgruntled SMU from the AAC along with Rice and Wichita State. The MAC takes the opportunity to add WKU and MTSU from CUSA. Navy flees the depleted AAC to return to FBS independence.
The AAC, down to just 8 members again, adds FIU for a 2nd Florida school and follows the CUSA 4.0 strategy of standing pat at 9 members. CUSA elevates EKU, UTC, and SFA from the FCS. The Sun Belt and Pac-12 remain unchanged.
Thus by 2037ish we have a P4 with 2 clear leaders, and a G5 with 2 clear losers.
Big Ten
East: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
North: Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue
South: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami-FL, North Carolina, Virginia
West: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
SEC
East: Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina
North: Kentucky, NC State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech
South: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
West: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
Big 20
East: Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, West Virginia
North: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Oklahoma State
South: Central Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, Wake Forest
West: Baylor, BYU, Houston, TCU, Texas Tech
Pac-12
North: California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
South: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, Utah
MAC
East: Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami-OH, Ohio, Toledo
West: Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Northern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
MWC
East: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, Rice, SMU, Utah State, Wyoming
West: Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii*, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
Non-FB: Wichita State
Sun Belt
East: Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion
West: Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy
AAC
Charlotte, East Carolina, FAU, FIU, North Texas, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA
CUSA
Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, UTEP
FBS Ind
Army*, Connecticut*, Massachusetts*, Navy*
Notable annual OOC matchups
Air Force/Army
Air Force/Navy
Army/Navy
BYU/Utah
Cincinnati/Miami-OH
Colorado/Colorado State
Florida State/Miami-FL
Georgia/Georgia Tech
Houston/Rice
Iowa/Iowa State
Kansas/Missouri
Kentucky/Louisville
Navy/Notre Dame
NC State/North Carolina
New Mexico/New Mexico State
Notre Dame/USC
Oklahoma/Oklahoma State
Penn State/Pittsburgh
SMU/TCU
Virginia/Virginia Tech
(This post was last modified: 03-17-2022 09:54 AM by Nerdlinger.)
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