What's Next for the Vikings?

For the second time this summer, a team that had a serious chance of making the playoffs decided to mess with the most important position on the field, quarterback. Following the Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels' brilliant strategy to alienate his starting QB, the Minnesota Vikings decided to let Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, the two QB's actually on the team, know that the team has no confidence or trust in either of the QB's ability to start in the NFL. For the past month and a half, the Vikings have been courting Favre, the same QB who got tired at the end of last season and blew the season for the New York Jets. The Vikings followed Favre through his shoulder surgery and practices in Mississippi. They sent coaches and coordinators down to Favre's home to watch him throw and make sure he still had it. They even went as far to tell a few team leaders, like outspoken defensive end Jared Allen and starting running back Adrian Peterson, to contact Favre through a phone call or text in an effort to woo him into wearing purple and gold. Unfortunately, despite all their efforts, Favre decided he was too old and tired to go about ruining another team's season and rejected the Viking's offer. This surprising decision has left the Vikings with only two options: go with the duo they were originally going to try before the Favre drama or sign Michael Vick. 

Now, before the courting of Favre, the obvious decision would be to try out a very competent due of Jackson and Rosenfels, who have both shown flashes of starting QB material before. However, with their trust of the team gone and the fact that there is no way either of them can become leaders, it may not be a bad decision to take a gamble and sign Vick. Bringing in new blood is the only viable option at this point, seeing as how leaders of the team, both on offense and defense, have publicly expressed doubt about the much maligned QB duo. Jackson and Rosenfels are in a limbo on this Vikings team, seeing as how they have no place in the GM's eyes or the team's locker room. 

If the Vikings do sign Vick and he shows he can still play the game like he did for Atlanta, there are a few things the team can do. The first is that they can look to trade Jackson. Vick and Jackson play a similar game, wherein they are both undersized but compensate with their mobility in the pocket. Neither are great passers but they are able to make plays with their speed. Unfortunately for Jackson, Vick is better at both aspects of the game. Another option is to keep all three QBs, where they use Jackson for special plays. If this is the route the Vikings take, Jackson can expect to see a huge decline in playing time from last year. 

The Vikings have nothing to lose in their QB situation, as they lost everything already when Favre told them no. Adding Vick to make a trio of Vick, Jackson, and Rosenfels at least adds options to how they work their offense. They can implement the Wildcat formation or use Vick as a tool for trick plays while starting Rosenfels as the main QB. At this point, the Vikings should try anything and that starts with adding a game changer like Vick.

-A.S.

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (11/11)

WAC
Established 1962 (Major Realignment 2005)
9 Teams
7 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 4034 Miles (Hawaii and Louisiana Tech)

Boise State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Idaho
Louisiana Tech
Nevada
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Utah State

The WAC is the sixth oldest football conference in the country but may have the least tradition of any conference due to its tumultuous history, top-heavy talent, and geographical absurdity. The WAC originally formed in 1962 but has gone through numerous realignments since then. The six original teams are long gone and only one team of the first ten remain (Hawaii). 6 of the 9 current teams joined in 2000 or later and the conference has had 24 different members (including Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, TCU, Tulsa, Utah) throughout its existence. The most recent change occurred in 2005 when Rice, SMU, and Tulsa all departed and Idaho, New Mexico State, and Utah State all joined...not much of an upgrade to say the least. Not only did the constant flux of members diminish any possible rivalries but the conference's tradition was sacrificed as well. BYU, Arizona State, and Wyoming have the most WAC championships but all three are no longer members. Only 3 of the 9 current members have even won outright conference championships, and the dominance of Boise State of late does not do much good for WAC bottom-dwellers, such as Idaho, New Mexico State, and Utah State. Boise State has won 6 of the last 8 WAC championships and constantly (along with Hawaii) overshadows the rest of the conference. With Hawaii dropping off since its brutal loss to Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, the conference is reverting back to futility as Boise State remains the only true force among the WAC's 9 teams.

The geography of the WAC poses another huge problem and is by far the worst of any conference. Yes, Hawaii automatically kills the conference's geography, but even when excluding them, the geography of the other 8 teams is pretty dreadful itself. Having Louisiana Tech in the Western Athletic Conference is just a joke. LT's closest in-conference foe is New Mexico State, just a short 821 mile drive away. And then, the next closest conference school to New Mexico State is just another 703 miles away. Sure, the Western states are more spread out than the East, but the WAC locations are just ridiculous. There is no way LT is ever going to be able to generate excitement against teams 1000 miles away when it could be in a conference with schools from its own state. Similarly, the WAC alignment is not at all conducive to maintaining or creating rivalries. Not only are the teams too spread out, but there are only two in-state conference opponents (in California and Idaho). If the WAC and Mountain West just got together and made a few simple changes, both would be much better off. There are easy opportunities to create in-state rivalries in Nevada and New Mexico and additional in-state rivalries in California and Utah with a few tweaks.

To accommodate San Diego State fans, the WAC should add the Aztecs to the conference. SDSU would then be able to compete against Fresno State and San Jose State on a regular basis. To renew the rivalry among the two Nevada schools, the WAC should add UNLV from the MWC. To improve the Rio Grande Rivalry, the WAC should add New Mexico from the MWC. Finally, the last move to make is adding UTEP from C-USA. The schools closest to UTEP are both located in New Mexico anyway, meaning that the Miners could build stronger rivalries with those schools than the ones hundreds of miles away in C-USA. In return for the three teams from the MWC and one from C-USA, the WAC should allow Boise State, Idaho, and Utah State to join the MWC and Louisiana Tech to join C-USA. As mentioned previously, Utah State could renew rivalries with BYU and Utah, Boise State could keep its rivalry with Idaho while playing in a much more competitive soon-to-be-BCS-conference, and Louisiana Tech could play against teams much closer to home.

While this would be considered another major realignment in the WAC's already mangled history, this is one change that could stay permanent because it actually makes sense. The importance of restoring and creating rivalries cannot be overstated in college football and rivalries that are played in-conference add a whole new element to the game. In addition to creating 7 in-state, in-conference rivalries from these 8 changes involving the WAC, transportation costs would be greatly reduced allowing more flexibility in school athletic budgets, and most fans of WAC teams could actually have the chance to attend away games without spending a fortune or driving for two days straight (sorry Hawaii fans, no relief for you). -J.S.

Solution: Add New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV from the Mountain West, Add UTEP from C-USA, Dismiss Boise State, Idaho, and Utah State to the Mountain West, Dismiss Louisiana Tech to C-USA

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (10/11)

Sun Belt
Established 1976 (Added Western Kentucky in 2009)
9 Teams
7 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 1135 Miles (Florida International and North Texas)

Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Middle Tennessee State
North Texas
Troy
Western Kentucky

The Sun Belt conference is probably the most overlooked conference in the country, for good reason though since it is often devoid of talent (12 opening day starters in the NFL in 2008, the fewest of any conference), has very little football history (beginning play in 2001 and owns a 3-5 overall bowl game record), has constantly changed members (New Mexico State, Utah State, and Idaho have all joined and departed since 2001 while Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Louisiana-Monroe, Troy, and Florida Atlantic have all joined since 2001), and lays in the heart of the SEC. To show how unsuccessful the Sun Belt has been, consider its most memorable game: the Florida International - Miami brawl in 2006 in which 31 suspensions were dished out in its aftermath.

Though the teams in the Sun Belt are in proximity of each other, not too many fierce rivalries exist due to both lack of history and lack of winning amongst the teams. Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe have their annual Battle on the Bayou, but considering Louisiana-Lafayette hasn't had a winning season since 1994, not too much excitement is generated. Similarly, Florida Atlantic and Florida International have begun a rivalry, but since each has only played football for 8 and 7 years respectively, and FIU only has 7 conference wins in its history, calling this a rivalry is somewhat generous. The lack of consistency among the teams is not helping either. North Texas, which dominated the conference from 2001-04 and won the conference title all four years in that span has been absolutely terrible since then, winning a total of 8 games since 2005. Recently, Troy has been the Sun Belt's top team and has won the conference title in 2 of the last 3 years but has not garnered attention like that of top teams in other non-BCS conferences such as Tulsa or Ball State.

Although a lot needs to be done to improve the conference's image and substance, not too much is feasible in the short-term. Western Kentucky will be participating in football in the Sun Belt for the first time, but considering that WKU did not experience too much success as an independent the last two years, hoping WKU will improve the Sun Belt is unreasonable. One move that does make sense, at least in the logistical point of view, is adding SMU from C-USA. Though SMU has gone 1-11 in each of the past two seasons and does not have much of a football history, adding another team won't hurt the Sun Belt. SMU will create another in-state rivalry (and a very close one) with North Texas and give the Sun Belt 10 teams. The addition of another team can only help the conference because it means one more conference game per year for each team (and likely one fewer uncompetitive out-of-conference game). Even if the talent and wins are lacking, much more excitement is generated for an in-conference game compared to an out-of-conference one. Similarly, the more conference games a team plays, the more likely rivalries will fortify over time. This move not only helps the Sun Belt gain another team and C-USA become stronger from addition by subtraction (see C-USA), but SMU will have a chance to restart its football program and compete in an overall easier conference. -J.S.

Solution: Add SMU from C-USA to reach a total of 10 teams, Adopt Pac-10 scheduling in order to play an extra conference game

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (9/11)

Mountain West
Established 1999
9 Teams
7 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 1135 Miles (San Diego State and TCU)

Air Force
BYU
Colorado State
New Mexico
San Diego State
TCU
UNLV
Utah
Wyoming

The Mountain West conference is right on the cusp of having the same level of talent as some BCS conferences and will undoubtedly become the seventh BCS conference within a few years, even though the MWC's proposal was unsuccessful this year. And with a few changes, not only will the MWC have to be admitted as a BCS conference but could easily become the third best conference in America in terms of depth and elite talent. The MWC has been on the steady rise in recent years, never more evident than last season. Utah shocked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to cap off an undefeated season and raise serious national championship talk among the Utes, TCU finished 11-2 with its only losses coming to the hands of Oklahoma (and held the Sooners to a regular-season low of 35 points) and Utah, and BYU finished 10-3 including a 59-0 shellacking of UCLA. The MWC had 5 of its 9 teams finish over .500 and was one of only three conferences in the country to have at least three teams finish with double-digit wins (Big 12 and SEC being the others).

But don't let the elite teams in the MWC fool you; the rest of the conference is pretty solid itself. Air Force finished fourth in the conference at 8-5, Colorado State finished 7-6 including wins over Houston and Fresno State, UNLV defeated BCS-conference foes (15) Arizona State and Iowa State in consecutive weeks, New Mexico defeated Arizona, Wyoming won at Tennessee to stun the Volunteers, and even San Diego State gave Notre Dame a run for its money, finally losing by 8 after giving up two 4th quarter scores. The conference not only has depth and talent but the Holy War played between BYU and Utah originated in 1896 and is one of the most intense rivalries in the country, involving not only football pride but religious pride as well.

Though the MWC is as healthy as it ever has been, a few shake-ups within the conference would have huge benefits for fans, rivalries, and talent. First, Utah State should be added from the WAC because it makes sense geographically and strengthens two already historical in-state rivalries with Utah and BYU. Then (in a move similar to the one it made in 2005 when TCU was added), both the Idaho schools, Boise State and Idaho, should be added. Adding Boise State (though it has denied the MWC's invitation for now) and Idaho keeps the in-state rivalry for the Governor's Cup (and keeps Idaho somewhat relevant) and gives the MWC the edge it needs to make another push for becoming a BCS conference. Ever since its historic upset of Oklahoma in 2006, Boise State has become the epitome of how to run a non-BCS conference team. Joining the ranks of Gonzaga and Memphis in basketball, Boise State has been the best team not from a major conference in recent memory, finishing with one loss or fewer 5 times in the last 7 years. Adding Boise State from the WAC would further legitimize the Mountain West and end any arguments from naysayers. It would also give Boise State the opportunity to play in a conference up to its standar

ds.

After the addition of these three teams, the WAC should dismiss San Diego State, UNLV, and New Mexico from the MWC (see WAC for details). The three team swap with the WAC would drastically improve the Mountain West's chances of becoming a BCS conference and accommodate fans of the region. Fans of Utah State and Idaho (neither school close to most other schools from the WAC) would greatly appreciate the move, allowing them the chance to see more games close to home. -J.S.

Solution: Add Utah State from the WAC, Add Boise State and Idaho from the WAC, Dismiss New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV to the WAC

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (8/11)

MAC
Established 1946 (Added Temple for football in 2007)
13 Teams
6 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 719 Miles (Northern Illinois and Temple)

East
Akron
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Kent State
Miami (OH)
Ohio
Temple

West
Ball State
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan

The MAC has emerged as a solid non-BCS conference with the quick improvements of Ball State, Buffalo, and Western Michigan and the continued solid play of Central Michigan. Last year, Ball State helped stir excitement within the conference by starting the year 12-0, though it ended up losing both the MAC Championship Game and GMAC Bowl. There are no elite teams in the MAC, but there are no really putrid teams either. The MAC is the most geographically centralized conference in the country, having 9 of its 12 teams in Michigan and Ohio. Though the rivalries are not what they could be considering the proximity of the schools (and are often overshadowed by the great rivalries of the Big Ten), the fans travel well to away games and do show passion for their schools. The conference is always competitive and its championship game is usually exciting (since its inception in 1997, 7 of the 12 games have been decided by a single score).

The main issue with the MAC is the uneven number of teams in the East and West divisions. Having 7 teams in the East complicates scheduling and gives teams in the East a disadvantage by making them compete against an extra school for the top-spot in the division. The only change necessary for the MAC is to even out the two divisions by nixing one team. Getting rid of Temple is the obvious answer since it is the farthest school geographically, only has affiliate membership status (meaning it only competes in football), and is the most recent addition to the conference, joining two years ago. Temple could depart from the MAC without any tears shed and rejoin the Big East, where it held membership from 1991-2004. -J.S.

Solution: Dismiss Temple to have 6 teams in both divisions

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (7/11)

Conference USA
Established 1995 (Major Realignment 2005)
12 Teams
9 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 1690 Miles (East Carolina and UTEP)

East
East Carolina
Marshall
Memphis
Southern Miss
UAB
UCF

West
Houston
Rice
Southern Methodist
Tulane
Tulsa
UTEP

Conference USA really is nothing more than a hodgepodge of teams from different regions across the nation. C-USA is one of the most geographically spread-out conferences in the country with teams ranging from West Virginia and North Carolina to South Florida to West Texas. In part due to the large distances between schools along with its brief, but jumbled history, C-USA has no great rivalries or tradition. The major realignment in 2005 devastated C-USA. Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida all departed and rising powerhouse TCU left for the MWC as well. As a result, C-USA added UCF, Marshall, Rice, SMU, UTEP, and Tulsa, but the net change was still negative. Tulsa put C-USA back on the map last year after they started the season with an 8-0 record before finishing 11-3 and East Carolina has provided some memorable moments in recent years and opened up 2008 with a bang after defeating (17) Virginia Tech and (8) West Virginia in consecutive weeks. Rice, Houston, and Southern Miss have all been solid in recent years as well (and all won their bowl games this past season), but the majority of the conference ranges from weak to extremely week. The remaining 7 teams were all under .500 last season, hard to believe considering that Tulane and Southern Methodist combined for 1 win in-conference (and 3 wins overall).

The lack of fierce rivalries and lack of talent contribute to the malaise of the conference, however, beneficial changes could be made. One easy way to improve competitiveness is to create in-state rivalries. Currently, Texas is the only state with multiple schools in C-USA. The first move should be to add Louisiana Tech from the WAC. What LT is doing in the same conference as Hawaii, I have no idea. Adding LT would strengthen the in-state rivalry with Tulane. To keep 12 teams in C-USA, UTEP should depart C-USA and replace LT in the WAC. The second in-state rivalry that can be created is in Florida, between UCF and South Florida. As mentioned previously South Florida does not belong in the Big East and would be much more productive in C-USA. Last year, these two schools played in one of the most intense atmospheres of the year. With the addition of South Florida, C-USA should drop SMU to keep 12 teams and allow SMU to renew its rivalry with North Texas in the Sun Belt.

These two changes not only improve rivalries but create a more geographically centralized conference, allowing fans to travel to more games. The changes also improve competition, as LT is a step-up from UTEP, and South Florida is a huge step-up from dismal SMU. The final changes needed to improve C-USA would be to put LT in the West Division, move Southern Miss from the East to the West, and put South Florida in the East. With these final changes, the East and West would be balanced and would each contain an elite team: South Florida and Tulsa respectively. -J.S.

Solution: Add Louisiana Tech (from the WAC) and South Florida (from the Big East), Dismiss UTEP to WAC and SMU to Sun Belt, Make proper division changes with new teams

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (6/11)

SEC
Established 1933 (Added Arkansas and South Carolina in 1991)

12 Teams

9 States

Longest Distance Between Schools: 817 Miles (Arkansas and Florida)

East
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

West
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State

There really isn't too much to say about the SEC in terms of fixing it. The SEC is by far the best conference in America in terms of talent (sorry Big 12 but play some D) and depth and fans. Last year, 8 of the 12 teams finished with an above .500 record, and the worst record in the conference was Mississippi State's mediocre 4-8 campaign. While it may be true that the SEC plays a relatively soft out-of-conference record, it's understandable considering the paths some SEC schools have to endure in the hopes of making it to the title game. Preseason number 1 Georgia had its title hopes derailed early on last year after having to play (8) Alabama, Tennessee, (22) Vanderbilt, (13) LSU, and (8) Florida in consecutive games. And even if the SEC does play 1-2 warm-up games a year, SEC teams still proved they play in the toughest conference by combining to go 6-2 in bowl games last year and having the reigning National Champion Tim Tebows, um, I mean Florida Gators. At the end of the year, 3 SEC teams were ranked in the Top 10 in defense and 8 SEC teams were in the Top 30 in defense. SEC's fantastic defensive play was nowhere more evident than in Auburn's 3-2 victory (in perfectly fine weather) over Mississippi State.

But that's not to say that the SEC can't score either, as Florida outscored the top scoring offense in the country, Oklahoma, in the title game and finished third in the country in scoring offense. Not only does the SEC have stats and games to back-up its reputation, but no other conference in the country can say it has playoff-type atmospheres every week or as many heated rivalries as the SEC does. Alabama-Auburn (Iron Bowl), Florida-Georgia (World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party), Auburn-Georgia (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry), and Tennessee-Alabama (Third Saturday in October) are all among the best in the country and just some of the SEC's historic rivalries. In addition, the East/West divisions are very competitive and the championship game is usually the best of any conference. The SEC is becoming so competitive that even the coaches are taking it to the next level, chastising each other through the media at a rapid-fire pace this past offseason (Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer especially, although Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, and Les Miles have all done it before). -J.S.

Solution: Help everybody else out and leave some talent for the rest of the country

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (5/11)

Pac 10
Established 1959
10 Teams
4 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 1219 Miles (Arizona and Washington)

Arizona
Arizona State
California
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Washington
Washington State

The Pac-10 runs smoothly as a whole thanks in part to fair scheduling, good competition, plenty of in-state rivalries, and passionate fans. In the Pac-10, each team plays each other every year, so no team can benefit from playing a soft in-conference schedule. Though an out-of-conference game is sacrificed for an extra in-conference game (9 instead of 8), playing each team within the conference is the fairest way to determine a conference champion. There is not really any need to push for adding a conference championship game (since the NCAA only allows conferences with 12 or more teams to have a conference championship game) aside from the fact that teams that play in the last week of the season seem to be disproportionally rewarded in the minds of the voters. Although the conference may be a little down right now competition and depth wise, USC is always a national powerhouse, Oregon and Arizona State were ranked in the top 5 two years ago, Arizona is rapidly improving, and Oregon State surprised everyone last year by shaking up the entire BCS after defeating USC. The Washington schools are the only ones really hurting the reputation of the conference, combining for a 2-23 record last year (with one of those wins coming when Washington State defeated Washington and the other when Washington State defeated Division I-AA opponent Portland State). Although the teams in the Pac-10 are spread out, each school has one big in-state rival closeby, allowing fans the easy opportunity to travel to at least one away game every two years. The in-state rivalries are among the best in the country and always give the fans something to look forward to, no matter their team's record. The Arizona schools play in the Territorial Cup (first played in 1899), the Oregon schools in the Civil War (1899), the Washington schools in the Apple Cup (1900), USC and UCLA in the Victory Bell (1929), and Cal and Stanford in the Big Game (1892). -J.S.

Solution: To help improve competition, give some of USC's recruits to the state of Washington? Other than that, leave the Pac-10 alone

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (4/11)

Big Ten
Established 1896 (Added Penn State in 1990)
11 Teams
8 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 841 Miles (Minnesota and Penn State)


Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin

The Big Ten, like the Big East, definitely has room to improve but has the potential to become a top conference with a few basic changes. The first change the Big Ten could address is its name; its embarrassing in and of itself to have a grossly inaccurate name for your organization. The "hidden" 11 in the Big Ten logo is not a solution. Aside from the 11 teams flubbing the name, having 11 teams is not conducive to running a conference properly. 11 teams does not allow for every team to play each other annually (making for an extremely unbalanced schedule at times), nor does it allow the conference to be broken up into two divisions. Although some conferences such as the Pac-10 and Big East do not have conference championship games, each opponent plays one another to allow for a fairer schedule. In the Big Ten for example, when Michigan has to play rivals Ohio State and Michigan State every year but misses out on games against Northwestern and Minnesota (like it will this year), not every team has an equal shot at making the postseason. While expanding the Big Ten to 12 teams, which it should do as detailed below, will not allow every team to play each other, it will allow for the formation of two divisions. Though in-conference divisions may not be of equal strength, having two set divisions is more fair than playing a constantly changing 8 of 10 teams every year. That way, the conference championship game winner would normally also be the true best team in the conference. If the Big Ten were to expand, it could set up East and West divisions and adopt the scheduling tactics of the ACC, in which each team plays its five opponents in-division, two teams from the other division that changes every year, and one permanent rival from the opposite division.

A few options exist for adding a team that makes sense, but one option is so obvious and easily achievable that we shouldn't even mention the others. But we will. The less obvious options include adding Cincinnati from the Big East (since the school is close to other Big Ten schools and would create an in-state rival with Ohio State) or adding Iowa State from the Big 12 (since Iowa State is sort of an outcast in the Big 12 and would create an in-state rival with Iowa). But those two options don't make sense for the Big East and Big 12 respectively unless they were to follow up with some additional changes. The one option so obvious for every reason imaginable is....adding independent Notre Dame! Adding Notre Dame makes so much sense because no other conference would be disturbed by the move, the Big Ten would benefit greatly from having 12 teams, most of ND's rivals (aside from BC and USC) are in the Big Ten, ND lies in the heart of Big Ten country, and, most importantly, fans across the country would not be subjected to torturous games between ND and the weakest Division I-A schools every week on national television (either through ESPN/ABC or NBC). Last year alone, NBC and ESPN aired ND games against San Diego State (finished with a 2-10 record), Syracuse (3-9, though they beat the Irish), and Washington (0-12). This year, fans will be tormented with ND games against powerhouses Nevada, Washington, Washington State, and Stanford (combined record last year: 14-36). It's time for Notre Dame to join the rest of the country and compete in a conference (and not have an independent television contract). Year in and year out Notre Dame plays 2-3 tough games a year and then pads its record against teams in the cellars of their conferences. Years ago, when Notre Dame was a perennial powerhouse, it was adequate for them to be unique and not compete in a conference. But those days are long gone; just two years ago Notre Dame was arguably one of the five worst teams in college football, and this past year, ND only made a bowl game because it played a tremendously easy schedule and finished with a 6-6 record (the minimum needed to be bowl eligible).

With a move to the Big Ten, Notre Dame would still be able to play rivals BC and USC but it would also be able to strengthen its rivalries with Big Ten teams, such as Michigan, because the in-conference aspect would be added. With Notre Dame part of the Big Ten, two divisions could be created. The East would consist of Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State. The West would consist of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, and Wisconsin. While the East would currently be stronger than the West, if the unbalanced divisions work in the Big 12, why wouldn't it work here? Once the two divisions are created, a championship game could be installed helping the Big Ten in terms of the BCS. Every year, since the Big Ten does not have a championship game and sometimes has a bye the week before championship games, Big Ten teams may have an extra two weeks off in addition to the month of December before bowl games. This not only throws off Big Ten teams by providing them too much rest, but it hurts the top Big Ten teams because voters penalize teams that do not play the last few weeks by subconsciously/consciously forgetting about them.

Solution: Add Notre Dame, Create East and West Divisions, Adopt ACC Style of Scheduling, Add Championship Game

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (3/11)

Big 12
Established 1996
12 Teams
7 States
Largest Distance Between Schools: 837 Miles (Iowa State and Texas)

North
Colorado
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Nebraska

South
Baylor
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech

The Big 12 is the second best conference in the country as it has great competition, rivalries, fans, and two divisions with a championship game. While the South division is stronger than the North, the best team usually survives in the end, although the BCS can screw this up as it did with Oklahoma and Texas last year. Year in and year out, the Big 12 boasts exciting offenses and Heisman candidates. The Red River Shootout is one of the most exciting rivalries in college football and maybe the best in the country in recent years. The Big 12 has history too, having 3 teams (Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma) in the top 10 in wins alltime. The only changes to even consider with the Big 12 would be changes that would accommodate other conferences. Iowa State could move to the Big Ten to create an in-state rivalry with Iowa and give the Big Ten an even number of teams, TCU could be absorbed by the Big 12 from the Mountain West to improve the MWC's geography, and Colorado could be taken in by the MWC to improve its depth. But none of the options are very enticing. -J.S.

Solution: Keep the Big 12 as it is

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences (2/11)

Big East
Established 1979 (Realignment 2004-05)
8 Teams
8 States
Largest Distance Between Schools: 1116 Miles (UConn and South Florida)

Cincinnati
Connecticut
Louisville
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
South Florida
Syracuse
West Virginia

To put it bluntly, the Big East, in general, could use some work. The Big East is too big for basketball (16 teams) and too small for football. We'll continue with the football here. Not only is the Big East the smallest BCS conference, but it's also the weakest. The loss of Miami, VT, and BC to the ACC really hurt the Big East's reputation and level of competition, a blow the conference is still trying to recover from. West Virginia is a perennial powerhouse, and Pitt, Cinncy, Louisville are usually solid though never elite. The recent success of Rutgers has helped to create a buzz for the Big East, and South Florida has begun the process of creating a fierce rivalry with WVU, but the conference as a whole struggles to generate excitement. While South Florida is a good team, it would be better suited for a conference with some nearby teams in it. Louisville, over 700 miles away, is the closest Big East team to South Florida. Being in a conference with no close schools, is not conducive to the fans and is not beneficial to the success of the team. Not only is it tougher to win the farther you travel, but teams in the South play a completely different style of football than teams in the North. While it may be an advantage for South Florida to host teams used to playing in the cold, it is a bigger disadvantage to have to travel north to play in games with freezing temperatures and snow when you are not accustomed to it. South Florida would be better suited playing in Conference USA where it would be one of the top teams and play away games much closer to home.

After addressing the issue of geography, the Big East should look towards expanding. One obvious and easy option would be to add both Army and Navy. Army and Navy are both independents, meaning adding them to the Big East would not disrupt another conference. Also, Army (New York) and Navy (Maryland) fit perfectly in with the geography of the conference (much improved after nixing South Florida). In addition, the two schools could keep their end of the season rivalry, the only difference being that the game would now be a conference game, further raising the stakes. More evidence for adding these two military schools can be drawn from the fact that Air Force operates flawlessly in the Mountain West; it's able to compete for the conference championship while still playing Army or Navy every few years.

After these first two moves, the Big East would consist of 9 teams, meaning one more move should be made to get to an even number of teams. A few possibilities exist for the tenth team including Notre Dame (another independent and member of the Big East for basketball), Penn State (would strengthen the in-state rivalry with Pitt), Marshall (which could renew its rivalry with West Virginia), and Temple (former member of the Big East from '91 to '04). All four of these schools make sense geographically, meaning the best option is the one that helps the most parties involved. We'll touch on Notre Dame when we get to the Big Ten (hint, hint) and Penn State works fine in the Big Ten conference as well. Marshall could make sense, but it can keep its rivalry with West Virginia out of conference anyway. While unorthodox, moving Temple to the Big East makes the most sense. Temple was kicked out of the Big East in 2004 when they failed to garner enough fan support, but they have had no recent success as an independent or as a member of the MAC. Moving back to the Big East would energize fans and attract recruits, which they should be able to do as Pennsylvania is a state with one of the best high school football programs. Adding Temple would not only help the Big East, but would help the MAC through addition by subtraction (the MAC would then have 12 teams rather than 13, see MAC for details). With 10 teams in the conference, each Big East team would still be able to play each other annually by adopting the Pac-10 type schedule, in which each team plays 9 conference games, and 3 out of conference games. -J.S.

Solution: Dismiss South Florida to C-USA, Add Army and Navy, Add Temple from the MAC

Fixin’ College Football: Shuffling the Conferences

Realignments that Actually Make Sense

Although still over a month away, it’s never too early to start talking football, in this case college football. As we all know, the college game has a ton of flaws, most notably the lack of a playoff system, but another major flaw that often goes overlooked is the poor layout of some of the conferences. As one of the most important aspects of college football, the conferences are supposed to organize the 120 teams in some efficient manner, create and maintain rivalries, allow fans to support their teams, and eventually reveal the top teams in the country at the end of the regular season. Although the 11 Division 1-A conferences satisfy these criteria to an extent, the system can be improved as a whole to make it easier for fans to support their teams, improve competition, and create a more fair shot for teams heading to the postseason. Not only is it important to make conferences competitive, but making conferences work geographically is an important aspect that frequently goes unnoticed. A system that is laid out well geographically allows fans to travel to more away games instilling fiercer rivalries and cuts transportation costs for schools (which is something not to be taken lightly in the current economy). In the next series of posts, I list different options for each conference to consider as well as my best proposed solution (often times regardless of the financials of the situation).

Part 1 of 11

ACC

Established 1953 (Expansion 2004-05)
12 Teams
7 States
Longest Distance Between Schools: 1261 Miles (Boston College and Miami)

Atlantic
Boston College
Clemson
Florida State
Maryland
NC State
Wake Forest

Coastal
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina
Virginia
Virginia Tech

The Atlantic Coast Conference is one of the better laid out conferences in the country although its latest expansion of Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech did upset some of its allure. While the addition of Miami and VT did create in-state rivalries within the ACC with Florida State and Virginia respectively, these two schools along with BC just seem to fit in better with the Big East schools. Miami didn’t need to join the ACC to begin a rivalry with Florida State; the two schools had played each other in the regular season 53 times in the last 59 years and every year since 1968. Similarly VT didn’t need the ACC to continue its bitter rivalry with Virginia, a rivalry that began in 1895 and has seen the schools play each other every year since 1970. While the latest expansion did disrupt some of the tradition (before the latest expansion Florida State and Georgia Tech were the only ACC schools that did not originate with the conference in 1953), having 12 teams in the conference allows for two separate divisions and a conference championship game. Though the football rivalries are not on par with other BCS football conferences or even ACC basketball, the ACC is a solid conference with a layout that is accommodating to fans. Aside from BC, most of the schools are within driving range of each other, allowing for the potential of bitter rivalries if the teams are good enough. With Wake Forest emerging as a perennial contender, Georgia Tech already a dangerous team utilizing a Triple Option attack that took down Georgia last year, and powerhouses VT, BC, and the Florida schools, the ACC has a lot to look forward to. Though the depth of the ACC has room to improve, competition is strong and fans will continue to improve rivalries. -J.S.

Solution: Keep the ACC as it is