Conference realignment has changed college football for the better. The landscape of collegiate athletics has undergone a seismic shift, with powerhouse programs shifting and joining other major conferences. This reshaping of conferences has a profound impact on traditional rivalries and playoff implications, and fans have seen the effects in the month of October. The effects of conference realignment has taken some getting used to. Time zone travel and cross-country matchups have become the new norm for teams like Washington and UCLA. The PAC-12/Big Ten merger has transformed the competitive balance, leading to unexpected upset victories. As college football realignment continues to unfold, it has come at perfect time with the expansion of the College Football Playoff.
Historical Context of Conference Realignment
Conference realignment has been a part of college football for over a century. The first major shift occurred in 1908 when Michigan left the Western Conference, now known as the Big Ten, over disagreements about reforms. This departure led to Ohio State joining the conference in 1912. Another significant change happened in 1932 when 13 schools broke away from the Southern Conference to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The 1950s saw more reshuffling, with the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1953. Seven schools, including Clemson, Duke, and Maryland, left the Southern Conference to establish the ACC. In 1957, the Pacific Coast Conference faced a crisis due to scandals involving booster clubs, leading to its eventual dissolution.
Motivations Behind Changes
Financial considerations have always been a driving force behind conference realignment. The landmark 1984 Supreme Court case, NCAA v. Board of Regents, opened the door for schools to control their television rights, setting the stage for future realignment moves. This decision allowed conferences to negotiate their own media deals, leading to significant revenue disparities between leagues. In recent years, the pursuit of lucrative television contracts has become the primary motivation for conference changes. For instance, the Big Ten’s expanding roster now includes 18 schools after adding USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. This expansion was partly driven by the conference’s desire to close the gap with the SEC and secure a more valuable media deal.
Key Players
Several institutions have played pivotal roles in shaping the landscape of college football through realignment. Penn State’s move to the Big Ten in 1990 was a significant development, as was Florida State joining the ACC in the same year. These additions strengthened both conferences and set the stage for future expansions.
More recently, Texas and Oklahoma’s decision to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in 2021 triggered a chain reaction. This move led to the Big 12 adding four new schools to maintain its competitiveness. The Pac-12, once a power conference, has been dramatically affected by these shifts, losing ten of its twelve members ahead of the 2024-25 academic year. The ACC has also been at the center of recent realignment, adding Cal, Stanford, and SMU to its ranks. These additions have expanded the conference’s geographical footprint significantly, leading to increased travel demands and logistical challenges for member schools. As conference realignment continues to reshape college football, the motivations behind these changes remain primarily financial. The pursuit of media revenue and the desire to remain competitive in an evolving landscape continue to drive institutions to seek new conference affiliations.
Impact on Traditional Rivalries
Conference realignment has had a profound effect on college football’s cherished traditions, particularly in the realm of historic rivalries. Some of the most storied matchups, deeply rooted in the sport’s history, have fallen victim to the changing landscape. The Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry, which saw 71 consecutive years of play and 18 top-10 matchups, became a casualty when the Big 12 was formed and the teams were split into opposite divisions. Similarly, the Kansas-Missouri rivalry, which ranked second in most-played major-college rivalry games with 120 meetings, came to an end in 2011. The “Bedlam” series between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is another casualty of realignment. With Oklahoma’s move to the SEC, the future of this in-state rivalry remains uncertain. The series, which has been played continuously since 1910, holds significant importance beyond the field for the state of Oklahoma.
New Traditions Forming
The Big Ten’s expansion, which now includes USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, has created opportunities for exciting new matchups. For instance, the prospect of USC facing Michigan in conference play brings together two programs with a combined 25 claimed national titles. The addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024 will revive the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry, which had been dormant since 2011. This renewal is eagerly anticipated by fans, as their last meeting in 2011 was epic.
Preserving Historic Games
Despite the challenges posed by realignment, efforts are being made to preserve some historic rivalries. The Big Ten, for example, has implemented a “Flex Protect-Plus” system, which designates 11 rivalries as permanent fixtures in the conference schedule. This approach allows for the protection of traditional matchups like Michigan-Ohio State and Michigan-Michigan State while also incorporating new members into the conference structure.
Some schools are also taking initiative to maintain non-conference rivalries. Washington has expressed interest in continuing its series with Washington State, even as the Huskies move to the Big Ten. Similarly, there are discussions about preserving the Utah-BYU “Holy War” rivalry, with plans for annual meetings when Utah joins the Big 12 in 2024. The preservation of these historic games is crucial, as they represent more than just athletic competitions. They are deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of communities and states, often uniting (or dividing) fans in ways that transcend sports. As college football continues to evolve, finding a balance between embracing change and honoring tradition remains a significant challenge for conferences and institutions alike.
College Football Playoff Expanded Format
The major overhaul in the 2024-25 season was the expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP). After a decade of the four-team format, the playoff will expand to include 12 teams. This expansion marks a significant shift in how college football determines its national champion. The new structure will consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. This change opens up more opportunities for teams to compete for the national title and keeps more programs in contention throughout the season.
Under the new format, the top four conference champions will receive first-round byes, while seeds 5-8 will host first-round games on their campuses. This setup adds an exciting new dimension to the playoff, bringing postseason action directly to college towns across the country. Now Athletic Directors are more willing to schedule these Power 5 matchups due to Conference Alignments and trying to earn quality wins for the committee.
Conference Strength
Conference realignment has had a significant impact on the relative strength of the Power Five conferences. The SEC and Big Ten have emerged as the powerhouses, with their expansion moves strengthening their positions. The SEC’s average strength-of-schedule ranking among its 16 teams is an impressive 11.2, with half of its teams having schedules ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Big Ten follows closely with an average ranking of 26.9 among its 18 teams. This disparity in conference strength could have significant implications for the CFP selection process. Teams from the SEC and Big Ten may have an advantage due to their tougher schedules, potentially influencing the committee’s decisions when comparing teams with similar records. For instance, the committee might need to weigh the merits of a 10-2 Missouri against a 9-3 Alabama, considering their respective strengths of schedule.
I found this fascinating. Over the next 2 weeks, college football will see a makeshift 8 team playoff:
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 25, 2023
#1 Georgia vs. #8 Bama - SEC champ game.
#4 Washington vs. #5 Oregon - PAC 12 champ game.
#2 Ohio State vs. #3 Michigan - Rivalry game.
*2 “byes”
pic.twitter.com/pCZbgInUKn
According to ESPN here are the 20 teams with the best chance to make the College Football Playoff pic.twitter.com/xmuUjbCjbl
— College Football Live (@CollegeFBonX) October 14, 2024
Path to Championship
The expanded playoff format provides multiple paths to the national championship. Conference champions now have a clearer route to the playoff, with five spots guaranteed for the highest-ranked conference winners. This change ensures that at least one team from outside the Power Four conferences (SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12) will make the playoff each year. However, the new format also leaves room for strong teams that don’t win their conferences. With seven at-large spots available, there’s no limit to how many teams from a single conference can make the playoff. It also allows Cinderella stories to form across the landscape of College Football. Now, a non-Power 5 school can impress the committee to their way into favorable consideration. This flexibility could benefit the good teams who don’t win the major conferences, but also protect the non-power house schools.
The expanded format also introduces new strategic considerations for teams and coaches. The importance of conference championship games increases, as they could determine not only playoff berths but also seeding and first-round byes. Additionally, the potential for regular-season rematches in the first round adds another layer of intrigue to the playoff picture. As college football enters this new era, the implications of conference realignment and the expanded playoff format will continue to shape the landscape of the sport, providing new challenges and opportunities for teams across the nation.
Media Rights and Exposure
The pursuit of greater revenue from media rights has been a driving factor behind these changes. As schools consolidate into fewer, larger conferences, they gain more power in negotiating lucrative contracts with television networks. The SEC, for instance, distributed $51 million to each of its members in 2023, largely due to its media rights deal with ESPN inked in 2020. This figure dwarfs the USD 39.80 million distributed to the original Big 12 schools, highlighting the financial disparities that fuel realignment decisions. The Big Ten’s seven-year, $7 billion-plus deal, which began in 2023, exemplifies the massive sums involved in these agreements. Under this contract, member schools can potentially earn up to $90 million annually, although this is more likely to occur towards the end of the agreement period.
The rise of streaming platforms has added another dimension to college football media rights. ESPN+, for example, has secured rights to stream one non-conference football game per SEC school each season. Similarly, Peacock will exclusively stream four Big Ten conference football games per season and four non-conference games. This shift towards streaming reflects the changing viewing habits of fans follows suit of what the NFL is doing with their TV deals. It provides greater exposure for schools, allowing them to reach audiences beyond traditional broadcast networks.
National Visibility
Conference realignment has had a profound impact on the national visibility of college football programs. The consolidation of power conferences has led to more high-profile matchups being broadcast in prime time slots, increasing exposure for member schools.
The expanded College Football Playoff format will further enhance national visibility for participating teams. In March 2024, the CFP, ESPN, and the 10 FBS conferences announced a six-year, $7.80 billion extension that keeps the CFP on ESPN through the 2031 playoff. This deal ensures that the most crucial games of the college football season will continue to receive maximum exposure on a national platform. As conferences like the SEC and Big Ten grow in power and influence, they’re able to secure more favorable broadcast windows and greater coverage.
College Football is Peaking
Conference realignment has been nothing short of a game changer. With all merging major topics such as conference realignment, NIL and the expanded playoff, college football is peaking. The impact on rivalries, whether traditional or in the making have preserved the product fans are watching. The changes in college football reflect broader trends in sports and media. New broadcast deals and streaming platforms increase visibility for schools. This visibility affects recruiting and revenue. Whether that is for the school for the individual athlete. As the sport evolves, it faces the challenge of balancing tradition with innovation. As we find that perfect balance, future of college football promises more changes and exciting developments.
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