Conference re-shuffling and expansion has resumed to create Super-Conferences in the College Football Bowl Subdivision (1A) with an eye, maybe, towards some sort of a playoff in college football.
The biggest casualty is the Big 12 Conference. It’s, basically, dead with Nebraska accepting an invitation to the Big Ten Conference (which is actually the Big 11 if you count Penn State which moved there a few decades ago which begs the question …“Will the Big Ten now be referred to as the New Big 12?”).
Meanwhile current Big 12 members Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and, most likely, Colorado are about to accept invitations to join the Pac-10 Conference making it the Pac-16, or the Southern-Pacific 16, or the Pacific-Southern 16.
That will leave the remaining Big 12 members which are Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Baylor and Iowa State in some sort of conference limbo.
Over in the Mountain West Conference, not one of the Bowl Championship Series conferences, it’s decided not to expand. So, for the moment, Boise State will remain in the Western Athletic Conference, another of the non-BCS leagues.
The WAC and MWC have represented well as BCS “at-large” participants in the major bowls. Boise State owned the Fiesta Bowl. TCU (MWC) fell to the Broncos in Arizona this past January. Utah (MWC) won the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl and Hawaii represented the WAC in the Big Easy as well.
Having covered Boise State for seven years, and based on the Broncos’ two Fiesta Bowl wins, BSU can play with the big boys…………and IS one of the big boys. Same goes for Utah and TCU.
Here’s an idea I’ve been mulling over for a couple of years. The WAC and Mountain West Conferences should hold a ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAMPIOSHHIP GAME which, in essence, creates a Pseudo 18-Team Super Conference, nine schools in each league, with the winner getting the BCS “at-large” or “automatic“ bid.
The ACC, Big East and Conference USA began the shuffling a few years back. Maybe those five Big 12 teams in limbo will be absorbed by one or more of these three…………and don’t be surprised if a couple more join Nebraska in the Big Ten…………er…………New Big 12. Maybe the mighty SouthEastern Conference could get involved as well.
Back to the Pac-10……………er……………Pac-16. The Dynasty is in trouble.
USC is getting hit with some NCAA sanctions because of issues with 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush and one and done cager O.J. Mayo of the men’s basketball team. Two years worth of sanctions, folks.
A total of 20 scholarships could be lost. National television exposure could be cut for two seasons. The Trojan gridders could lose the 2004 BCS Championship Trophy, Bush could be stripped of his 2005 Heisman which begs the question, “What about Matt Leinart’s 2004 Heisman?” They could go undefeated the next two seasons but, most likely, will be on the outside looking in for the bowl seasons. The cagers could go undefeated the next two seasons and not take part in the conference tournament and March Madness.
Former USC football coach Pete Carroll saw the writing on the wall, bolting for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Former Trojan men’s hoops coach Tim Floyd did the same, resigning and is now back in the NBA as an assistant.
The Spirit’s, definitely, going to be gone from Troy.
On Any Given Sports Day 
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