Conference realignment and transition

[TX_UTE]

From a USA Today story about UCF’s move to the Big 12 and the toll it takes on programs that move from one level and league to another:

“TCU, which had frequently been in the top 10 as a member of the Mountain West, went 7-6 and 4-8 in its first two Big 12 seasons. West Virginia has finished in the top-25 just twice in 11 seasons since the Big East disintegrated. Rutgers and Maryland have struggled to make significant strides since upgrading to the Big Ten. Though Texas A&M and Missouri have had a few moments of glory, neither of them have reached a higher level competitively since joining the SEC. Even Utah, which has become arguably the Pac 12’s best and most consistent program, had three losing conference records after making the transition.”

I think all the new B12 programs will be challenged, as will USC and UCLA after they leave for the B10. You may be thinking “Thanks, Mr. Obvious” but it’s still good to see national recognition of all the hard work done by the Utes!

[Yergensen]

Posted to wrong thread

[EagleMountainUte]

Yeah I totally read that “EVEN Utah…” it didn’t feel condescending at all. 

[Virginia Ute]

I think it was the opposite of condescending.  He said “even Utah” struggled when they first moved despite being the most consistent winning team in the P12 as of late.  

[EagleMountainUte]

I guess it reads like I am being sarcastic. 
I feel it is very complimentary. Literally not condescending agreed. 

[Utah]

USC will be the fourth best program, at best, in the B1G. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn St are all better programs. 

And Wisconsin is a pretty damn good program. And if Rhule can do to Nebraska what he did with Temple and Baylor, then they are fighting for fourth best as well. 

USC is in for a rude awakening. 

And UCLA? Will they even get to six wins? 

[UteBacker]

USC and UCLA were simply the beneficiaries of being in the Pac-12’s largest market.  They held their own, but they in no way dominated football over the last decade (which in the grand scheme of things is the only sport that truly matters value-wise).  They had their ups and downs just like every other team in the conference.  They’ll have their successes in the BigTen, but if their fans think they are going in to dominate then they are sadly mistaken.  The travel toll alone is going to put them at a big disadvantage.  

And as for being in for a rude awakening, I think any school that isn’t in the BigT or SEC is going to fall off the map.  Unpopular opinion, I know.  But it’s just an opinion.

 

[Central Coast Ute]

I don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion. Most people know it, some just won’t admit it.

[The Miami Ute]

I think any school that isn’t in the BigT or SEC is going to fall off the map.

Personally, I think if the only two major conferences are the B1G and the SEC then college football kind of falls off the map for a significant portion of the country. Why? Because college football is much more of a regional sport than the NFL. I mean, look, I follow the Utes because I live in Utah and went to the University of Utah. If Utah drops football or it becomes just a club sport, that doesn’t mean that I’m all of a sudden going to watch other colleges to which I have zero connection. My point is that rendering college football to two conferences can be a double-edged sword.

[Central Coast Ute]

Yes, but the big money is in the big markets and those schools don’t want to share it any longer. The BIG has a ton of big market teams and the SEC has rabid fans. Most college football fans cheer for a school in one of those two conferences.

[The Miami Ute]

Personally, I think most college football fans cheer for a school that’s in their location or that they went to. If neither of those applies, then I don’t think that anything but cursory interest will be there. I mean, will you pick up another college football team to follow if Utah becomes irrelevant? Keep in mind that the vast majority of college students don’t go to schools in the SEC or the B1G.

[Author]

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