UConn’s decision to leave the AAC has kicked off another wave of conference realignment discussion. Although the Huskies leaving the conference is not a seismic shift in the college football landscape, it has led some to speculate that we could be heading toward another major shake-up like we saw earlier this decade.
Expansion? Champions League?
Five scenarios for the future of conference realignment: https://t.co/ZmIDMX2Rze
— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) July 28, 2019
Stewart Mandel’s piece in The Athletic whets the appetite for those that are wondering what the next conference realignment could look like. Most power conference commissioners don’t seem to think that another major shift is on the horizon, but we learned at the start of the decade to expect the unexpected and that one team moving can set off a domino effect that puts a conference on life support.
The most intriguing option Mandel brings forth is that of a college football premier league. This would create a permanent gap between the bluebloods and every other team, but we’ve already seen that gap emerge from the decisions of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
In Mandel’s model, there would be four divisions of seven teams apiece to make 28 total. The top two teams in each division would advance to a playoff, and the national champion would be decided from there.
Interestingly though, Mandel doesn’t suggest incorporating the entirety of the Premier League model. He does not mention promotion and relegation, which would give the have-nots a chance for glory. If this model were to be adopted, it feels like it would almost have to include a promotion and relegation aspect as all the small conference schools are left out and half of the power conference schools would be out of the mix too.
With most of the major conferences’ television rights expiring between 2023 and 2025, more conference realignment is likely to happen. Over the next few years, there are going to be a lot of observers trying to read the tea leaves to see what form it takes.
H/T The Athletic
