Super Conferences? No Thanks

Syracuse vs Duke.

Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina

Looks like my bracket for a Final Four, but in this case it is future matchups on the ACC gridiron as the collegiate conference landscape continues to change.

Are these new 16-team super conferences really the way to go? What will it do for not only football, but the other sports played throughout the year. And is all the money worth it?

Back in 2003, Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech each accepted invitations to join the ACC. Many expected this move to lead the ACC to becoming the next great conference in college football. The results? A 1-6 record in the BCS during that time.

Not that those games are the ultimate factors in determining conference success, but come on , penning your conference’s best against the best from another, one would hope to at least win half of those.

The ACC is back at it again, but they are not the only ones.

In recent weeks, the Big 12 has lost Texas A&M to the SEC and now could lose others to either the ACC or PAC-12.

For a conference like the SEC, which has won the last five BCS championships, what exactly do the Aggies bring to the table? Sure, there will be more Texas TV sets tuned in on Saturday afternoons but does the quality of play get that much better?

For all these college presidents and conference commissioners saying the top priority is the student-athlete are making fools of themselves. This is all about the almighty dollar. Sure Syracuse and Pittsburgh will help the ACC during basketball season, but are there other major sports worth it? Syracuse last finished in the top 10 in the polls in 1992. For Pittsburgh, you have to go back to 1982! The thing those schools do for the conference is give them more market access which means more money.

Another thing we’ll see out of these new mega-conferences is the possible loss of some of college football’s best rivalries. The Texas-Texas A&M matchup could be done. Instead of the Longhorns, the Aggies could be facing Vanderbilt to wrap up their year. For Pittsburgh, instead of the Backyard Brawl with West Virginia, it could be season-ending game against fellow import Boston College.

For some fans these super conferences are great. The bigger the better. But for traditionalists, let’s keep it the way it is, strap on some leather helmets and play three yards and a cloud of dust kind of game.

As you read this, deals are still being made “in the best interest of the student-athletes” to make form these new conferences. While I’ve complained about these this whole column, when the new conferences are put in place, I know where I’ll still be on those wonderful fall Saturdays. Sitting right on my recliner, watching every single minute of it that I can.