MASSIVE CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT FOR 2018 SEASON!!
With the crowing of Ohio State as 2017 Champs, 2017 is officially in the books. Now with 2018 just around the corner, let's take a look at what looks to be the most exciting thing in sports as the NCAA does a major realignment in every conference.
The BCS also has announced that starting in 2018, the automatic ties to bowl games such as the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl will now also have new affiliations.
When you think of football things don't get any more American then Texas football and that's where things get interesting as the NCAA moves every team in Texas to this newly formed conference.
Baylor,,Houston,TCU,North Texas,Texas State and Texas Tech make up Div A (Can really use a cool name for the Division)
TCU,Texas,UTEP,Texas A&M,UTSA,SMU,Rice make up Div B (also needs a name)
With the Texas schools removed from the Big 12, the realignment committee goes regionally, with
Iowa,Iowa State,Kansas,Kansas State, Missouri and Nebraska in Div A (needs a name)
Air Force, Colorado, Colorado State, Oklahoma,Oklahoma State and Tusla make up Div B (also needs a name)
The
American and Big 12 Champions will face each other in the
Fiesta Bowl
The Big Ten keeps it's name but is expanded to 12 teams.
Michigan,Michigan State, Minnesota,Penn State, Pitt and Wisconsin now make up the Leaders Division
Illinois,Indiana,N. Illinois,Northwestern,Ohio State and Purdue now make up the Legends Division.
Like the previous 3 Conference the ACC will also have 12 teams moving forward.
Duke,UNC,NC State, Kentucky, Louisville and Western Kentucky make up the Atlantic Division
Marshall,Old Dominion,Virginia,Virginia Tech,West Virginia and Wake Forest make up the Coastal Divisions.
The BCS has announced that the
ACC Champion will play the Champion from the Big 10 Conference in the
Orange Bowl starting in 2018.
For years the SEC has been know as the power conference in college football, but it gets a major shakeup will staples like Auburn,Alabama and LSU no longer members. Also the SEC gets something different then the previous 4 Conferences. They will have 13 teams in 2018.
Florida,FAU,FIU,FSU,Miami,UCF and USF will make up a 7 team division called the Sunshine.
Georgia,Georgia Tech, Georgia State, South Carolina, Clemson and East Carolina will make up a 6 team division called the Big South.
The Sunbelt gets a major facelift and upgrade as they join the power conference status.
LSU,Louisiana Tech, Louisana, Tulane, ULM and Arkansas State will make up a division.
Alabama,Auburn,Arkansas, South Alabama, Troy and UAB will make up the other division
Both divisions are still looking for names.
The BCS has announced that in 2018, the
SEC Champion and Sun Belt Champion will face each other in the
Sugar Bowl
The Mountain West also receives a pretty major upgrade as 5 teams from the former Pac-12 move over.
BSU,Idaho,Oregon,Oregon State, Washington, and Washington State now make up the Mountain Division
BYU,Utah,Utah State,Nevada,UNLV and Wyoming now make up the West Division.
Arizona,Arizona State,San Diego State,Hawaii,New Mexico and New Mexico State are in the Sun Division
Cal,Stanford,USC,UCLA,San Jose State and Fresno State are now in the Gold Division
The
Pac-12 will keep it's tie to the
Rose Bowl, but will now play the
Mountain West Champs for the title.
Conference USA has to be considered a loser in this new realignment as they have no ties to a major bowl game, but this conference does get a interesting twist as it will be the biggest with 16 teams.
Boston College,UConn,Maryland,Navy,Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple and UMass will play in the North.
Army West Point,Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Vanderbilt,Tennessee,Memphis and Mid Tenn State will play in the South
The Mac are the other losers in this new realignment as they also get no automatic ties to a BCS Bowl game and actually very little change to their conference. Northern Illinois jumps to the Big 10 and is replaced by Cincinnati who moves to the Ohio Division.
The Ohio Division will be
Akron,Cincinnati,Miami OH, Ohio, Toledo and Buffalo
(I know they are not in Ohio but it needed a 6th team)
The Mid/North Division is going to be
Bowling Green, Ball State, CMU,EMU,WMU, and Kent State.
Despite offers to join the Big 10, the Irish will once again go into the 2018 season as a Independent and until further notice it appears they will stay there...