Worst Case Scenario -realignment

Probably just the residual effect of Saturday's loss, but I'm feeling pessimistic about the future right now. I see a real possibility that we (BYU) gets left out in the cold on realignment due to geography and politics notwithstanding the fact that we have one of the 30 largest stadiums in the country, a large national fan base, and a history of decent (if not BCS level) success. No college football analyst worth his salt would deny that we are one of the 64 best programs in college football, yet this is a legitimate scenario:



1. The ACC grabs one or two more Big East teams, collapsing that conference and starting the frenzy.

2. The Big 12 collapses with OK, OK St., Texas Tech, and Texas (albeit unwillingly) jump to the PAC-16.

3. The SEC gobbles up Missouri and maybe poaches a couple of ACC teams.

4. The ACC fills in with the last few East Coast teams from the Big East.

5. The Big 10 adds Notre Dame, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State (or others).



With Notre Dame gone, Independence is shown to be an unviable option. BYU is left to crawl back to the Mountain West (along with TCU). While they would likely welcome us back, they might thumb their nose at us. Leaving us with fiveoptions, each with a large downside and not much up:

1. The WAC, which may fold anyway.

2. Trying to continue as an independent, which makes scheduling impossible.

3. Becoming part of some kind of non-BCS league that forms with the best of the non-BCS teams (Boise St., TCU, Houston, Baylor, etc). Not very likely to happen.

4. Dropping to FCS, which offers lots of regional league options.

5. Dropping football altogether and staying in the WCC.



All this while Utah rides the BCS wave, improves its facilities, and keeps winning and increasing its national stature on the backs of Whittingham and Chow and other BYU products. Wow, I've managed to depress myself even more.



Please respond and convince me otherwise!!

Huh. Not too out there. Hard to think that the MWC would take us back, particularly with our lucrative (compared to what they have) contract with ESPN. And going back to the MWC with TCU and BSU, with the conditions they stipulate (no tv rights) would not be tenable for BYU.

So, things may actually be worse than you put it. ;-)

Why does the Big 10 want Iowa State, Kansas or Kansas State? The Big 10 wants Notre Dame and nobody else.



I don't think the ACC is going to continue to expand. They were just getting ready for two teams to go the SEC. They will stay at 12 teams.



The Big East isn't collapsing. They will poach Kansas and Kansas state. This means that Notre Dame could stay independent with a viable Big East for other sports. If SEC doesn't take Missouri the Big 10 might take them with Notre Dame, if ND wants to go.



All the other have nots from the Big 12 aren't going to disappear. There will be some kind of new conference in the South.