College football realignment affects everyone. While some Auburn football fans don’t even want to hear about Gus Malzahn anymore after he was fired by the Tigers and later hired by UCF, it’s a reality that what happens next with the Big 12–after Texas and Oklahoma left it for the SEC–will have long-standing effects that could change the entire landscape of college football.
For everyone.
So strap in, because college football as we know it is going to be turned upside down. Perhaps several times. And thrown in a blender for good measure.
The Power Five conference structure? Gone. We don’t know how many conferences there will be in the top tier of college football, but the Big 12 and Pac-12 may be going the way of the dinosaur. And Big East football.
According to Jake “Jboy” Crain, the Big 12 and Pac-12 could merge to form a (relatively) super conference:
🚨We are hearing from a very good source that the @Big12Conference & the @pac12 will merge.
— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) July 27, 2021
🚨Not only that but Kansas & Texas Tech will not be asked to make the move.
🚨This is wild👇 pic.twitter.com/TAskYDQn9K
It makes sense for the two weakest Power Five conferences to cut their losses after failing to produce a single National Champion since the dawn of the College Football Playoff era. Washington football was the lone Pac-12 team to reach the postseason since 2014, and the Big 12’s lone representative (Oklahoma) is counting down the days until it just means more in the SEC.
The Pac-12 at least has its own network and better branding. If anything, that name is the one likely to stick, even if being on the Pacific rim is no longer a requirement. Remember, Texas and Oklahoma are not in the southeast, so these names are arbitrary.
It’s more likely that a new name will be assigned to the conference, though it is not terribly likely said conference will have anything on the new and improved (and still looking to improve) SEC.
Auburn football fans, your conference is still, and will likely always be, king.