It'll Never Happen, But. . .

BlueRattie_rivals

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Feb 6, 2014
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I often wonder what college conferences would look like if we had truly regional conferences that were geographically centered and retained the local flavor that conferences once had. While modern conferences, with their never ending desire to "expand the footprint" of the conference, may have strangled out the old romantic notion of truly regional conferences, I guy can dream, right?

With that, I give you the re-imagined SEC:

Mason Division
  1. Alabama
  2. Florida
  3. Georgia
  4. Kentucky
  5. LSU
  6. Mississippi State
  7. South Carolina
  8. Tennessee

Dixon Division
  1. Auburn
  2. Clemson
  3. Florida State
  4. Georgia Tech
  5. Louisville
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Tulane
  8. Vanderbilt

Every team would play their division rivals once a year along with one "locked" game against the in-state rival from the opposite division. Your final conference game would be a rotating opponent from the opposite division. Adding Clemson and Florida State are obvious big gains for the conference since they are both great football schools with an in-conference rival. Tulane, and to a lesser extent Georgia Tech, may seem odd additions, but they are both founding members of the SEC with SEC titles. Plus, they are natural in-state rivals of LSU and Georgia, respectively.

Trying to rebuild the conferences from scratch is a full little mental game, but also very challenging in its own way. I invite you to make any changes you would like to see in your SEC. :)
 
Last edited:

Deeeefense

Heisman
Staff member
Aug 22, 2001
44,044
50,925
113
I would change these names to the Major League Division and the Triple A Division.
I guess I'm trying to find the logic of putting the two Florida, Georgia and Kentucky teams in separate divisions if regional flavor is the objective.
 
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BlueRattie_rivals

All-Conference
Feb 6, 2014
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I would change these names to the Major League Division and the Triple A Division.
I guess I'm trying to find the logic of putting the two Florida, Georgia and Kentucky teams in separate divisions if regional flavor is the objective.


There's nothing saying you couldn't do it like this:

Northern Division

Kentucky
Louisville
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
South Carolina
Clemson
Georgia
Georgia Tech

Southern Division

Florida
Florida State
LSU
Tulane
Alabama
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss. State
 

Tskware

Heisman
Jan 26, 2003
25,128
21,639
113
There's nothing saying you couldn't do it like this:

Northern Division

Kentucky
Louisville
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
South Carolina
Clemson
Georgia
Georgia Tech

Southern Division

Florida
Florida State
LSU
Tulane
Alabama
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss. State

Except the Southern Division is about as lopsided as the two Big 10 divisions, Bama, LSU, Florida, Florida State and Auburn . . . all in the same division? No way.
 

Grumpyolddawg

Heisman
Jun 11, 2001
28,416
37,195
113
I often wonder what college conferences would look like if we had truly regional conferences that were geographically centered and retained the local flavor that conferences once had. While modern conferences, with their never ending desire to "expand the footprint" of the conference, may have strangled out the old romantic notion of truly regional conferences, I guy can dream, right?

With that, I give you the re-imagined SEC:

Mason Division
  1. Alabama
  2. Florida
  3. Georgia
  4. Kentucky
  5. LSU
  6. Mississippi State
  7. South Carolina
  8. Tennessee

Dixon Division
  1. Auburn
  2. Clemson
  3. Florida State
  4. Georgia Tech
  5. Louisville
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Tulane
  8. Vanderbilt

Every team would play their division rivals once a year along with one "locked" game against the in-state rival from the opposite division. Your final conference game would be a rotating opponent from the opposite division. Adding Clemson and Florida State are obvious big gains for the conference since they are both great football schools with an in-conference rival. Tulane, and to a lesser extent Georgia Tech, may seem odd additions, but they are both founding members of the SEC with SEC titles. Plus, they are natural in-state rivals of LSU and Georgia, respectively.

Trying to rebuild the conferences from scratch is a full little mental game, but also very challenging in its own way. I invite you to make any changes you would like to see in your SEC. :)

It's clear you spent some time coming up with teams, I am guessing Tulane is there because it's in LA, but how does Miami get left out in favor of Tulane if you are going for geographically?

IF it comes down to 4 16 team super conferences, for football only, Tulane and Vandy will have a tough time making the regional 16 team conference. Then you have the NC schools, 4 teams on the outer borders could be placed in different conference, LSU could end up joining the Texas schools.

Southeast Northern Midwest West
1.Miami Rutgers Texas Oregon
2.FSU Pitt TCU Oregon St.
3.UF PSU Baylor Washington
4. AU OSU Texas Tech Washington St
5. Bama Mich LSU Stanford
6.OM Mich St. Kansas St Cal
7.MSST Navy Kansas UCLA
8.UT Maryland Iowa USC
9.GT Syracuse Iowa St Colorado
10.UGA UK Nebraska Arizona
11.USC West Virginia Wisconsin Arizona St.
12.Clemson ND Illinois BYU
13.NC Indiana Okie St Utah
14.Duke Louisville OU Boise
15.NCST Virginia Missouri Utah St.
16.Arky Virginia Tech Minnasota Colorado St

This is my version of the 64 teams making up the future 4 super conferences. It keeps almost everyone within a geographical area, some teams had to move out of their normal areas, some of the current P5 teams were omitted and a few new ones added. Won't make everyone, or maybe anyone happy, but it's fairly geographically contained to regions. Break it into 2 divisions, play 1 crossover within conference and 1 from the other 3 conferences. No more FCS games, every game a big boy game. 6 home, 6 away every year.
 
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