Steve Spurrier on conference realignment: 'I don't think it's real smart'

College realignment is inevitable but not everyone is too thrilled with it. Many involved with college football over the years have spoken out against some of the recent moves. We are not completely done either, with the ACC potentially making some moves before Week 1 kicks off.

You can add legendary head coach Steve Spurrier to the list of people against conference realignment. He is not a fan of what the Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC have done over recent years. If there is one thing Spurrier wants to make sure the sport continues is some of the greatest in-state rivalries continue.

“I don’t think it’s real smart,” Spurrier said. “It’s all about money and so forth. If they continue to play their in-state rivals and all that, it might make a little more sense.”

There are two schools Spurrier is known for coaching, it’s Florida and South Carolina. Thankfully for him, neither one of those schools is being affected too much. Both have been SEC members for quite some time and will be part of major college football moving forward.

When talking about in-state rivalries, Spurrier probably is referencing Florida-Florida State and Clemson-South Carolina. There are plenty of other ones, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, that are in danger with Oregon and Washington moving to the Big Ten.

Spurrier knows the moves are being made for financial gain. However, football is really the only sport in college athletics to make serious revenue. Save a few basketball-heavy schools, most athletic departments are profiting because of their football program.

If it were up to Spurrier, he would allow the conference realignment moves to happen but make them football only. He does not believe schools from the West Coast should have to fly all over the country to play Olympic sports.

“If Arizona and Arizona State want to go with the Big (12), just go with football,” Spurrier said. “And leave all the other sports to play the people close by. I wish they would do that and that would keep it a little more in the common sense area than traveling across the country for a tennis match or a swim meet.”

For now, Olympic sports being played regionally will not be the case. The college football world just rules too much, with huge payday opportunities being there for whoever winds up being future members of the power conferences.