How are the Pac 12, Big 10, and Mountain West Conferences looking after the big switch?
College football will
have a different complexion conference-wise for the upcoming year of 2011-2012.
A handful of colleges such as the
Nebraska Cornhuskers have taken the leap of faith by joining other conferences in looking to improve their program.
Let's take an in depth look at where some schools have moved to and what it
means for their new conference and possibly the side effects on the old
conference and teams shot at a
BCS Championship.
Pac-12
The formerly known Pac-10 is now known as the Pac-12 thanks to the addition of
the Colorado Buffaloes and the Utah Utes. Pac-12 comissioner Larry Scott is
ecstatic about the move. He feels that the move will enhance the conference
athletically and academically. He also thinks that this will bring a higher
moral code to the Pac-12.
What does the league receive aside from Colorado and Utah?
The Pac-12 receives a 12-year, $250 million a year media rights deal.
Involved in the deal is a new television network and a conference football
championship game.
An addition like the Utah Utes will also add a more competitive atmosphere to
the league. Utah went 10-3 in 2010 and look for the Pac-12 to be more exciting
in every aspect, including
college football betting.
Mountain West Conference - Gains and Losses
The Mountain West Conference pickup one of the best teams in college football,
the
Boise State Broncos. The Broncos no longer have to fly under the radar and
not get the recognition that they rightly deserve. The Mountain West Conference
is trying to make their way into the Bowl Championship Series while Boise State
attains more national exposure and the program is aided financially. It's a
win-win proposition for all involved except for the conference that Boise State
left, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Look for superstar Kellen Moore to be lighting up the scoreboard in the
Mountain West Conference. Moore threw for 3845 yards while completing 71.3% of
his passes with 35 TD and 6 INT. Boise State was 12-1 last season. They also
ranked 2nd in the nation with 45.1 points per game and ranked 2nd in allowing
12.8 points. This is a highly explosive team that will be a great asset to
wherever they play. They open up the season with a challenge as they play the
Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, September 3rd in Atlanta, Georgia.
BYU
The legendary college of Brigham Young University, which has brought great
Super Bowl quarterbacks such as Steve Young and Jim McMahon to the NFL, has
decided to leave the Mountain West Conference and join the Independents. BYU has signed an 8 year deal with ESPN to broadcast football
games. This will add financial stability and more of a national audience for
the program. The deal also helps BYUtv.which is the school's independent
television network.
Big Ten Gets Powerhouse Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers Quarterback ,Taylor Martinez, and company will now be consider part of a
conference that has existed for over 100 years, the Big Ten Conference. Former
head coach and current Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne is interested in
the stability that's gained by the move. Nebraska also doesn't have to deal
with being in the shadows of Big-12 teams such as the Texas Longhorns and the
Oklahoma Sooners.
Recruiting will also improve as Nebraska Athletics will be displayed on the BTN
(Big Ten Television Network). The move of Nebraska is the most highly profiled
move out of all of the transitioning teams, and has already brought them recruits such as phenom
Bubba Starling. This will make for some exciting
football as Nebraska is scheduled to play other Big Ten teams such as
Wisconsin,
Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State,
Michigan, and Iowa. This is a
college football fans dream!
Who Loses Out?
The Big-12 loses two teams. This conference still wants to be called the
Big-12 Conference despite losing 2 schools, However, due to the decreasing amount of colleges in
the conference, a 13 year $1 billion media rights deal was signed with FOX
Sports in April 2011. The remaining schools will benefit financially from
having less teams.
The beat goes on
Look for a chance to play in a BCS conference, the
TCU Horned Frogs will move
to the Big East Conference in 2012.
Overall, I think that everyone comes out a winner with these moves. The
conferences in which teams left are being compensated, while the teams that
decided to go elsewhere are receiving added exposure and stability.