The When, How and Whom: Answers to the New Alliance of the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC – Part 2
The When, How and Whom: Answers to the New Alliance of the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC – Part 2
Plus, Setting the Record Straight with the SEC
There are more questions than answers relating to the new three-conference alliance. Allow me to provide some clarity.
Notwithstanding the altruistic goals the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC outlined in Part 1 of my initial post, we sports fans want to know when, how and by whom inter-conference football and men’s and women’s basketball games will be scheduled.
The “when”: As soon as practical, but no definitive timeline has been announced other than the alliance is awaiting a potential expanded CFP model, before implementing new scheduling.
The “how”: Each conference has the flexibility to adjust its scheduling models, despite match-ups already in place. Yes, the Bruins have football schedules set into 2031. Speculation is the Pac-12 could reduce its conference games from nine to eight, allowing a Big 10 or ACC opponent to be added, while the majority of competitions will likely occur during early and mid-seasons.
The “whom”: Four ADs from each conference in the alliance have been chosen to oversee the complex scheduling aspect and strategy. UCLA’s Martin Jarmond isn’t among them.
Also noteworthy are the 68 football games presently scheduled between 2022 – 2035 within the conference trio, increasing to 103 when factoring Notre Dame and its kickoffs against USC, Stanford and five ACC opponents.
Let’s also not lose sight of the significant fact that the alliance of three of the Power Five conferences will now play a major role in the CFP expansion discussion…about which SEC fans are less than enthusiastic.
Speaking of the SEC, its high and mighty fans, and its future 16-team “super conference” status, let’s set the record straight when compared to the Conference of Champions. Factoring the Bruins’ upset victory over LSU and the close loss of Colorado to Texas A&M, the stats might surprise you and most others in the south.
• 13-14. The SEC football record versus the Pac-12 since 2000.
• 3-9. The SEC football record versus the Pac-12 since 2000 at Pac-12 stadiums.
• 356. The combined NCAA Team Titles of the nation’s top three universities (Stanford, UCLA and USC).
• 129. The combined NCAA Team Titles of the SEC’s top three universities (LSU, Arkansas and Florida).
Go Bruins!!!
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I still don’t wanna wait ten years to play Wisconsin again.
I'm hoping this is going to include TV viewing, so the PAC-12 might show an odd Nebraska or Wisconsin game beyond when they are playing a PAC-12 team.