Forde-Yard Dash: What a Best-of-the-Rest Power Conference Could Look Like

Forde-Yard Dash: What a Best-of-the-Rest Power Conference Could Look Like

Forde-Yard Dash: What a Best-of-the-Rest Power Conference Could Look Like: News about forty different people, places, things, and things in college football, where Vanderbilt is currently averaging 63 points per game and is currently in the news:

THIRD QUARTER

BUILDING A BEST-OF-THE-REST POWER CONFERENCE

The Power 5 is merging into the Power 2 Plus Groupies, as all fans are well aware. It is speculated that the top five conferences would eventually reduce to four… Nonetheless, how about we narrow it down to the top three? There appear to be enough broadcast platforms (and broadcast money), according to conversations with some administrators and TV insiders, to support a third power league.

The Dash has come to try his hand at constructing it. First, though, some disclaimers and caveats:

Most importantly, it is assumed that ACC teams will be released from their grant-of-rights encumbrance that lasts until about the middle of the 2030s. Honestly, I don’t think that many schools would benefit from tearing apart the ACC, and it could take more than half of the current 14 football members to wage a united legal challenge. That may be the deciding factor right away.

We’ll assume Notre Dame will remain independent or join the Big Ten, ruling them out as a Best of the Rest choice.

Some of the best contenders for the BORC would want to join a conference with 18-20 teams, such as the Big Ten or SEC, instead of this one. However, there is value in leading a strong league rather than being the 17th invitee to a shark tank (and possibly taking a smaller revenue share to join).

The geography is ridiculous, and there is a tonne of speculation, but this is the world we live in. Toss your cares aside and go with the flow.

Having stated that these six institutions would presumably be the first picks in a BORC draught:

North Carolina (21). Current conference: ACC.

One of the few men’s basketball programs that can move the viewing needle, all-around athletic brilliance, a fertile recruiting ground, and the Tar Heels’ flagship status in the ninth-most populous state are all reasons why the Big Ten and SEC might crave the Tar Heels. The downside is that football fans have been relatively uninterested due to a consistently mediocre offering.

Clemson. Current conference: ACC.

In other words, if you care only about winning football games, you should root for the Tigers. As far as the College Football Playoff era is concerned, they are the most successful team that is not Alabama. However, there are many other factors at play, which is why underdogs Texas and USC were able to shock the country. Nonetheless, Clemson has the largest home attendance in 2021 of any school outside the SEC, Big Ten, or Notre Dame, and a developing home TV market (Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson is No. 35 nationwide). The portfolio lacks depth in other areas as well.

Florida State. Current conference: ACC.

The Seminoles have added championship-caliber programs under two separate head coaches, assuming that is the desired outcome. This also ticks off a requirement that the BORC have representation from Florida. The Seminoles are competitive in a wide variety of sports and regularly take home the trophy in men’s basketball. Yet football has been struggling to recover from a five-year slump.

Miami. Current conference: ACC.

The Hurricanes have also been successful on the football field, winning five national titles between 1983 and 2001. There is a lot of talent in the area, and the television industry is booming. Authenticity to the brand and its history are present. However, when things go wrong at The U, fan support wanes. When times are tough, can you count on Miamians to tune in to the game or show up at the stadium?

Oregon (22). Current conference: Pac-12.

With Nike’s help, the Oregon Ducks have become a household name in the football world, and the team’s fan base has grown to reflect this during the past quarter- to a half-century. Any team would be fortunate to have Phill Knight as an ally. Both its physical isolation and the lack of interest in its recruiting backyard from other conference members are negatives.

Washington (23). Current conference: Pac-12.

As the Ducks’ Pacific Northwest rivals, the Huskies also boast a rich football tradition and are nationally respected (though they are currently in struggle mode). The city has a large corporate presence and a devoted fan base. But it’s far from any major city, and a conference that spans from Seattle to Miami is even more absurd than one that goes from Los Angeles to New Jersey.

Thereafter, BORC nominees become less certain.

Any of Baylor, TCU, or Houston (24). Big 12 is the current and future conference.

You know you need at least a foothold in Texas. For the sake of football, academic recruiting, and population. The Bears have recently reached greater heights on the football field, and in 2021, their men’s basketball team won the national championship. The Cougars, another men’s basketball powerhouse, play in a large market but don’t dominate it. TCU’s proximity to the DFW area and its potential both play a role. The BORC might take one of them to satisfy a requirement, but it could take two or three. None of these three is a state-wide powerhouse.

Stanford (25). Current conference: Pac-12.

Despite a recent football slump, the university has everything going for them except fan excitement. The allure of working in close proximity to and with Silicon Valley makes this an ideal academic position for a talented candidate. It seems sense to have at least one California-based school. In addition to being a powerhouse in football, Stanford excels in every sport it offers. Does it matter if it does? Instead of agreeing to frequent trips to Waco and Tallahassee, the administration may choose to go it alone or reduce athletics.

California (26). Current conference: Pac-12.

Cal possesses all the qualities of Stanford, albeit to a lesser extent in each category. (With the possible exception of current alumni. Cal has a larger supply of them. Despite the high likelihood of being left out, the Golden Bears could be the Cardinal’s plus-one if the BORC decides it wants a four-school cluster in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Oklahoma State (27). Current conference: Big 12.

Really, this is a challenge. With 16 consecutive winning seasons and 19 in the last 20, the Cowboys have established themselves as one of the most consistently successful football programs of the 21st century. Due in large part to the almost $300 million that the late T. Boone Pickens donated to athletics during his lifetime, they have widespread success across a variety of disciplines. However, Oklahoma State performs poorly in terms of national reach, in terms of both reaching an audience and providing academic prestige.

Virginia (28). Current conference: ACC.

The universities of North Carolina and Virginia have the potential to become the “Stanford and Cal” of the middle Atlantic, both being highly regarded for their academics and appealing to potential residents thanks to their convenient locations and success in sports that don’t involve an oblong ball. A little extra pep in the Cavaliers’ football step would be greatly appreciated. But they are the premier institution in the nation’s twelfth-most populous state.

Utah (29). Current conference: Pac-12.

The Utes represent one of college football’s most impressive underdog comebacks of the past decade. They have reached the pinnacle of their time in the Power 5 conferences, having played in the Rose Bowl last year (barring an even more impressive feat this year, like a berth in the CFP). From 2010 to 2020, Utah’s population grew at a faster rate than any other state in the US. But aside from that, it’s pretty standard fare.

Arizona State (30). Current conference: Pac-12.

Nearly 55,000 students are expected to enroll at the Tempe campus in the upcoming academic year (2021–2022), and all of them will graduate from the university at some point. With ASU dominating college sports in Phoenix, a big TV market, the city may be of interest to other BORC institutions looking to fill faculty positions. While the other sports aren’t as bad as they may be, the football team has been subpar for almost a decade.

Cincinnati (31). Current conference: American. Conference in 2023: Big 12.

Cincinnati is a football town in Ohio’s football heartland. (Unfortunately, this is as much or more of an Ohio State and Cincinnati Bengals football town than it is a Bearcats football town.) The momentum in football is high. From both an academic and athletic perspective, it’s a desirable location from which to draw prospects. The academic and athletic records of the institution are not impressive.

UCF (32). Current conference: American. Conference in 2023: Big 12.

This is another large institution located in a major media hub that consistently turns out a large number of successful graduates. The football team is located in a great recruiting area, and they have won nine or more games in nine of the last 15 seasons. Would it be too much to have three Florida institutions in a conference where no state is particularly well represented?

West Virginia or Pittsburgh (33). Current conference: Big 12 and ACC, respectively.

I propose we have the granddaddy of all backyard brawls over who gets the last spot at the power conference. It’s safe to say that WVU has a more devoted fan following. As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Pitt enjoys a stellar reputation among its peers.

The state of West Virginia could just as easily be home to the University of West Virginia given the continued success of its football program. But would anybody be genuinely thrilled by the prospect of these two institutions being added?

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