And so the super-conference movement begins.
Well, obviously the idea of the big conferences in college football splitting off into their own division isn't really new, and it's a good bet that it is being actively discussed in some fashion behind the scenes. Now it has an endorsement from the game's biggest coach and one of the sport's most powerful men, Alabama's Nick Saban.
“I’m for five conferences – everybody playing everybody in those five conferences,” Saban told AL.com, in response to a question about the Big Ten saying it might not schedule FCS teams anymore. “That’s what I’m for, so it might be 70 teams, and everybody’s got to play ’em. …”
It's a concept that is probably going to come to fruition at some point. Instead of doing their best to game the system and keep the smaller conferences out of the money grab (the BCS, making sure the playoff is just four teams), the bigger conferences can just start over with their own system. Whether that's four conferences with 16 teams or, as Saban says, five conferences with everyone playing against each other, it seems there's a good chance that's the future of the sport.
Saban, whose schedule last year included Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and Western Carolina, also told AL.com that he's in favor of adding a ninth SEC game to add to the entertainment value for the fans.
“For the guys who whine about their fixed rivalries, we have games until 2017 with opening games, so we’re going to play somebody else,” Saban said. “I mean, strength of schedule is important, but also, how about the fans? Don’t they want to see good games and all that?”
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