I'm not convinced 6x11 is best, but if that's the framework, that's what I'll try. I'm going to erase the last 15 years. Go back to 2003, the year before the ACC raided the Big East. You had 6 BCS conferences: ACC (9), Big East (8), Big Ten (11), Big 12 (12, woah), Pac 10 (10) and SEC (12). That gives you 62. So what 4 do we add to that. Notre Dame is obvious. I think BYU is too. TCU, Louisville and Utah make the next most sense. That gets you to 67...but Temple was still in the Big East at that point. So they are gone. There are your 66.
I'm also ignoring tv networks and "footprints," and trying to change as little as possible
1.) I don't really want to break up Utah and BYU, and the Pac Ten pairings make so much sense, that I'll still send Colorado out west first. Pac 10 is done.
2.) Big 12 now has 11. But there really is nowhere else to put Utah and BYU. TCU for that matter. So I need to drop 3 there to make room for them. I can't find 3 that make sense. I can find 2. Missouri wants out, and Iowa State has a natural rival in the Big Ten. We'll deal with TCU later. Big 12 is set.
3.) I don't want to boot Penn State, but the Eastern thing always made more sense. They'll take Notre Dame with them, and that opens up Iowa State's slot
4.) SEC sends South Carolina to the ACC to be with Clemson, and sends Vandy, in that Vandy is a better academic fit. They release Kentucky to be with Louisville, and go play in a basketball conference. That gives them room to add both TCU and Missouri.
5.) Big East (after dropping Temple) sheds the Big LEast label by adding a football helmet duo (ND & PSU) and a basketball blue blood duo (UK and UL)
ACC |
Clemson |
Duke |
Florida State |
Georgia Tech |
Maryland |
NC State |
North Carolina |
South Carolina |
Vanderbilt |
Virginia |
Wake Forest |
- |
BIG EAST |
Boston College |
Kentucky |
Louisville |
Miami |
Notre Dame |
Penn State |
Pittsburgh |
Rutgers |
Syracuse |
Virginia Tech |
West Virginia |
- |
BIG TEN |
Illinois |
Indiana |
Iowa |
Iowa State |
Michigan |
Michigan State |
Minnesota |
Northwestern |
Ohio State |
Purdue |
Wisconsin |
- |
BIG 12 |
Baylor |
BYU |
Kansas |
Kansas State |
Nebraska |
Oklahoma |
Oklahoma State |
Texas |
Texas A&M |
Texas Tech |
Utah |
- |
PAC TEN |
Arizona |
Arizona State |
California |
Colorado |
Oregon |
Oregon State |
Stanford |
UCLA |
USC |
Washington |
Washington State |
- |
SEC |
Alabama |
Arkansas |
Auburn |
Florida |
Georgia |
LSU |
Mississippi State |
Missouri |
Ole Miss |
TCU |
Tennessee |