College football realignment: The age of four mega-conferences is here

Are you ready for a college football landscape that becomes dominated by four mega-conferences of 16 teams each? Seemingly imminent moves by the Longhorns and Sooners now place Oklahoma State and the rest of the Big 12 in a difficult position.

If the Big 12 were to disintegrate, its eight remaining teams would fit neatly into the other power conference to give college football four mega-conferences of exactly 16 teams apiece.

If the remaining power conference football leagues added Big 12 teams, the result would be four mega-conferences with 16 teams each.

After Wednesday’s bombshell announcement that OU and Texas officials were seeking to join the SEC and leave the Big 12, sources confirmed with ESPN on Friday that the two schools could become SEC members within a matter of weeks.

It’s big news that could have a seismic shift on the college sports landscape that goes beyond just the SEC and the Big 12. The ACC, the Pac-12, and the Big Ten, the other prominent power conference leagues, would view the new version of the 16-team SEC as a threat. For Big 12 schools like OSU that fear the possibility of becoming a second-tier league without its two biggest brands, a dispersing of Big 12 members might be a saving grace.

Here’s a scenario that could happen:

The SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma, if the rumors become reality. The Big Ten adds Kansas State and Kansas. The Pac-12 adds Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, and TCU. The ACC adds Iowa State and West Virginia.

The Big Ten should trade Maryland or Rutgers for Iowa State, because that would make more sense. But that fight can wait for another day.

The Four 16-team Mega-Conferences

(current Big 12 schools are underlined)

Pac-16

West Division: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Cal, USC, UCLA

East Division: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor

Big Ten (or Big 16?)

East Division: Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue

West Division: Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa

SEC

East Division: Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina

West Division: Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU

ACC

North Division: Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wake Forest

South Division: Florida State, Miami (Fla.), N.C. State, Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Iowa State