Auburn in the west division has been an issue since the divisions were first formed. Geographically, Auburn should be in the east. The current format preserved the annual games of Bama-UT and Auburn-UGA - but that was because of how they used cross divisional games. As a reminder, the original plan with the 12 teams of 1992 was to have two permanent cross divisions; that initially saved the annual rivalry between Auburn and UF (which ironically was played more often that Bama-Auburn up to that time) but when the conference went to one permanent cross over game, the Auburn-UF annual game was sacrificed.
Pat Dye started this "discussion" a few weeks ago, and it had about as much traction as when Brando said that ND would eventually be a full time ACC football member. But earlier this week, Auburn's AD publicly supported the move of Auburn to the East. Right before the annual meetings in Destin. Media is thrilled. Controversy creates news.
No one believes that this is going to happen. However, what is happening is a series of "reports" and "analysis" that no matter how you cut it, the current division format just doesn't work. It's inflexibility creates permanent annual games between teams that are not rivals, it reduced the number of annual games between teams that actually are rivals, and it reduces the opportunity to create new rivalries between teams that logically should be. Some writers actually used the word "pods".
Will this create lively debate in Destin? Good luck with that. The SEC went along with the Big Ten to deny P5 conferences the ability to change how the divisions work - only because the ACC wanted to do that and the Big Ten did not want the ACC to possibly look more attractive to ND to join (there was a rumor that the ACC wanted three pods of 5 schools each. Guess who was rumored to be #15?) Nevertheless, the conversation has moved from just being about Auburn, to being about these stupid division formats for all the conferences.
Now the SEC will go into Destin once again where the prediction will be that the two best teams at the end of the year most likely will be in the West, while the Big 12 is now assured of having a champ game with their two best teams. Obviously, whether or not the Big 12 can capitalize on this advantage depends on the two teams that play. But it's an advantage that no other conference has.
We shall see if anything happens.
Pat Dye started this "discussion" a few weeks ago, and it had about as much traction as when Brando said that ND would eventually be a full time ACC football member. But earlier this week, Auburn's AD publicly supported the move of Auburn to the East. Right before the annual meetings in Destin. Media is thrilled. Controversy creates news.
No one believes that this is going to happen. However, what is happening is a series of "reports" and "analysis" that no matter how you cut it, the current division format just doesn't work. It's inflexibility creates permanent annual games between teams that are not rivals, it reduced the number of annual games between teams that actually are rivals, and it reduces the opportunity to create new rivalries between teams that logically should be. Some writers actually used the word "pods".
Will this create lively debate in Destin? Good luck with that. The SEC went along with the Big Ten to deny P5 conferences the ability to change how the divisions work - only because the ACC wanted to do that and the Big Ten did not want the ACC to possibly look more attractive to ND to join (there was a rumor that the ACC wanted three pods of 5 schools each. Guess who was rumored to be #15?) Nevertheless, the conversation has moved from just being about Auburn, to being about these stupid division formats for all the conferences.
Now the SEC will go into Destin once again where the prediction will be that the two best teams at the end of the year most likely will be in the West, while the Big 12 is now assured of having a champ game with their two best teams. Obviously, whether or not the Big 12 can capitalize on this advantage depends on the two teams that play. But it's an advantage that no other conference has.
We shall see if anything happens.
