MEGA Conference Realignment and lawsuits Megathread: Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations

"In transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule, 12 ACC programs will play nine league games and at least one Power Four non-conference opponent in 2026, while the five other ACC programs will play eight league games and at least two Power Four non-conference opponents."


Seems requirements. Let me search B1G.


No big deal, the ACC will be down to an even number of teams again in the not too distant future.
 
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"In transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule, 12 ACC programs will play nine league games and at least one Power Four non-conference opponent in 2026, while the five other ACC programs will play eight league games and at least two Power Four non-conference opponents."


Seems requirements. Let me search B1G.
Oh snap; i didn’t know this. That’s good because it makes things on equal footing; and five schools will be playing ND anyways.

I found this which says 5 in the B1G and 4 in the XII will not play a p4 OOC. So I’m guessing all of the SEC does like the ACC which kinda makes sense since both are on ESPN.



i saw UF played 11 p4 games in 2024 however I’m not sure if that was intentional with UCF joining the XII so recently. Other than that, seems like most stop at 10 total. Im hoping 11 could become the future norm with such a large playoffs.
Looks like B1G doesn't have requirement but SEC does

"SEC teams are still required to schedule at least one additional high-quality nonconference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season."

 
Counter point @cookies

Read somewhere a few B1G schools do not play FCS in OOC
That’s solid news. I still feel like it’s a disservice to the sport for multiple non-p4 OOC games to be played week to week.

Because we see even conference games become blowouts like Indiana beating Illinois 63-10. So what were Illinois’ blowout wins against Western Illinois and Western Michigan really prepping their team for? Especially when so many of the OOC non-p4 games are home games.

JMO. Illinois had a solid season; 9 wins & 5-4 in their conference so it’s not like they’re bad. In the coaches poll they finished 25th.

But since we are going to a 24 team playoff; i think the excuse of protecting yourself for conference losses is kinda null & void because everybody can make the playoffs if they go 10-2.

However, without a sufficient amount of head to head matchups between the conferences, i foresee scenarios where for instance, Iowa or Missouri could’ve been the last team into the playoffs last year, with 8-4 records; but I don’t necessarily see how those teams were more deserving than SMU and Louisville for example.
 
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