12 team minimum for title game is gone.

[Coach Bill Lewis]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...title-game

Big 12 has successfully fought for the right to hold a title game in a league with fewer than 12 members. This is one of the biggest nut kicks ever. This rule was responsible for the vast majority of football realignment since the late 80's. It's a big reason why Utah and Colorado are in the Pac 12. It's why Arkansas and South Carolina are in the SEC. It's a reason why C-USA ever went to 12 and started divisions.

Now it just gets easily overturned in hopes the Big 12 won't expand. Insane. If it had been overturned years ago, the college football landscape would look completely different.

 

[HoustonEagle]

Houston fans have to be upset over this decision.  Big12 expansion was their one shot at the big time.  I feel for them.  Unlike us they did everything they needed to do to move up.  

[Duck_Mav]

UofH would never get in the XII as long as UT-Austin could stop them.  The Bevoites have never forgiven Houston for outshining them once they got into the SWC.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

And now that they have their set teams they will continue the push for further separation from the G5. The dream of any team moving up before that happens has seemed to close. 

[Harry]

8 minutes ago, Duck_Mav said:

UofH would never get in the XII as long as UT-Austin could stop them.  The Bevoites have never forgiven Houston for outshining them once they got into the SWC.

I think you may be right... UT is the king of the B12 Monarchy.  They call the shots.

[Mike Jackson]

Now could we see realignment to slightly smaller conferences?  Or schools like Colorado and Utah reviewing their conference affiliations to get a bigger pieces of a slightly smaller pie?  I could see BYU, Utah, Colorado State and Colorado reviving a WAC/MWC type conference with 10 teams, divisions and conference championship game.  

[oldguystudent]

9 hours ago, Mike Jackson said:

 I could see BYU, Utah, Colorado State and Colorado reviving a WAC/MWC type conference with 10 teams, divisions and conference championship game.  

That would be akin to the mass exodus from the WAC to form the MWC.  I don't see Utah playing that game this time around though.  That PAC money is too sweet, even at a smaller percentage interest, than going into some nether region conference with the other three teams.

[greenb.o.g.]

Does this mean we can jettison some Cusa teams?!

[untjim1995]

So, in finality now, there is absolutely no doubt that TCU getting into the Big XII is a miracle. Talk about winning the lottery--they get to be a great G5 team, somehow parlay that into a Rose Bowl bid against Wisconsin that they win, time that with Texas A&M leaving the Big XII to go to the SEC, and have the other Big XII North schools demand that they get another team in Texas to play for recruiting purposes. Teeny, tiny private school in Ft. Worth that got left behind by the Big !2's original Texas crew, they are now in the club. For how long? Who knows, but if you are a UH fan, you have to ask yourself just exactly how did we get the shaft here? Just amazing.

TCU and Utah all got bumps upward from the G5 to the P5. The other former Big East schools that moved away caused the league to fold up into the AAC, but they were always power schools in a power league. Now, UConn, Cincy, and USF all got kicked backwards and cannot seem to get any traction to move up to a P5 league. Those are your biggest winners and losers in realignment, by far, actually...

[Got5onIt]

Another string that ties G5s to P5s is cut. The separation cintinues....

[UTSA Fan]

Noooooooo way UH, UNT, UTSA, UTEP, Rice, et al ever get the invite to the B12. Why should they? No new recruiting or tv markets to bring in $ to justify the B12 revenue $haring. IMO, the best way to crack the P5 would be the ACC for a G5 team from the state of Texas.

[Arkstfan]

5 hours ago, Got5onIt said:

Another string that ties G5s to P5s is cut. The separation cintinues....

We are entering a new cycle. 

I've seen writers refer to the 1970's as the golden era of college football.

1970-72 no scholarship limits imposed above the conference level. Until 1978 the top tier had schools awarding max scholarships, some 20 or 25 below the limit and of course the anomaly of the Ivy League.

Top tier football was larger than today. The Southland and Southern were top tier, WAC and SWC still walked the earth as football leagues.

Let's take a look at the mid-point 1975.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

Despite less interaction between power teams and non-power the non-power leagues were viable, that same year Arkansas State went 11-0 and UNT knocked off Tennessee.

The non-power don't have to have the money or TV exposure of the power teams but they have to have the branding and there is nothing that indicates that is likely to change.