FanPost

Mega-conferences - Kinda sad really


So I get that the breakup of the B12 is an opportunity for the P12 to expand and grow that they can't really pass up in the inevitability of mega-conferences.  I'm sure they would be left behind if they didn't but still it's kind of sad to see the Big 12 dissolve.  It really was a great conference and resulted in a lot of excitement over the years and some
great teams.  It's not just about losing a conference, for me college football isn't all about championships and rankings. 

The most interesting thing about college football is the traditions and rivalries.  Growing up, I didn't care as much about conference championships and rankings as the big rivalry games.  There was more hype and anticipation about the Michigan/Ohio State, USC/Notre Dame, Oklahoma/Nebraska games than any discussion about national or conference championships. The traditions surrounding those great rivalries and many lesser rivalries were very rich and exciting but now that's really being set aside. Those rivalries are being sold for better TV revenue and a bigger piece of the pie.  The thing that really made college football great is fading away.  It's wierd that as teams change conferences they talk about developing new rivalries as if they were changing shirts but some of these rivalries have been around for a century or more and are surrounded by great traditions and enthusiasm.  You can't recreate them on a whim.  Personally, I'd rather follow the little brown jug or old oaken bucket than a crystal trophy between teams that have very little tradition between them like Oregon and Auburn.  That really doesn't have that much meaning for me.  The traditions mean something.  Yeah, I'm a sentimental old timer but that's the way I feel.  College football is still great and way better than the pros but it's losing what made it so great in the first place and that's a little sad.

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