The Confidential

The NCAA and Relegation–Part II of II

In our last article, we discussed the pros and cons of NCAA relegation.  In this article, we will explore it in a bit greater detail–how could the Conferences be aligned in a football-centric way to allow relegation?

The East

Division 1: Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Louisville, North Carolina State

Division 2: Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia, Syracuse, East Carolina, UConn

Division 3 (10): Temple, Marshall, Old Dominion, FIU, FAU, Appalachian State, UMass, Buffalo, Army, Navy

The Midwest

Division 1: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Maryland

Division 2: Minnesota, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Northern Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois

Division 3 (10): Bowling Green, Ohio, Miami, Akron, Kent State, Toledo, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan,

The Southeast:

Division 1: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas A&M

Division 2: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, UCF, USF

Division 3 (9): Middle Tennessee, UAB, Western Kentucky, South Alabama, Georgia Southern, Troy, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi

The Southwest:

Division 1: Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, West Virginia

Division 2: Kansas, Iowa State, Houston, Memphis, East Carolina, Tulsa, Tulane, SMU

Division 3 (9) : Rice, UTEP, Texas State, UTSA, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Monroe

The West:

Division 1: USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Oregon State

Division 2: Washington State, Utah, Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State

Division 3 (10): Fresno State, San Jose State, Hawaii, Wyoming, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Air Force, Idaho

Total Schools: 80 in Division 1 and 2, 48 in Division 3, plus Notre Dame & BYU =120.  Pretty sure no omissions, but you will let us know.  And there is room for a few more schools to move into the mix from FCS.

Obviously, the last few schools in Division 1 can be tough choices.   Arizona and Oregon State?  Texas Tech?  Excluding Missouri?  Maryland over the rest of the Big 10?  Pitt and North Carolina State?

But that is the beauty of the system–over time, relegation and promotion would fix itself.  And nobody that gets beat up in Division 1 can complain about being dispatched to Division 2.  And the same between Division 2 and Division 3.

What do you think?