There has been plenty of realignment in the NCAA in recent years. But more could be on the way.
A new “super league” proposal was announced Tuesday for the “College Student Football League,” which would realign all current FBS schools into two conferences (an A-tier and B-tier. The conferences would be further split into geographic divisions.
So what would this mean for Syracuse?
From an administrative standpoint, it seems as if the school is endorsing the idea. After all, Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud is on the advisory board for the league and was quoted in initial reports in the spring.
But while details about what the league is looking to do (embrace both competitiveness and more economic opportunities) have already existed, today renderings were revealed of what the league would actually look like. And for Syracuse, it would mean a very different schedule.
The Orange would be in the A-tier “Power 12” conference, as part of the Mideast division. This division would include fellow ACC school Pittsburgh, but also Cincinnati, Penn State, Rutgers and West Virginia. How about that for a conference slate?
Teams would play 13 games, five against the other conference teams, and eight against non-division teams. The top 36 schools from the previous season would get seven home games instead of six.
It’s hard to say the idea isn’t appealing. Competition would be fascinating, with teams having to compete to stay up in the top tier (though with a tough division, an occasional demotion could be realistic for SU).
In addition, Syracuse would have both geographic rivals (like Rutgers and Pittsburgh), and get to reinstate some past rivalries (like West Virginia). This could make for some very fun yearly matchups for the Orange.
Will this league actually happen? Time will only tell. It would require a complete overhaul of the NCAA (though other sports would keep their current conferences). Nevertheless, it’s a fun thought, and with the endorsement from Syverud, it seems Syracuse may be fully on board with the jarring change.
