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Florida won’t benefit long term from conference realignment

By Benjamin Henderson

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 13: A detail view of the Florida Gators logo before the start of a game between the Florida Gators and the Samford Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 13: A detail view of the Florida Gators logo before the start of a game between the Florida Gators and the Samford Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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In the latest round of conference realignment, UCLA and USC are set to join the Big 10. Word on the street is that Notre Dame might opt to join the conference as well. On the surface this is an opportunity to point and laugh at the PAC 12 conference and frankly the Big 10 when you look at a map of what the conference will look like. But a slightly deeper dive shows that the latest round of conference realignment could have a negative impact on the Florida Gators.

Conference Realignment Musical Chairs

Make no mistake about it, Florida will always have a seat at whatever table exists when it comes to college football.

The problem going forward for Florida isn’t that they will be left without a table. The problem is that the table they had in the first place keeps getting more and more crowded.

When the SEC expanded to include Texas A&M and Missouri, who actually benefited more from the expansion?

Florida or the two Big 12 castaways?

Expansion to 14 teams already created issues with scheduling. Now instead of a guaranteed game with Alabama and Auburn every other year, Florida has to wait six years before playing members of the SEC west not named LSU.

Likewise, expansion to 14 teams meant Alabama plays Tennessee every year while Auburn plays Georgia.

Who got the better of that exchange?

Luxury Goods

There is a reason why Gucci cost more than stuff from Walmart. The functionality is the same but the perception of luxury and the rarity of people who own Gucci boost the value.

Sure Texas and Oklahoma are big name teams that on the surface add value to the SEC. But if you are the Florida Gators, do you really need two more teams coming in that one day could take your spot?

Nobody watches the Longhorn Network. Everyone knows about the SEC Network. Now Texas gets to encroach on viewership in an increasingly crowded space.

ACC Castaways

UCLA and USC bolting to the BIG 10 create a domino effect that doesn’t help Florida in the long run.

Pressure is now on Notre Dame to also join the Big 10 or get completely left behind.

This will lead schools like Clemson, Miami, and FSU to begin poking around for a new home.

If you believe the SEC is superior to the ACC (I know, contain your laughter), do you really want ACC castaways seeking refuge in the SEC?

Florida’s exclusive home could ballon into a super conference of 20 schools.

Sure Florida would have a spot in the super conference while other schools get left behind, but Florida was already in a position of strength prior to conference realignment.

There will be fewer schools in contention under the super conference model, but the schools who don’t make it into the super conferences aren’t the schools Florida was worried about in the first place.

All a super conference would do is put Florida on equal footing with FSU and Miami.

FSU and Miami would start getting far better national coverage than they are getting now. And in the long term it would only serve to elevate both programs.

All because the Big 10 wants to go national.

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