The Big Ten, Big 12, and now the SEC will play nine conference games, with three out of conference games. Is the ACC next?
If it’s up to Clemson’s head coach Dabo Swinney, probably not. “Everybody wants to play more conference games. I think it just becomes more insulated. I’m like, why don’t we play less conference games and let’s go, let’s go, you know. Put it on the field, you know, and let’s play five conference games or six and six. And let’s go mix it up and let’s see who’s got the best deal.”
Swinney joined Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone on “The Triple Option” this week and made it clear he is not advocating for this, but it would be his preference to help determine what teams are contenders and which hide behind conference reputation.
“Everybody likes to talk big and talk about how great their conference is, I’m more about my program you know. There’s some teams that stink that go yeah but we’re in this league and they wave the league you know I’m more about what type of program do you have?”
The Tigers come into this season ranked fourth in the country, have a Heisman contender under center, and a defense loaded with NFL talent in a conference that has struggled in recent years. Something that Swinney thinks could be cyclical, but also perception.
“Instead of playing more conference games and becoming more insulated. Well, let’s play more Big Ten. Let’s play more ACC. Play more Big 12. Let’s play – okay, you’re going to play your four conference games, and then you’re going to go play eight non-conference. Now, how fun would that be?” He added, before getting to his main point about the future of the game.
“I know what’s coming. It’s maybe it’s five years, maybe it’s three years, whatever, because it’s just there’s too much money and there’s too much at stake. But sooner or later, there’s going to be nobody wants to hear it, but there’s probably going to be a thirty to fifty team type of league and there’s going to be pods.” Swinney laid out, saying the quiet part out loud. Among the discussion of College Football Playoff formats and realignment, this future mega-conference has been lurking in the shadows and it seems some of the games top coaches are realizing that this future is a lot closer than it seems.
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