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College football is going through some big changes. Teams from the West Coast are now playing with East Coast teams. It’s like mixing up your favorite snacks and hoping it tastes good. Some schools that were always part of smaller groups are now trying to join the big leagues. Everything feels a bit jumbled, and it’s hard to keep track of who’s playing where.
Imagine if someone could fix this mess.
Josh Pate from CBS Sports thinks he has a solution. He wants to bring back old rivalries and make college football feel more natural again. His idea includes reviving conferences like the Big East, Southwest, and Pac-10, which have faded over the years. The Big Ten and Big 12 would shrink to more manageable sizes, while the SEC and ACC would be geographically sensible once again.
When I am CFB Commissioner these are your new conferences via executive order day 1
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) February 3, 2025
Do whatever you want with the playoff pic.twitter.com/nAiP1OXERF
Pate’s plan includes some rules for each conference, like having only 10 teams and playing every other team once. In his vision, the SEC would lose six teams to return to its roots, focusing on the Southeast region and keeping classic rivalries alive. Meanwhile, the Big Ten would drop eight teams but retain powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan.
Old favorites like Nebraska vs. Colorado and Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia would make a comeback under Pate’s plan. The ACC stays mostly as it is but welcomes back Maryland, a move that makes more sense than their previous switch to the Big Ten. And then there’s the independent category.
Notre Dame would join BYU, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt in deciding their own schedules, while UConn returns to the Big East where it belongs. Fans longing for nostalgic matchups might find Pate’s proposal appealing. With everything else in life embracing a retro vibe, why not college football too?
