Cole Cubelic, Andy Staples break down Trent Dilfer's timeline on major college programs breaking away

There’s been plenty of chatter now for the past few years about another round of major conference realignment. More specifically, it involves what’s been brewing within the ACC and the conference potentially crumbling. UAB head coach and former NFL QB Trent Dilfer, recently said it would be 18 months before things get flipped upside down in the ACC, surprising a lot of people with that timeline. On the recent version of Andy Staples On3, Staples and ESPN’s Cole Cubelic chatted it up about Dilfer’s timeline.

“So basically, we’re talking about this being settled before the 2025 season. Essentially what he’s saying,” Cubelic noted.

Staples then explained the reasoning behind the timeline.

“Which would make sense because the 2025 season is the last season of this current College Football Playoff contract. So, the thing we’ve been hearing everybody argue about over the last few weeks is that next College Football Playoff contract,” Staples began.

“And Cole I went on a long rant on Friday’s show. I thought it was crazy that the Big Ten and the SEC are floating this idea of, they’re gonna do a 14-team playoff. There will be two byes. They would be guaranteed to the Big Ten and SEC champ. Which, it’s very transparent. It’s them trying to protect their conference championship games, obviously. And the economic piece of that. Because those are cash cows,” Staples said.

Staples is mentioning the recent report about the proposed 14-team playoff. Where the Big Ten Champion and the SEC Champion would both be guaranteed byes in that College Football Playoff format.

“Now I’m like, why did I waste my breath on that, because I don’t even know if they’re gonna get to that with this format,” Staples explained.

“It almost feels a little of a phrase that you and I were made well aware of in our playing days. Playing offensive line. You have to work as a group. You have to work as a unit. You have to be in sync, but CYA at the end of the day. Always make sure you know what you’re doing. And you’re taking care of your assignment first,” Cubelic noted.

“And I feel like there’s a little bit of, let’s just get this out there so people have an understanding of we did our best to make this thing go that it should have. We did our best to keep everything together. And we know good and well that the Group of Five and these other schools. They want to hold onto that revenue stream. Even though it’s just this tiny little thread that’s still left,” Cubelic continued.

“They’re gonna grapple that thing for as long as humanly possible until they fall off the cliff of financial haven that they have coming from whatever postseason they get right now. And they don’t want to walk away from it. They’re terrified of that. And I don’t blame them,” Cubelic continued.

“But yeah, I think this is just kind of for show a little bit to say we wanted to play ball. We wanted to include everybody. Let’s be real. It doesn’t work for us. It wasn’t really gonna work for them. It’s not fair to them. We’re just gonna move on. And you guys can figure it out because we tried, and our top two guys came together. Couldn’t really come up with something that everybody liked. So, good luck figuring it out. We know you guys have the brain capacity to do that. We’ll be over here playing our game. So, we’ll see ya later,” Cubelic finished.

Andy Staples is definitely convinced there’s another major round of realignment coming at some point.

“And I do think there’s another round of realignment coming. Because, you know, I’ve had the Florida State people on. And I think that something will happen with the ACC. I think what Trent Dilfer is referring specifically is, whatever’s gonna happen with the ACC is gonna happen in the next 18 months or so. And that could upset some things,” Staples finished.