Urban Meyer addresses where the NCAA could be heading after USC, UCLA's move to Big Ten

We are certainly in a time of change across college sports. By now, everyone knows that Pac-12 powers UCLA and USC are headed to the Big Ten in a move that kick-started a plethora of other conference realignment rumors. When the dust eventually settles on this power-program carousel, how will everything shake out? Well, one former SEC and Big Ten coach, Urban Meyer, believes the NCAA could be barreling towards a dual super-conference format.

The former Florida and Ohio State coach hopped on the Big Ten Network Thursday evening to share his thoughts on the rapidly-changing college sports landscape.

“Well I had a couple conversations today with some higher ups in actually both conferences,” Meyer said. “I think within four years you’re going to see a transformation that a lot of people really won’t recognize college football. I think you’re gonna see two empire conferences, I really do. Don’t know what those are, I have an idea.”

Certainly seems like the SEC and Big Ten would be the two conferences in this scenario.

“When Oklahoma and Texas made the move, everybody in the college football world said, ‘Oh, what’s next?’ Now you see USC and UCLA jump to the Big Ten,” Meyer continued. “Everybody is saying what about Oregon? What about Arizona? There are some really, really good football schools out there.

“What happens to them now? And what happens to the Big 12 conference? Is it going to be a Pac-12/Big Ten and then an SEC/ACC and then the Big 12 kind of just finds its way? This is going to be – I’ll tell you what, it’s all positioning right now.”

Schools across the country are jostling for position now. Unless you’re in the Big Ten or SEC, your favorite school’s future could be completely up in the air. And the realignment is an absolute free-for-all, clearly. Heck, two Los Angeles schools just joined the Big Ten, a conference primarily consisting of schools in the midwest and northeast regions of the country. Poor Rutgers will have to routinely travel from Piscataway — on the Eastern seaboard — all the way to LA for a conference game. The Scarlet Knights can dip their toes in both oceans without leaving Big Ten country.

Fans across the country share the same concerns as Urban Meyer. The basic conference archetypes that have dominated the NCAA landscape for decades are being pulled apart at their roots. Historic times we’re living in.