Urban Meyer predicts college football is heading towards two power conferences

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer predicted college football will eventually get down to two power conferences when it’s all said and done.

Realignment has been crazy over the last two years. Now, beginning in 2024, the Big Ten will have 18 teams and the SEC and Big 12 will have 16 each.

It seems like it consolidated to four with the Pac-12 being decimated. But Meyer sees realignment getting it down to two huge conferences.

“I think it’s gonna turn out to be two power conferences,” Meyer said on Urban’s Take with Tim May. “I can see Fox is all over the Big Ten 10, Pac-12 and the Big 12 and not as much of the Pac-12 because it’s basically gone after this year and the SEC is committed to ESPN.

“So you know you saw what happened when the Pac–12 did not sign that television contract. I mean, you talk about people who ran the best programs from the Pac-12 and that tells you the value of that.”

Meyer was also fascinated by the student athlete perspective where some of the conferences now go coast to coast, such as the Big Ten.

“So I just I read some of the comments by some of the student athletes where you wake up one day when and your daughter goes to Stanford to play tennis, and she’s going to play USC, UCLA, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State and they’re going to have road trips to Arizona, Arizona State,” Meyer said.

“And also now they’re waking up one day and they’re going to spend a week in the eastern part of the country playing Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State and Illinois.  I’m a big believer in the Big Ten. The addition of these teams made the Big Ten legit.”

College football heading to two power conferences, per Urban Meyer

When Meyer talked about the Big Ten and its history, he pointed out that with 18 teams, the traditional midwest teams get bumped a little with the new blood.

“You’re the head coach of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State, those teams that are really good teams have really good traditions,” Meyer said. “You just got bumped a little bit now. The chance of those teams I just mentioned, once this conference gets over making it to the championship game. We’re going to get rid of the divisions, I understand. That means only two teams and the top two teams will go. 

“There’s no east-west anymore. There’s just so many scenarios that get your mind thinking about how great this conference is. I hope you keep it great.”

Right now the Big Ten, amid college football realignment, did away with divisions for 2024. That remains to be seen now that Oregon and Washington are on their way in. Not to mention redoing the schedules, again, for the next couple of years.

The Big Ten and SEC seem like the two power conferences for college football. The Big 12 made its moves to not be left behind while the ACC has stood pat, for now.