Conference shifts create domino effect

When the Atlantic Coast Conference swiped Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech from the Big East Conference in June, speculation arose about what trickle-down effects we would see to help maintain the power conference alignment in college athletics. Boston College accepted an invitation to move from the Big East to the ACC in October as the ACC rounded into a 12-team league, allowing for a football playoff game and a nice breakdown into two six-team divisions.\nIt was inevitable that the Big East would have to react to three of its primary football powers heading to the ACC. It did so Tuesday when it announced the addition of Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida for all sports, as well as Marquette and DePaul for all sports except football. All five of the Big East's additions come from Conference USA, depleting an already weak major conference by taking five of its premier basketball teams.\nMore importantly, these additions allow the Big East to maintain the required eight football teams to be NCAA certified as a conference. It also gives the Big East 16 teams for basketball, which will likely break down into two eight-team divisions and will boast one of the nation's premier basketball conferences. Along with defending national champion Syracuse, six other Big East teams would be ranked in the preseason Top 25 rankings.\nUnfortunately for college athletics and troubled mid-major conferences, the trickle down will continue and may eventually force a small conference to fold. Conference USA responded to the moves by adding Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa. All of these teams come from some of the larger mid-major conferences who will improbably react by attacking other mid-major conferences, continuing to deplete the conference breakdown in collegiate athletics.\nWhile all followers of college athletics expected the Big East to react to its losses, I do not think most believed it would be this drastic of a move, not to mention stealing five teams all from one conference. Once you look past the six power conferences, it becomes apparent that as teams continue to be wooed by more high-profile conferences and the chance to prove themselves in big-time college sports, it will only create more problems and result in mass parody in college athletics. \nThe current six power conferences have far too much money and influence over college athletics. Look no farther than college football where the six power conferences all have automatic Bowl Championship Series bids, taking up six of the eight spots in the four primary bowl games. College sports are supposed to be about the athletes and showcasing their proficient talents at such a young age and on a high profile level. Regrettably, though, with these conference shifts we have only seen the money-driven pursuits of college administrations in the movement to use athletics to market and sell an entire university.\nAs an avid college sports fan, all of these changes just make me sick. If the ACC and Big East have success with their changes, it may not be long before the Big Ten and Pac-10 try to add teams as well, again depleting the lower level conferences of their best teams. The NCAA needs to stop the domino effect before it gets of out control and put the focus back on helping its players become well-rounded individuals both on and off the field.