Is it time for Pac-12 to Change Football Alignment?

Territorial Cup will not decide the Pac-12 South this season? Pac-12 Conference needs to change its alignment. 

The 2015-2016 Season should be the last of its current alignment. As a fan the last few weeks of the 2014-2015 season may have been one the most exciting in a while for the Pac-12. Going into the final weeks of Pac-12 play there was 3 or more teams playing for the Pac-12 South title. The Pac-12 North had a different and far less exciting ending.

Oregon had locked up the Pac-12 North division in the second weekend in November. The South had a much more entertaining finish including five teams which mathematically were alive in the same week; Arizona, Utah, UCLA, USC, and Arizona State were all in the hunt for the Pac-12 South Title.

https://twitter.com/ZonaZooOfficial/status/584464736969822208

I don’t want to be that guy but again this is a BEARDOWN website so yes we know who was the better team after the dust all settled. Looking back at it now imagine what a race it could have been had it been if we had all 12 teams in one Division playing for both Pac-12 Title game spots?

More from Zona Zealots

• Arizona Football begins Conference play against Stanford
• Arizona Football starts slow but runs away from UTEP
• How Wildcats Fans Can Claim $200 INSTANT Bonus at BetMGM Betting $10 Right Now
• Costly Mistakes doom Arizona Football in loss to Mississippi State
• Arizona Basketball likely to schedule Florida Atlantic for 2023

As it is set up today, the Pac-12 Schedules schools play nine of the other 11 Pac-12 teams. So for a Pac-12 title, wouldn’t you think that you would have to play every team in your Division? Yes I know sports are not perfect and especially when it comes to the College Football playoffs. As a conference though, why not set precedence and match the best two teams in your conference against each other for your true Conference Title game?

How about we get rid of the UTSA and Nevada games on our current schedule and trade them in for an Oregon and California game this season? It would be worth the switch. Or, if not that change, how bout we add a week or two to the season? Who would complain with two more weeks of football? Even the schools or NCAA wouldn’t complain because when have you know them to turn away extra money?

Arizona Wildcats

I know there will be no perfect answer as simple as it seems but I mean our Wildcats don’t even get a bye week of extra rest all season, so tell me how is that fair? We love bowl season but with so many bowls and such a long wait in between conference titles and the College football Playoffs, we could play an extra couple of games.

Back to where this argument first started. Imagine going into the final three weeks of last season and having 6 teams fighting for the 2 Conference Title Game spots. Then Oregon wouldn’t have been able to coast to the Pac-12 Title game knowing they could lose in its last weeks and still have its spot guaranteed. Don’t get me wrong Oregon was a good team, I am just trying to make a point.

I am sure there will be flaws and holes in this system as well but as true fans would there really be an argument? My suggestion is that every Pac-12 team in the conference should play each other, then the best two schools all year should meet in the Pac-12 title game. Isn’t is worse for us as Wildcats fans that we will not get our payback this season from the Pac-12 title game and a chance to shock the nation like we did in Eugene last season? That would be due to the fact that we don’t get the opportunity to play Oregon in our regular season this year.

As if that wasnt bad enough the NCAA/Pac-12 kinda took the punch and excitement out of The Territorial Cup this season. If you hadn’t heard, Arizona finishes its season against its rival Arizona State University (ASU) but ASU gets to play California for its last game of the season. So unlike last season, the Pac-12 south might not be decided on rivalry week much less the Territorial Cup. How is that fair to our Fans?

This is not meant to tear down the NCAA nor Pac-12 Football, but as the season comes close and excitement starts to build, imagine the excitement if the above proposals came to be. Then imagine, if like last seasons results, the Territorial Cup game outcome filled the last spot in the Pac-12 Conference Title game.  How exciting would that be?

We’ll just have to ride the wave but it was fun imagining how more exciting it could be. Now I just have to get the Pac-12 to listen and agree.

Kickoff is 71 days away so let’s get ready to defend our Pac-12 South Title and BEARDOWN for the best season yet!!

Next: Wildcat Warriors: ZonaZealots Roundtable Season Wrap-Up