Part of adding new teams to any conference is the unfamiliarity with new home stadiums and their rabid (or tepid) fanbases.
With four new teams in 2024, Big 12 Conference schools will now find themselves exploring the desert with trips to Arizona and Arizona State and the mountains with Colorado and Utah … although not all of these trips will come with the same amount of gravitas.
One that will? Any time a team heads to play Utah at 52,000-seat Rice-Eccles Stadium, which longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham made sure to point out recently.
“(Utah) is a tough place to play,” Whittingham said at Big 12 Media Days. “We’ve had 12 straight years of sell out. You know, 52-thousand plus with standing room only every single week.”
Utah welcomes three “grandfathered” Big 12 teams to Rice-Eccles this season with Baylor (Sept. 7), TCU (Oct. 19) and Iowa State (Nov. 23).
Whittingham isn’t the only one who thinks Rice-Eccles is a tough place to play — it was also the only team included in the Top 25 “Toughest Places to Play” in the mega-hit EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
Kyle Whittingham has been a witness to many changes in college football during his three decades in Salt Lake City. From the Utes being at the top of the Mountain West, again with the Pac-12, and now rolling into the Big 12, it’s the evolution of the sport with Utah staying ahead of the curve.
In a recent interview with 365 Sports, Whittingham shared his thoughts on the future of college football, predicting significant changes in the structure of conferences and playoffs. He suggested that the landscape of college football is on the verge of a seismic shift, leading to the formation of two “super conferences” that will dominate the sport. These super conferences, he believes, will break away from the traditional NCAA structure to create their own playoff system.
Whittingham’s comments come at a time when the college football world is already seeing unprecedented levels of conference realignment. Schools are moving between conferences in search of better financial opportunities, enhanced visibility, and stronger competition. This trend, according to Whittingham, is just the beginning. He foresees a future where the strongest programs will consolidate into two major leagues, effectively reshaping the sport’s competitive landscape.
The concept of super conferences isn’t new, but Whittingham’s prediction adds weight to the ongoing discussions. He envisions these super conferences comprising the top programs from the current Power Five conferences, creating a highly competitive environment. This new structure would not only increase the quality of games but also generate immense media and financial interest. Whittingham also pointed out the implications of such a shift on the college football playoff system that was recently revamped with 12 teams.
While the predictions are speculative, they highlight the fluidity and uncertainty in college football’s future. Whittingham’s insights reflect broader concerns and discussions among coaches, administrators, and fans about the direction of the sport. As college football continues to evolve, the vision of super conferences and an independent playoff system might not be far from reality.
