An Appropriate Critique of Current College Football Politics

From Next Year's TMQ: FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 11, 2012 (Associated Press) TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini Jr. announced that the Horned Frogs had left the Pac-22 Conference and were accepting bids for their affiliation. TCU, he said, would on the following day join whatever conference offered the best revenue share, plus free membership in a fruit-of-the-month club. "What am I bid?" Boschini asked, brandishing a gavel. "Going once, going twice."

[+] Enlarge

Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesThe mascot's agent is negotiating with several conferences.

Having previously belonged to the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Southwest Conference, the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference, TCU announced in 2010 that it would join the Big East Conference. Then a satchel full of money was found at the athletic director's door, and the Horned Frogs said in 2011 they would join the Big 12 Conference. Shortly thereafter the Big 12 Conference changed its name to the Big XIII.5 Conference when the University of North Texas also joined.

After finding another satchel slipped under the door of the athletic director, in November 2011, TCU left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. The SEC folded in December 2011, when Alabama and Auburn joined the National Football League, saying, "We feel more comfortable in a setting where literacy is optional." TCU jumped for a few months to the Small Ten, a conference then consisting of Penn State, West Virginia, Syracuse, the University of Nebraska-Kearney and whatever high schools weren't busy that week.

When the University of Texas went on its own to form the Longhorn Cash 'N' Carry Conference -- which plays no games, rather, does nothing but collect marketing fees -- TCU followed. When that conference broke into two divisions (the No Questions Asked Division and the Unmarked Bills Only Division), TCU briefly developed qualms. This was strongly denounced by the NCAA.

Just before the 2012 season began, TCU joined the Pac-15, which by opening day was the Pac-21. Now known as the Pac-22, the conference is looking for a football program to replace its loss of TCU. The Horned Frogs are said to be interested.