Pasadena in December

If we continue to annex the Pac 10, should we just move the Rose Bowl to December and let it serve as the Big Ten Conference Championship game?

As a traditionalist, I do hope we can somehow preserve the granddaddy of them all. And, though not perfect, this might be the best way.

Numbers

There have been 107 Rose Bowl games to date. If we assume Notre Dame finally comes around and then Stanford, Oregon, and Washington join to give the Big Ten an even 20 schools, then here’s what the numbers would say.

Big Ten Classic Division

The Big Ten Classic Division would consist of the original Big Ten members. Traditional Big Ten schools account for 67 Rose Bowl appearances and 31 wins. (It’s not more because the Big Ten tie-in didn’t start until after World War II.)

Big Ten Coastal Division

The Big Ten Coastal Division would consist of all the newer Big Ten members. And despite having only half of the old Pac 10, its Rose Bowl tradition is even stronger. These new Big Ten schools account for 91 Rose Bowl appearances and 50 wins. (The Pac 10 tie-in started after World War I.)

Pac 7

That leaves seven Pac 10 teams behind. But those schools have appeared in just 18 of the 107 Rose Bowl contests and won only 5 times. So although the traditionalist in me would miss them, they don’t exactly account for a lot of Rose Bowl tradition.

Drawbacks

In addition to leaving out the Pac 7 teams, there are other drawbacks to consider. Traditionally, the game is played on New Year’s Day. That’s a time when most children, including high school band members marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade, are out of school. And it gives fans of participating schools have more advanced notice for scheduling their vacations.

The Broader Playoff Picture

The Rose Bowl is somewhat unique in its 66-year tradition of having two conference tie ins. But if it moves to December and becomes a pre-playoff Super Conference Championship Game, it could easily create a precedent for the other Super Conference to follow. Maybe the SEC decides to move the Sugar Bowl to December as its conference championship game.

If the Big 12 survives, it could perhaps follow suit with the Cotton Bowl. And the ACC with the Orange Bowl.

Then, with the Bowls crowning conference champions in December, whatever playoff system emerges takes place in January…