Welcome to the Andy Staples show.

Divisional ditching edition.

I was going to say divisional realignment.

We're just ditching them all together.

At least that's the plan.

I've been banging this drum for

several years that the conferences in college football do not need divisions anymore. It was an archaic

construct based on a very arbitrary rule that I will explain the history of in the course of this

show. And you'll be like, wait, that's why? And then you'll realize how stupid it

is. And the Big Ten is coming around on this. The SEC was already talking about it. The Big Ten now

talking about potentially ditching divisions. Scott Docterman covers Iowa for the athletic. He's the one

who broke the story. Gary Barta dropped the news to him on Wednesday.

And Scott, how much fun has it been dreaming up permanent opponents for Big Ten schools the last day?

It's been really fascinating because every school has those rivals that they have to play. Almost every school does, except for the newbies like

Maryland and Rutgers. So, you know, you look at Minnesota plays Wisconsin every year for that

giant, you know, Paul Bunyan's axe and they play Iowa for the pig. Those are historic and

and symbolic. Floyd of Rosdale can't go anywhere, no matter what you change.

That has so much meaning beyond even this, you know, 98 pound bronze pig.

It has to stay.

But then there's other really good trophies in the Big Ten.

The brass spittoon, which is like 200 years old that was found at a trading post in

Michigan, and that's between Michigan State and Indiana. But is that important enough to preserve?

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