College Fooball SMQ: 5 best realignment moves in modern college football history

Arkansas recently parted ways with Bret Bielema after a 29-34 record over five disappointing seasons. Under Bielema, the Razorbacks went 11-29 in SEC play. Only once in those five campaigns did they finish above .500 in the league standings.

In general, though, the move to the SEC was undoubtedly a net gain. Arkansas was an early adopter of the understanding that a strong conference is always worth realignment. Four years before the death of the Southwest Conference, Arkansas recognized that the league had less of a long-term future than the SEC.

Moving conferences allowed the Razorbacks to increase their revenue and exposure. That was true even as they turned their back on Texas and shifted focus in the other direction.  They also managed to find some success over their past half-century in the league.

With the Alabama schools currently lording over the SEC West, it is hard to remember a time when anyone else had a shot in the league. But Arkansas has won the division four times, and played in the SEC title game in Atlanta three of those years. They saw Darren McFadden finish second in Heisman voting in both 2006 and 2007.

The SEC has proven to be a perfect merger of league and team. A fateful decision in 1992 allowed the Razorbacks to remain competitive and the league to grow into 12 teams. Both became stronger with the union, even with the recent downturn under Bielema.