5 biggest conference realignment moves Pac-12 could make as it goes for major rebuild in 2024
The Pac-12 realignment push is on, but it could use some redirection. Now with six full members, the conference apparently tried to nab several American Athletic Conference schools but was turned down. Statements of commitment within a conference mean about as much as statements of intent of students attending a school dance. But that aside, the Pac-12 and commissioner Teresa Gould are probably aiming too low.
Yes, getting enough teams to fill out the league matters. Adding enough schools to be certain of relevance in the College Football Playoff is paramount. But the Pac-12 has to think bigger within conference alignment. The league wasn't nearly driven from existence due to other leagues saying "please" or "thank you" as they looted its roster of teams. The Pac-12 could make these five moves.
5 biggest conference realignment moves Pac-12 could make
#1. Bring back Stanford
The No. 2 overall college athletic program in the recent Learfield Cup ratings of college sports was Stanford. The Cardinal have about as much business in the ACC as they do in England's Premier League. Getting Gonzaga in for basketball was a big move, but if the Pac-12 wants to be serious about conference realignment, it has to get Stanford back in the fold.
#2. Go after Arizona State
Arizona State has done fine in the Big 12, but a potent basketball league could draw the Sun Devils out of the world of Kansas and the seven dwarves. Meanwhile, Arizona State is obviously a more natural geographic fit in the Pac-12. The school has a solid all-around program, finishing 27th in the summer Learfield Cup standings.
Meanwhile, coming into a league with San Diego State (among others) could help Arizona State baseball, which is something of a sleeping giant. The Sun Devils might also love escaping the shadow of their in-state rivals in Arizona.
#3. Grab BYU
A team that has struggled to find a fit is BYU. With Utah State already joining the Pac-12, a second Utah school isn't a bad option. The Cougars are a solid program, finishing third in the Big 12 in the recent Learfield Cup standings. This would be a football and basketball power move, with each of those teams improving their league.
While trying to nab schools from conferences where they are established can be a tenuous business, BYU doesn't have long roots in the Big 12, having joined the league a year ago. Catch them while they're still in transition.
#4. Bring in Notre Dame just for football
OK, the last two possibilities here are going a bit out on a limb. But the shifting conference realignment world hasn't been great for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Their once enviable media rights deal probably isn't the hot commodity it used to be. Their rivals have been shifted here and there across the college football landscape.
The Pac-12 would likely have to be creative with financing to grab the Irish. But the beauty of the move is that unlike shifting Stanford to the ACC, it's not every team on campus that's impacted. Notre Dame's cross-country team doesn't have to go cross-country to compete at Washington State. Football has the funds, the prestige and the resources. It's a tough sell, but one worth making.
#5. Get Oregon
The great white whale of this conference realignment hunt could be Oregon. The Ducks are a powerhouse in the biggest sports, and with Phil Knight's Nike money, they will never be an unfashionable squad. Again, it's certainly not an easy sell to get Oregon out of the Big Ten.
At the end of the day, the best possibilities are ones that probably require selling some of the Pac-12's smaller members or accepting smaller pieces of a larger pie. But it would be surprising for Boise State or San Diego State, faced with finally getting a full seat at the table, to pass based on the insistence of a more equal revenue share.
Which squads do you think the Pac-12 should hunt in the conference realignment saga? Share your thoughts and choices below in our comments section!