# College Football - Conference Realignment **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [July 27, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705 "2023-07-27T21:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/1 "2023-07-27T21:31:53Z")
Colorado trustees voted today to leave the PAC12 and join the Big12. This may be the death nail for the PAC12, with last years departure of USC and UCLA to B1G. George Kliavkoff, PAC12 commisioner since 2021, hasn’t helped, especially with the lack of sustainable media rights contract for the conference. With UCLA, USC, and CU leaving after this year, the conference members will drop to 9 schools. There continue to be rumors of other defections from the PAC12. The Big12 will now move to net 13 members in the 2024 season after UT and OU leave for the SEC and CU joins. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/2 "2023-07-28T01:36:30Z")
I’m just spitballing here, but I’m guessing that the Big 12 will look to expand to 14 or maybe 16 members in the next year or two. After Colorado joins and UT and OU leave, adding 3 more schools would make it 16. And I think they’ll look to further plunder the Pac-12 Maybe Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. Or Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington. The Big 12 will probably never match the overall football prowess of the SEC and Big 10, but 16 teams would solidify their position as the #3 football conference. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/3 "2023-07-28T02:53:20Z")
Its “death knell”. /nitpick ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/4 "2023-07-28T05:43:43Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I’m just spitballing here, but I’m guessing that the Big 12 will look to expand to 14 or maybe 16 members in the next year or two. There are already reports that their goal is to become the Big 16. > **[Big 12 leaders vote to accept Colorado, clearing the way for Buffs to depart...](https://apnews.com/article/colorado-pac12-big-12-conference-realignment-yormark-kliavkoff-09b3d9604505b23e311564fac677971d)** > > Big 12 presidents and chancellors have voted unanimously to accept Colorado as a new member, clearing the way for the school to leave the Pac-12 and rejoin the conference. > The person familiar with the Big 12’s discussions said the conference would ideally like to expand to 16 schools with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado all coming over from the Pac-12 to create a Western wing of the league. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/5 "2023-07-30T13:56:28Z")
Outkick dot com is reporting that Oregon and Washington going to the ACC > **[ACC Looking At Possibly Adding Oregon And Washington: REPORT](https://www.outkick.com/oregon-washington-acc-speculation/)** > > Washington and Oregon could be possible expansion targets for the ACC. Will the ACC add the Ducks? Could the Big Ten be an option? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/6 "2023-07-30T14:52:17Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > reporting that Oregon and Washington going to the ACC The only thing that bothers me is the name. PandACC would be better ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/7 "2023-07-30T15:00:59Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Outkick dot com is reporting that Oregon and Washington going to the ACC The article doesn’t say anything like that – only that the ACC has “run models on adding a number of potential targets, including West Virginia, SMU, Oregon and Washington” but “the ACC hasn’t determined yet if any specific schools could help boost the conference’s value.” It’s all just wild speculation. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/8 "2023-07-30T15:06:57Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The only thing that bothers me is the name. PandACC would be better They could use A&PCC, sponsored by A&P I don’t like these coast to coast conferences. I never thought Rutgers and Maryland really belonged in the Big Ten and like the addition of two LA schools even less. But as long as athletic directors kneel at the altar of the dollar, we’re in for more of it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/9 "2023-07-30T17:55:05Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > It’s all just wild speculation. The article itself actually says: > Having said that, the ACC seems like it could be a disaster for the Ducks and Huskies. The conference’s media deal runs through 2036 and is worth right around $36 million per school. It’s not terrible, but it’s also far from great. > > Plus, do the Ducks and Huskies really want to be flying across the country for half their sporting events? That’s an absurd amount of travel. > > Oregon and Washington should keep all options on the table, but joining the ACC seems foolish. It puts a lot of doubt into the idea that either school would actually go to that conference. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/10 "2023-08-01T18:22:01Z")
What, no mention yet of the Crazy Rumor of the Day That Seems to Be Picking Up Traction: By the end of this week (Saturday 8/5), supposedly Oregon, Washington, Clemson, and Florida State will all be announcing that they will be joining the Big 10. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/11 "2023-08-01T18:26:13Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > By the end of this week (Saturday 8/5), supposedly Oregon, Washington, Clemson, and Florida State will all be announcing that they will be joining the Big 10. Wow, if true. I’ve also heard that Arizona is close to joining the Big 12. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/12 "2023-08-01T18:34:28Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > By the end of this week (Saturday 8/5), supposedly Oregon, Washington, Clemson, and Florida State will all be announcing that they will be joining the Big 10. Rumors of Oregon and Washington aren’t new, this is from May: > **[Oregon, Washington 'Vetted' And 'Cleared' To Join The Big Ten According To...](https://www.outkick.com/oregon-and-washington-vetted-and-cleared-to-join-the-big-ten-according-to-new-report/)** > > The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies have been vetted and cleared to potentially join the Big Ten, according to a new report. And **this** report was from almost a full year ago: > **[Report: Washington Holds 'Preliminary Discussions' with Big Ten About Membership](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10047327-report-washington-holds-preliminary-discussions-with-big-ten-about-membership)** > > Washington has held "preliminary discussions" with th ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/13 "2023-08-01T19:00:30Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > By the end of this week (Saturday 8/5), supposedly Oregon, Washington, Clemson, and Florida State will all be announcing that they will be joining the Big 10. If true, Clemson and FSU’s buyout will dwarf what UT and Oklahoma paid to get out of the Big 12. They still have 13 years remaining on their grant of rights to the ACC. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/14 "2023-08-01T19:10:51Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I’ve also heard that Arizona is close to joining the Big 12. Pac12 commissioner shared media rights deal terms with the 9 remaining members presidents this morning. Nothing confirmed but rumored to be significantly less than the Big12 current payouts, and almost all streaming with AppleTV, with future upside as AppleTV subscribers increase. My guess is this will not be acceptable to the Arizona schools or Washington or Oregon. Big10 doesn’t have provisions in their current contracts with Fox to allow for increases in the payouts if schools are added. So if they add Oregon and or Washington, then it dilutes the amount received by every school. The Big 12’s contract with ESPN does allow for increases if current Power 5 schools are added, so it’s not dilutive the existing schools. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/15 "2023-08-02T14:38:09Z")
Any ideas on how these potential realignments will affect the NCAA? It seems like a shift in the balance of power. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/16 "2023-08-02T16:55:28Z")
The NCAA lost most of its power relative to college football years ago. The 2021 SCOTUS case: NCAA vs. Alston pretty much stripped away power and they relinquished it. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/17 "2023-08-02T20:37:29Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Any ideas on how these potential realignments will affect the NCAA? It seems like a shift in the balance of power. In terms of FBS Football? None. The fact that the NCAA gets little, if any, money from the CFP shows that the “balance of power” in terms of football has belonged to the schools for decades. (I think the only money the NCAA gets from the playoff is the licensing fees for the six CFP bowl games.) The only power the NCAA has in FBS football is things like how many games each team can play, which ones get postseason bans and recruiting restrictions for violations, and so on - and keep in mind that most of those are determined by the schools themselves. As far as the NCAA is concerned, conferences only really matter in terms of who can get an automatic invitation to an NCAA championship tournament. This is not a problem with FBS football, as the playoff is not run by the NCAA, ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/18 "2023-08-03T14:24:00Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Pac12 commissioner shared media rights deal terms with the 9 remaining members presidents this morning. Nothing confirmed but rumored to be significantly less than the Big12 current payouts, and almost all streaming with AppleTV, with future upside as AppleTV subscribers increase. > > My guess is this will not be acceptable to the Arizona schools or Washington or Oregon. You are absolutely correct: > **[Regents to meet on ASU, Arizona futures in Pac-12](https://arizonasports.com/story/3530070/arizona-board-regents-calls-pac-12-future/)** > > The Arizona Board of Regents will meet Thursday to address Arizona State and Arizona athletics with uncertainty surrounding the Pac-12. The Pac-12 is pretty much dead at this point. Conference realignment talk always feels like ancient history to me because I grew up watching the Big East and that [conference was blown up over 20 years ago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_NCAA_conference_realignment) (at least in football). The major shift in conference realignment started happening over 12 years ago but I understand that it’s easy to overlook if your team was largely unaffected. > **[2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932014_NCAA_conference_realignment)** > > The 2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment refers to extensive changes in conference membership at all three levels of NCAA competition—Division I, Division II, and Division III— beginning in the 2010–11 academic year. > Most of these changes involved conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I. Every FBS conference, as well as the ranks of FBS independents, gained and/or lost football members, and the Mid-American Conference was the only FBS conference whose all-sports members... Now I’m just wondering how long it will take for us to end up with 4 super conferences. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/19 "2023-08-03T15:35:09Z")
> [@Frosted\_Glass](#): > > Now I’m just wondering how long it will take for us to end up with 4 super conferences It may be sooner than you might think. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705/20 "2023-08-03T15:46:08Z")
I’m a Big Ten fan (Iowa specifically). Is there any downside for fans of four superconferences? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-conference-realignment/987705.md?page=2)