OT: Conference Realignment

[Walter]

I thought that the SoCon would be the best spot for Richmond, but their recruiting base is mid-atlantic/northeast. W&M will likely want to move all sports together, and I'm not sure how the Patriot or SoCon line up with that. On the surface, they seem like a good fit for either. Hopefully they can keep their annual game with Richmond.

If W&M is out then the SoCon can go grab Elon and Campbell.

I could see one added with a public. From what I have heard, the SoCon powers want a balance of power between the publics and the privates. Ideally, W&M and Elon.

 

[Falco]

With Richmond moving to the Patriot League, I looked at who else plays in the Patriot League.

I had no idea Georgetown even had a football team, haha. Their “stadium” only holds 3,700 people. For comparison, George Mason’s soccer stadium has a capacity of 5,000.

Edit: this is not me advocating for football. I just didn’t know Georgetown had football.

 

[Walter]

With Richmond moving to the Patriot League, I looked at who else plays in the Patriot League.

I had no idea Georgetown even had a football team, haha. Their “stadium” only holds 3,700 people. For comparison, George Mason’s soccer stadium has a capacity of 5,000.

And Georgetown's team is non-scholarship. But I bet the players get an above average "academic" or needs-based scholarships.

 

[jessej]

With Richmond moving to the Patriot League, I looked at who else plays in the Patriot League.

I had no idea Georgetown even had a football team, haha. Their “stadium” only holds 3,700 people. For comparison, George Mason’s soccer stadium has a capacity of 5,000.

I believe it is 1-AA football
and Fordham is also a member of that Football conference

 

[Where's the party?]

Not hearing much about adding another school to the A10 lately. Did hear that LaSalle is planning to add baseball back to its program (effectively backfilling the UMass loss from a baseball perspective).

 

[phoenix-arizona]

PAC making some moves. Raided the MWC.

MSN

 

[Verdad]

PAC making some moves. Raided the MWC.

MSN

Hopefully they take Cal and Stanford back from ACC, and maybe SMU too

 

[Patriot8]

Hopefully they take Cal and Stanford back from ACC, and maybe SMU too

While the geography certainly makes sense for Cal and Stanford to go back:

1) They would be voluntarily leaving a Power 4 conference to drop down.
2) Not sure what their agreement looks like with the ACC. Can they get out even if they wanted to?

 

[jessej]

While the geography certainly makes sense for Cal and Stanford to go back:

1) They would be voluntarily leaving a Power 4 conference to drop down.
2) Not sure what their agreement looks like with the ACC. Can they get out even if they wanted to?

Cal, Stanford, and SMU were invited to the ACC as a precaution to prevent the ACC from collapsing in case Florida State and others left

Grant off rights extends into the 30's, which when ended will kickoff another alignment phase and hopefully one with geographic sense

SMU gets no payments from the ACC as their rich alumni have pledges to finance the Athletic Department
Stanford and Cal are not full financial partners and will only get partial shares

 

[GMUgemini]

While the geography certainly makes sense for Cal and Stanford to go back:

1) They would be voluntarily leaving a Power 4 conference to drop down.
2) Not sure what their agreement looks like with the ACC. Can they get out even if they wanted to?

Does the PAC retain its status given they had a two-year grace period?

I’m not sure where else they would look to maintain some kind of geographic sanity, especially since they didn’t take New Mexico, Hawaii or either of the two Nevada schools.

I guess they could take a UTEP or NAU but neither of those schools would be “good gets” to me.

Otherwise they’re shopping east and looking at Memphis or even UMass maybe and that’s just silly talk.

 

[mkaufman1]

Does the PAC retain its status given they had a two-year grace period?

I’m not sure where else they would look to maintain some kind of geographic sanity, especially since they didn’t take New Mexico, Hawaii or either of the two Nevada schools.

I guess they could take a UTEP or NAU but neither of those schools would be “good gets” to me.

Otherwise they’re shopping east and looking at Memphis or even UMass maybe and that’s just silly talk.

UMass joins the MAC in 2025, so they aren't going to the Pac12.

 

[GMUgemini]

UMass joins the MAC in 2025, so they aren't going to the Pac12.

I mean Butler spent 1 season in the A10 and jumped to the Big East.

But no. It’s silly talk to think they’d be looked at. But stranger things have happened. If I’m the PAC commissioner and UMass can give me commitments on football support there are a lot worse schools and markets left over to choose from.

 

[Patriot8]

Does the PAC retain its status given they had a two-year grace period?

I’m not sure where else they would look to maintain some kind of geographic sanity, especially since they didn’t take New Mexico, Hawaii or either of the two Nevada schools.

I guess they could take a UTEP or NAU but neither of those schools would be “good gets” to me.

Otherwise they’re shopping east and looking at Memphis or even UMass maybe and that’s just silly talk.

The PAC lost its autonomous status, so they will be considered a "Group of 6" school. For me, that's a potential roadblock for a Stanford & Cal reunion.

In terms of the remaining MWC schools, I could see UNLV being attractive because of the Vegas market. Don't know if there are political roadblocks with separating them and Nevada. Maybe Utah State? Outside of the conference UTSA is attractive because of San Antonio. There's talk about Memphis and Tulane, but yuck.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

I wonder whom else the PAC will poach. Air Force? UNLV? New Mexico? I would pull 2 of those 3.

 

[Pablo]

Could Memphis join Pac-12 teams in conference realignment? What expansion means for Tigers

Conference realignment is back — and so is the Pac-12. How will it affect Memphis?

www.commercialappeal.com

"The Pac-12 needs to add at least two more schools before 2026 (when the Mountain West teams are joining). There's been plenty of speculation about who they could target, with Memphis coming up consistently.

It makes sense. The Tigers are one of the top Group of Five schools in the country, and any Group of Five (soon to be Group of Six) conference would likely target Memphis. The Pac-12 would have to go after at least one more school, and could look to the AAC — Tulane, UTSA and South Florida are all attractive candidates."

 

[Falco]

college sports suck with out conferences aligning themselves geographically.

 

[Patriot8]

Could Memphis join Pac-12 teams in conference realignment? What expansion means for Tigers

Conference realignment is back — and so is the Pac-12. How will it affect Memphis?

www.commercialappeal.com

"The Pac-12 needs to add at least two more schools before 2026 (when the Mountain West teams are joining). There's been plenty of speculation about who they could target, with Memphis coming up consistently.

It makes sense. The Tigers are one of the top Group of Five schools in the country, and any Group of Five (soon to be Group of Six) conference would likely target Memphis. The Pac-12 would have to go after at least one more school, and could look to the AAC — Tulane, UTSA and South Florida are all attractive candidates."

Really curious to see what the upside would be for Memphis here. They’ve been dying to get into a Power conference for a while and this isn’t accomplishing that.

 

[Pablo]

Pac-12 expansion: Key questions (and answers) after conference kicks off another round of realignment

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State will join the Pac-12 from the Mountain West in 2026

www.cbssports.com

"Why these four schools?​

The factors driving the Pac-12's realignment mirror many of the discussions that have happened in the past. The primary focus for the league is revenue, so finding the biggest and most valuable brands took center stage. By almost every financial metric, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State were top five. The final decisions ultimately came down to Oregon State and Washington State."

"Perhaps the most surprising Mountain West brand left out was UNLV. The Rebels have invested heavily into football and now play at the Raiders' Allegiant Stadium. UNLV coach Barry Odom helped lead the program to a Mountain West Championship Game appearance in 2023, and the Rebels are fresh off a 27-7 win against Houston. But separating in-state programs UNLV and Nevada could be a political complication, according to Yahoo Sports."

"Will the "new" Pac-12 have Power Five status?​

While the new conference will hold the Pac-12 branding, it does not hold all the benefits of the league. The conference lost autonomy status in April, which is a legal signifier of being a power conference. Additionally, the College Football Playoff removed an auto-bid slot for a fifth power-conference champion, creating instead five total slots, one of which will go to a Group of Five team. There's been no inclination that the model will change, though it will be up for discussion before a new CFP contract is signed in 2026.

However, there's no formal definition of Power Five; conferences exist on more of a spectrum. The Big Ten and SEC generate nearly $70 million per school per year in television money alone. The ACC and Big 12 clear $30 million. The AAC is the leader among non-power schools at just under $10 million. The Mountain West was at approximately $3.5 million per school. Pushing closer to the ACC and Big 12 is possible and would at least help make a case.

When will the teams move? How will it be funded?​

The four Mountain West schools will continue to participate in the league through the 2025 season. They will officially enter the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2026.

Buying out one year of football for four schools will cost approximately $113 million, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. The Pac-12 has a "war chest" of $250 million available, which includes NCAA Tournament units and existing contracts. Some of this money could be used to help pay off the fines and exit fees.

What other schools could be targeted?​

Considering the amount of money it will cost for the four schools to get out of the league, the Pac-12 will set its sights high to create an upgraded conference. Top brands in the American Athletic Conference could be targets, including Memphis, Tulane or UTSA. After landing six schools from the West Coast, geography will likely not be a strong driver as the conference attempts to maximize its financial value. However, convincing schools that the Pac-12 will provide a bigger benefit than the AAC will be a challenge. If not, the Pac-12 could circle back to the Mountain West or make pitches to other top Group of Five programs."

 

[Pablo]

How UNLV could be affected as Mountain West member schools leave for the Pac-12

Just months after having 10 of its 12 members leave, the Pac-12 Conference announced that four Mountain West Conference schools will be joining the revamped league.

www.ktnv.com

"All four schools are required to pay a $17 million exit fee.

The Pac-12 will also need to pay another $43 million to the Mountain West for poaching those schools as part of the scheduling agreement between the two conferences that was signed last year."

"UNLV president Keith Whitfield and Athletic Director Erick Harper released a joint statement saying in part:

We know that four members of the Mountain West have announced their intentions to leave the conference in 2026. Our focus remains on doing what is best for our institution, current and future student-athletes, alumni, donors and the greater Las Vegas community. We continue to evaluate all options."

 

[Falco]

How UNLV could be affected as Mountain West member schools leave for the Pac-12

Just months after having 10 of its 12 members leave, the Pac-12 Conference announced that four Mountain West Conference schools will be joining the revamped league.

www.ktnv.com

"All four schools are required to pay a $17 million exit fee.

The Pac-12 will also need to pay another $43 million to the Mountain West for poaching those schools as part of the scheduling agreement between the two conferences that was signed last year."

"UNLV president Keith Whitfield and Athletic Director Erick Harper released a joint statement saying in part:

UNLV just knocked off Kansas