Tag: conference realignment

Why Pac-12 should focus on building college basketball super league

Could the Pac-12 prioritize building a basketball superconference by adding Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and other non-football schools?

Monday was a chaotic day for the Pac-12 conference and its goals of expansion. First, the conference was rebuffed by four top targets in the American Athletic Conference – Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and South Florida – who all decided to band together in the AAC.

Then, reports surfaced that UNLV was planning to do something similar with the Mountain West, instantly pulling five of the Pac-12’s most desired targets off the market.

Soon after it was reported – incorrectly – that the Pac-12 had offered a full share to the Gonzaga Bulldogs as a non-football member and that the offer had been accepted. That was quickly rebuffed, although it does sound like talks between Gonzaga and the Pac-12 will continue.

Finally, after a day of chaos, the Pac-12 extended an invitation to Utah State which was reportedly accepted – although as of this writing no formal announcement from the Pac-12 has been made. Stealing Utah State from the Mountain West could result in the Pac-12 landing UNLV after all, as the Rebels’ deal with the MWC was predicated on the rest of the conference sticking together.

With the dust settling, it’s clear the Pac-12 is left without nearly as many options as commissioner Teresa Gould had hoped. Geography is now the focus for the Pac-12, although the league likely doesn’t want to be made up entirely of former Mountain West schools.

One option the Pac-12 could lean into is building a very strong men’s basketball conference, having already added four schools that made the NCAA Tournament last year in Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and (assuming it’s confirmed) Utah State.

The league can do that by prioritizing non-football programs, like Gonzaga, which most believe won’t cost the Pac-12 as much money to build. The conference needs at least one more football team to reach FBS eligibility, and there are plenty of good basketball programs with football that make sense for the Pac-12 to target – especially if they are willing to keep tapping into the Mountain West.

Non-Football Schools

Gonzaga is the obvious option here, the biggest college brand in the country that doesn’t have football attached to it. Located in Spokane, about 75 miles from Pullman where Washington State resides, Gonzaga is a geographic fit and immediately adds a perennial national championship contender to the Pac-12 in men’s basketball, where the Zags have made eight straight Sweet 16 appearances and two national championships dating back to 2016.

Adding Gonzaga’s longtime rival in the WCC, Saint Mary’s, makes sense as well. Although the Gaels are a far smaller school, with less resources, the men’s basketball program has consistently been one of the better mid-major programs in all of college basketball under Randy Bennett for 20 years.

The Zags and Gaels alone would be a big boost to the Pac-12’s basketball competitiveness, but the league doesn’t have to stop there. Grand Canyon is set to join the WCC in 2025-26, and as one of the premier basketball programs on the west coast, the ‘Lopes would make a quality non-football addition to the Pac-12 alongside Gonzaga and SMC. Grand Canyon is likely a lot less interested in the WCC without those two teams, and while GCU is a for profit institution which bothers some folks, there is little doubt the facilities, resources, and fanbase is at a level worthy of inclusion in the Pac-12.

Lastly, while the geography is less than ideal, the Pac-12 could make an offer to Wichita State out of the American. The Shockers aren’t a great fit in the AAC without football, and would very likely jump at the opportunity to join a basketball league with Gonzaga, San Diego State, Grand Canyon, St. Mary’s, and others.

Football Schools

Despite getting raided by the Pac-12 already, the Mountain West still has two programs who made the NCAA Tournament last year in Nevada and New Mexico.

Nevada is not a top target for the Pac-12, although in a scenario where the league is prioritizing basketball it could make sense if they thought they could bring both Nevada and UNLV into the league.

New Mexico is the other successful men’s basketball program in the Mountain West, although like Nevada the football side of things would serve only to bring the competitiveness of the league down.

Verdict

A 14-team league with 10 football programs may not be exactly what the Pac-12 was hoping for, especially with those 10 football teams all coming from the Mountain West outside of Oregon State and Washington State, but the league would still be an above average football conference while boasting a formidable lineup of men’s basketball programs on par with some of the strongest conferences in the sport.

This 14-team basketball league features 10 teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, Utah State, Grand Canyon, Boise State, Colorado State, Washington State, New Mexico, and Nevada, while UNLV won 20+ games as well.

Is it a perfect solution for the Pac-12? No, but it gives them a niche in the second biggest revenue generating sport in the country while also putting together a decently competitive – albeit unexciting – football league as well.

South Florida to the Pac-12? It sounds crazy, but it might work

South Florida in the Pac-12? It sounds crazy, but there’s a lot of reasons it could work great for both sides.

The Pac-12 is working on rebuilding after 10 of the 12 member institutions bolted to greener pastures in the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC, leaving just Oregon State and Washington State behind. Those two programs are now joined by four former Mountain West schools, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State, starting in 2026.

The Pac-12 still needs at least two more schools to be FBS eligible, and recent rumors indicate the conference is zeroing in on Memphis and Tulane out of the American as its top targets. The conference may consider adding more than just two teams from the AAC, and one target that should be on the radar is the South Florida Bulls.

Yes, South Florida is pretty darn far from Corvallis, and Pullman, and San Diego, and Boise, and you get the idea, but that sure doesn’t seem to be an insurmountable hurdle in the modern era.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is no longer comprised solely of teams located on or even near the Atlantic Coast, the Big 12 is actually the Big 18, and the Big Ten is also the Big 18 – so why can’t the Pac-12 have members from coast to coast?

The Pros

South Florida is opening a new on-campus football arena in 2027, giving the program its own home after sharing Raymond James Stadium with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The new arena will bring added excitement to the football program, and timing it one year after a potential move to a power conference would work out nicely for both South Florida and the Pac-12.

Media market impact is a critical piece of any team’s membership candidacy, and USF being located in Tampa is a huge selling point for the program. Tampa is the 13th largest media market in America, making it a larger TV hotspot than Memphis, San Antonio, or New Orleans – the media markets for three of the Pac-12’s primary targets: Memphis, UTSA, and Tulane.

Additionally, South Florida is a huge school with around 40,000 students on campus in Tampa and an alumni base of nearly 400,000. USF is a sleeping giant, with a huge media market waiting to be tapped into, an engaged student body, and now a state-of-the-art football facility set to open in less than three years. The time to strike is now – this team won’t be sitting at the non power level for much longer.

The Cons

Simply put, USF hasn’t demonstrated consistent success in the two crucial revenue generating sports: football and men’s basketball. The team is 2-1 this year under coach Alex Golesh, with the only loss coming to Alabama.

The Bulls did go 7-6 and won the Boca Raton Bowl in 2023, put prior to that they endured a nightmare three year tenure under coach Jeff Scott – going 4-29 and a pitiful 1-22 in AAC play.

Over 11 seasons in the American, South Florida won eight or more games three times…and two or less games four times. It’s been an inconsistent ride for USF football, and while a new stadium and a move to the Pac-12 likely helps the program afford more talent, there’s still a risk here.

Men’s basketball is a similar story. The program’s decision to hire Amir Abdur-Rahim paid off wonderfully in year one when he led the Bulls to a spectacular 25-8 season, including 16-2 in conference play, although they failed to make the NCAA Tournament despite spending one week ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll.

Prior to Abdur-Rahim’s arrival, however, the Bulls had never posted a winning record in the AAC. You have to go back to 2011-12, when USF was in the Big East, to find a winning record in league play. That year was also the last time South Florida made the NCAA Tournament, as a 12 seed.

The inconsistent performances in football and men’s basketball are not the biggest hurdle for South Florida though – that would be simple geography.

If the Pac-12 does snag Memphis and Tulane, South Florida becomes a more palatable addition. Even still, would the conference want another team to come along with them to provide another east coast footprint? Teams like Florida Atlantic, UAB, Charlotte, and East Carolina could be targets if the conference wants to create a “Pac-12 East” division, but adding South Florida and stranding them on an island seems like a challenge the conference may not want to deal with.

Verdict

South Florida is a sleeping giant. A new football facility in 2027, a massive student and alumni population, and new coaches who have already succeeded in turning around the football and men’s basketball programs have this school on the rise, and if the Pac-12 doesn’t make a move it’s likely someone else (ACC or Big 12) will.

Of course, Tampa is very very far away from every other school currently in the Pac-12, and even with the possible additions of Memphis and Tulane it’s a tough ask to be flying all the way there in all sports.

That could be rectified if the Pac-12 added more programs from the area, although that itself comes with challenges which ultimately makes this a high risk, high reward addition the Pac-12 should consider.

Why Tulane should be among top targets for Pac-12 expansion

Tulane would give the Pac-12 a footprint in New Orleans and serves as an obvious travel partner with Memphis.

The Pac-12 conference went from two programs to six last week with the announcement that Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State are leaving the Mountain West to join Oregon State and Washington State starting in 2026.

That puts the Pac-12 75% of the way to forming an FBS conference, where a minimum of eight is needed. Rumors have been swirling since the moment the announcement was made, including discussion on whether Cal and Stanford could come back after joining the ACC, if the Pac-12 would consider non-football schools like Gonzaga, and if there are other Mountain West schools – namely UNLV – that could be targeted next.

Perhaps the most notable programs discussed for continued Pac-12 expansion come from the American conference, with both Memphis and Tulane cited as targets for the Pac-12 by longtime beat reporter John Canzano.

Memphis was one of the first programs we analyzed as a candidate for the new look Pac-12, and today we take a look at the Tulane Green Wave – who make a logical travel partner with Memphis if paired together.

The Pros

Big Willie Fritz put this program on the map with a stellar run as head coach from 2015-2023, with Tulane going 54-47 in that stretch and 3-1 in bowl games, including a Cotton Bowl victory after an outstanding 2022 season.

Tulane struggled when they initially got into the American conference, but went 15-1 combined in 2022 and 2023. New coach Jon Sumrall has big shoes to fill to keep this program among the top shelf teams in the conference, but if he’s able to do so the Green Wave will remain one of the top Group of Five teams in the country – and an ideal pickup for the Pac-12.

Tulane is also located in the heart of New Orleans, the 50th largest media market in the country and a city filled with passionate football fans thanks to the success of the Saints at the NFL level.

Adding a footprint in that kind of media market is a big win for the Pac-12, and pairing them with Memphis makes sense for both programs as well.

The Cons

Tulane has a smaller student population than the schools currently in the Pac-12, as well as other programs being targeted, with a student body of roughly 14,500 – about half the enrollment at Colorado State and Fresno State and well below enrollment numbers at UTSA and Memphis.

Plus, as previously mentioned, Tulane’s football success is relatively recent. The Green Wave appeared in just two bowl games between 1999 and 2018, a Hawaii Bowl victory in 2002 in an 8-5 season and a loss in the New Orleans Bowl in 2013 coming off a 7-6 year. It’s too early to know if coach Sumrall is going to build on the momentum started by Fritz or not, and for the Pac-12 adding this program and hoping they don’t backslide is a bit of a risk.

Additionally, Tulane adds very little to the other revenue generating sport – men’s basketball. The Green Wave have not made the NCAA Tournament since 1995, and they are the 162nd ranked program in college basketball dating back to 1997 when Ken Pomeroy’s data begins.

Tulane went 5-13 in conference play last year, finishing 136th at KenPom, although they did win 20 games the previous season. Still, this is not a team that would move the needle in men’s basketball – which could give conference leadership some pause.

The league already added a marquee basketball brand in San Diego State, and if they are considering bringing in Memphis or even non-football schools like Gonzaga or St. Mary’s, a school like Tulane would be an outlier.

Verdict

New Orleans is an appealing media market for the Pac-12, and Tulane makes an obvious travel partner with Memphis. However, the program’s lack of long term success on the gridiron, and complete inability to compete in basketball, could make Tulane a risky addition for the conference.

Plus, while New Orleans is a nice market, getting a footprint in Texas should be the Pac-12’s top priority – which could make someone like UTSA or even Rice a more appealing option.

Where does Mountain West turn after losing four programs to Pac-12?

The Mountain West is down to seven schools, how might they proceed after the Pac-12 poached four major brands?

Overnight the Mountain West conference went from 11 schools to just seven, with the Pac-12 swooping in and stealing Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State starting in 2026.

The four additions give the Pac-12 six total schools, with two more required to reach the NCAA minimum. The Pac-12 has plenty of options to finalize their lineup of teams, which could include coming back to the Mountain West to try and land UNLV and Nevada.

Whether that happens or not, the Mountain West now has work to do to ensure it remains a viable – and strong – athletic conference moving forward.

Unfortunately, as long as the Pac-12 is publicly known to be hunting for new teams, convincing marquee programs to join the Mountain West will be tricky.

Still, there are quite a few teams out there that make sense for the Mountain West to pursue, and we have broken them up into three distinct categories:

American Athletic Conference

The Mountain West will no doubt look at programs in the American Athletic Conference, although those teams will almost certainly wait and see if the Pac-12 will come calling first. Memphis feels like a strong candidate to get a call from the new-look Pac-12, and even if they don’t the Tigers may opt to stay where they are and wait to see if a power conference – perhaps the Big 12 – will scoop them up in the next round of realignment.

Tulane and Tulsa are also expected to be on the Pac-12’s radar, but if neither of them gets an invite the Mountain West should make a strong push to bring them on board. Tulsa would give the conference a footprint in Oklahoma, while Tulane would give them a big media market in New Orleans.

However, Texas is arguably the most important state for any conference to have inroads, especially a football-focused league like the Mountain West, which makes UTSA, Rice, and North Texas all appealing options.

UAB is a bit of a wildcard option here, but Birmingham is a big market and the Blazers have had success recently – although they’d be on a bit of an island geographically unless they join alongside Tulsa or Memphis.

Conference USA

If the state of Texas is the priority, both UTEP and Sam Houston make a ton of sense for the Mountain West. UTEP has been in Conference USA since 2005, although the Miners have struggled to sustain success with just one season over .500 in conference play since 2006.

Sam Houston is much newer to the FCS level, having gone 3-9 in 2023 and off to a 1-1 start so far in 2024. They’d be a bit of a gamble addition, but one that could pay off handsomely if the team can grow over in Huntsville.

Additionally, despite a disastrous couple of years for New Mexico State in football and men’s basketball, the Aggies are a logical target for the Mountain West so they can pair them with New Mexico for a local in-state rivalry.

FBS Programs

FBS additions are probably a last resort for the Mountain West, but if North Dakota State and South Dakota State are interested and available this would be well worth looking into.

The likely outcome here would be bringing the two programs in as football-only members, which is a seamless transition since they are currently football-only in the Missouri Valley and in the Summit League for everything else.

A few other FBS programs that could be targeted for the Mountain West include a trio of teams in the Big Sky Conference: Eastern Washington, Montana State, and Northern Arizona.

The next round of realignment is contingent on how the Pac-12 approaches finalizing their conference, the Mountain West appears likely to be in the driver’s seat for some decent programs in desirable media markets – which will help ease the sting of losing four of the biggest brands the league has ever had.

Big 12 dangled the carrot for UConn, just like they did with Gonzaga

The Big 12 paused conference expansion talk with UConn, just like they did one year ago with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The UConn Huskies and Big 12 mutually agreed to pause conversations about having the back-to-back men’s basketball national champions join the conference, according to a press release from commissioner Brett Yormark.

As commissioner, it is my responsibility to explore a variety of value-creating opportunities on behalf of the Big 12. Following detailed discussions with my conference colleagues alongside UConn leadership, we have jointly decided to pause our conversations at this time. We will instead focus our attention and resources to ushering in this new era of college athletics.

UConn athletic director David Benedict released a statement as well, seeming to contradict the idea that the decision was mutual:

“Undoubtedly, many of you have followed recent media reports about the Big 12’s renewed interest in UConn as a conference member. It is always our objective to put UConn in the very best position for future success, so we did engage in exploratory dialogue with the Big 12. Ultimately, the Big 12 determined that it will pause on conversations about membership expansion.”

If this story looks familiar, it is because the sequence of events is eerily similar to what happened almost exactly one year ago between the Big 12 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs out of the WCC.

Gonzaga and the Big 12 engaged in conversation, Yormark publicly made it clear he believes Gonzaga is a value add to the conference, the talks seemed to progress quickly, and then ultimately fell apart with enough backlash from voting parties who wanted to first focus on integrating the eight new programs added over the past two years before adding again.

Does this mean the Big 12 will never accept UConn, or Gonzaga? Not necessarily, but there are enough dissenters within the conference presidents and athletic directors to keep this from happening in the short term.

Yormark tried and failed to make Gonzaga a member in 2023, getting feedback that the timing was too soon, and tried again a year later hoping an even bigger brand – in a more appealing market coming off back-to-back national titles and with a football program, albeit a bad one – would generate the necessary votes to expand.

No go once again, and now the wait continues for both the Zags and Huskies.

UConn in talks with Big 12 in latest conference realignment rumors

The Big 12 is looking once again to expand, targeting the back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies for conference realignment.

Things appear to be heating up between the back-to-back national champions in College Basketball and the Big 12 Conference.  Friday, the UConn Huskies and the Big 12 were in talks about possible membership.

While the agreement would be for all sports, the big news would come in men’s and women’s basketball, where the Huskies have been the class of college basketball for a long time.

The talks were between UConn athletic director David Benedict and Big 12 athletic directors. While no agreement has been made, and no details on the talks have been disclosed, one high-ranking Big 12 official had this to say:

I think the word is ‘premature’. There’s a far distance between conversations and anything that would happen. The presidents haven’t seen the case yet.

The initial talks say the move for football would not start until the 2031 season. This would give the program an opportunity to “catch up” when it comes to terms with other Big 12 schools, and through NIL.

The Huskies have a strong presence in the New York City area and most of the East Coast. This would give the Big 12 its first real presence on the East Coast. Currently, the Big 12 has 16 teams with Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joining this season.

Stay tuned. If this story is anything like other conference mergers, this could move quickly, and next thing you know the Huskies and Jayhawks are battling it out on the court twice a season!

What are the Oklahoma Sooners chances to make the College Football Playoff?

The Sooners enter a whole new world in 2024, but can they make the expanded College Football Playoff?

The Oklahoma Sooners are less than a month away from opening the 2024 season against the Temple Owls on August 30. Fall camp is underway as OU readies for Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era.

College football looks a lot different than it did just twelve months ago, and the Sooners are right in the middle of all the changes. [autotag]Conference realignment[/autotag] has shaken up the sport, and one of the most notable moves is Oklahoma leaving the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to join the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. The [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] has expanded from four teams from 2014 to 2023 to twelve teams for 2024 and 2025. [autotag]NIL[/autotag] and the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] continue to be shifting sands of the sport as well.

With all of the changes coming to college football in 2024, ESPN released their list of thirty teams they believe can reach the Playoff this season (ESPN+). The list was based off of ESPN analytics from the Football Power Index (FPI). 30 teams were given at least a 10 percent chance to make the [autotag]CFP[/autotag], according to ESPN’s calculations.

Here’s what college football analyst Heather Dinich, who wrote the article, had to say about the new possibilities in the Playoff.

“This is what the 12-team College Football Playoff is all about. Inclusion. Interest. A field so deep you need waders,” Dinich said. “Of course, there will be the familiar faces, as the SEC and [autotag]Big Ten[/autotag] have combined to win eight of the first 10 playoff titles, and that trend is expected to continue. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, 12 of the top 15 teams are from those two leagues. The Allstate Playoff Predictor gives the SEC a 53% chance to win the national title and the Big Ten a 32% chance. They’re in good company, though. There are 30 teams — 30 teams! — with at least a 10% chance to make the CFP this year, according to ESPN Analytics. The CFP selection committee comprises 13 humans, though, who don’t always agree with the computers.”

Oklahoma made the list, and according to the numbers, the Sooners have a 36.6 percent chance to make the playoff. That number ranks No. 10 in the country. The percentage for OU to not only get in, but make a run through the playoff, and win a national title is 2.8 percent.

Half of the top 10 teams on the list are in the SEC. The Allstate Playoff Predictor gives the SEC a 53 percent chance for one of their teams to win it all.

Again, these numbers are based on the Football Power Index. That same FPI has predicted that the Sooners will go 8-4 in their first season in the SEC with a 5.1 percent chance at winning the conference. However, that model also has the Sooners as the eighth-best team in the country with a 17.2 FPI rating.

The road will be tough in the SEC but the Sooners won’t take a backseat to anyone. They relish the challenge of football’s strongest conference. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has spent two and a half years preparing the program for this moment and for the ones to come. We’re a few weeks away from seeing if the Sooners are “SEC-ready” or not.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Steve Spurrier thinks Clemson and Florida State ‘belong’ in SEC

Steve Spurrier gave his endorsement to Clemson and Florida State joining the SEC on Tuesday should both schools leave the ACC.

Legendary college football coach Steve Spurrier had many sparring matches and one-liners at the expense of both Florida State and Clemson when he was head coach at Florida and South Carolina.

But the Head Ball Coach was all business when he said this week that he believes both Clemson and Florida State belong in the SEC — if the schools are presented with the opportunity to join.

Spurrier made the remarks to host Ali Peek Wilbur on the A Peak Inside Florida Gators Football podcast Tuesday.

“I think FSU definitely belongs in the SEC, but Clemson sort of belongs there also,” Spurrier said. “I don’t know if the SEC wants to go to 18 teams … Maybe the Big Ten would like to have them. Who knows? It is what it is. I think you just go one year at a time and then after that, see where you’re at and go from there.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been consistent in maintaining that his league is happy at 16 schools after extending invitations to Texas and Oklahoma back in 2021, setting off a seismic way of conference realignment that’s likely far from over. The Longhorns and Sooners officially joined the SEC on July 1.

That’s not to say that Sankey, arguably the most powerful figure in college sports, wouldn’t be open to Florida State and Clemson (or North Carolina) joining the SEC if those schools are able to leave the ACC. Clemson and Florida State are currently in separate court battles to challenge the ACC’s Grant of Rights, which (as of now) binds both schools to the league through 2036.

Despite maintaining that he’s “focused on our 16” teams at SEC Media Days in Dallas last week, Sankey didn’t completely shut the door on further expansion, saying, “We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”

In the meantime, Spurrier referenced Florida State’s undefeated regular season and ACC championship last year as a reason for why he believes the Seminoles would do “very well” in the SEC.

“And I think Clemson would do pretty well,” Spurrier added. “They would do better in the ACC as far as winning conference championships. But they want to play in the big-time, and I think within maybe 2-3 years, they will be in a different conference.”

Whether that’s the SEC is a separate question, but the league would be the best fit for both Florida State and Clemson in terms of geographic proximity and other factors — namely their status as the most dominant football programs in the ACC. Whatever the case, Sankey holds the power to make those decisions.

If Sankey sticks to his proverbial guns at 16 teams, the SEC will still be the premier conference in college football.

And if he doesn’t? Sankey could always throw out the classic line used by legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum: “Yesterday I was lying. Today I’m telling the truth.”

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary. 

David Pollack called this ACC school the perfect Big Ten expansion candidate

David Pollack named which ACC school he feels would be the perfect addition for the Big Ten.

The Big Ten officially expanded its membership to 18 members this summer with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington from the fallout of the Pac-12’s implosion, but the rumor mill never slows down when it comes to possible future expansion. The Big Ten appears to be publicly settled on its current 18-team membership, but the door will always remain open for more moves if the opportunity arises. The ACC is in the spotlight as a potential conference on the verge of seeing schools leave for greener pastures.

Florida State and Clemson have ignited the ACC chaos with legal battles in court over the conference’s grant of rights, and other schools around the conference are monitoring the situation closely. North Carolina has been one of the big names on the radar and college football analyst David Pollack feels the Tar Heels would be a natural addition for the Big Ten.

“I’ll throw a couple of other teams at you, too. North Carolina has value; that’s a perfect Big Ten team,” Pollack said in an interview on Outkick recently. “North Carolina, I could see in the Big Ten. North Carolina and Virginia, those two teams to me end up in the Big Ten.”

A pairing of North Carolina and Virginia would make sense for the Big Ten given the academic reputation of both schools, but the UNC brand would be the real heavy hitter in that combo. North Carolina has the biggest national brand appeal in any potential realignment changes moving forward outside of Notre Dame. Any addition that involves North Carolina would likely pair nicely with the Big Ten’s previous addition from the ACC, Maryland. Virginia would bridge the gap between Maryland and North Carolina on the map as well.

Another school from the ACC to keep an eye on is Miami, a school that reportedly would make a big push for a Big Ten invite if the door to leave the ACC cracks open.

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ACC Football Kickoff to play out with teams wanting in the Big Ten

The ACC football media days will once again be clouded in uncertainty as the Big Ten stands by and monitors the situation.

As the Big Ten begins its annual football media day event this week in Indianapolis, the ACC will be holding its mid-summer ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina at the same time. While the Big Ten welcomes four members from the Pac-12 as new conference members this season, the ACC will be welcoming in two new members from the West Coast with Cal and Stanford. The ACC will also be going through its media day frenzy under what seems to be a cloud of constant uncertainty as multiple members in the conference have not hidden from a desire to break free of the conference’s grant of rights and potentially land in a new conference home. Of course, the riches that come with being a Big Ten member are enough to entice a few ACC schools to pursue membership in the conference.

Florida State and Clemson are the two headliners that continue to push the issue with the ACC. Both schools have taken legal steps to challenge the ACC grant of rights in hopes of creating an exit that isn’t a massive financial burden. For now, the Big Ten reportedly is not looking to add Florida State.

“[Big Ten commissioner] Tony [Petitti] is staying away from expansion, and we’re taking Tony’s lead,” a source reportedly said to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. Of course, that came with a bit of a disclaimer alluding to mass chaos in the ACC on a level similar to the downfall of the Pac-12.

“There is no appetite among the presidents unless there is some catastrophic development with the ACC and it forces [the Big Ten] into a decision,” McMurphy quoted the same anonymous source as saying.

The SEC is reportedly in the same boat as the Big Ten when it comes to adding Florida State and Clemson. In the SEC’s case, the conference already has a firm foot in each of those schools’ home states with Florida and South Carolina. Of course, the SEC did just add Texas despite already having Texas A&M. But Florida State and Clemson aren’t on the same level overall as the Longhorns.

[lawrence-related id=46240]

The long-time rumors of the Big 12 being the most likely destination for Florida State and Clemson may continue to linger until it becomes a reality. We have been seeing those rumors for well over a decade now, so it may be time to just get the move done.

Florida State and Clemson appear to be a bit of a package deal one way or the other, but there are other schools that could be potential targets for the Big Ten if the ACC comes crashing down. North Carolina is believed to be the bigger fish in the pond if the Big Ten chooses to go fishing. North Carolina would fit in with the Big Ten and the SEC, and the Tar Heels would be an attractive candidate for each.

Miami has become a rising candidate in the rumor mill, and it is being reported the Hurricanes would make a push to join the Big Ten, Miami would make sense for the Big Ten as it would help get the Big Ten a footprint in Florida, and the school is a member of the AAU. And it may not take much to convince Miami to leave the ACC. Miami seems to be the school watching the action around them and waiting to pounce on their opportunity to leave.

Miami and North Carolina as a pair of new Big Ten programs would seemingly be a great move for the expanding Big Ten. If the ACC does crack, adding Cal and Stanford to the mix is not far-fetched given the Big Ten’s new standing on the West Coast. Throw Virginia and Georgia Tech on the radar as well just in case, but Big Ten fans should clearly be paying close attention to the rumblings surrounding the ACC for the foreseeable future. It may not implode quite like the Pac-12, but the ACC is the conference on the shakiest of grounds right now.

The ACC Football Kickoff and Big Ten media days are scheduled for Tuesday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25.

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