{"id":78623,"date":"2023-08-04T00:51:32","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T00:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/articles.runyourpool.com\/?p=78623"},"modified":"2023-08-04T00:51:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T00:51:44","slug":"conference-realigment-what-happens-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Summertime in college athletics. Campuses are empty, rumors aplenty, and the musical chairs of conference realignment is in mid-heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For all the changes college sports have undergone in recent times, conference realignment remains the most regular disturbance to daily life. The transfer portal works in many ways, apparently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colorado is the latest domino to fall. The Buffaloes are<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/colorado-pac12-big12-realignment-2544098240ffaa73309fc3a73ff6cff6\"> moseying back to the Big 12<\/a> after 12 years of West Coast flirtation, putting the Pac-Whatever and its totally-not-panicked outstanding members in an even worse position than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rAoX9qMtAY4\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This won\u2019t be the end. Those outside of the SEC and Big Ten will vie for invites, those a rung below will pray for entrance to the Big 12, and G5 schools will scratch and crawl to climb whatever ladder they can. That\u2019s the modern paradigm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what\u2019s next? We know we\u2019re not at the end. Far from it, as the end will never come. The Big 12 will now have 13 members with Colorado and without Texas and Oklahoma, a strange number<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/college\/cfb-hq\/ncaa-football\/college-football-expansion-big-12-wants-to-add-1-team-report\"> that probably won\u2019t last long<\/a>. The SEC and Big Ten broke the seal on 16, and the Big 12 has shown a willingness to be aggressive in recent years. It\u2019s not outlandish for the conference to collect three more to reach that bar. Then comes the ramifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are some major players with uncertain futures right now. Some schools seem to have joint fates, but we know it\u2019s ultimately every university for itself. Let\u2019s entertain the existential dread of several fan bases, shall we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens Next in Conference Realignment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big 12 + 4 = 16<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pac-12 is in a terrible position right now. The conference still doesn\u2019t have a TV contract beyond this season, it lost three members in two years, and it\u2019s currently undergoing<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2023\/06\/08\/struggling-to-follow-the-pac-12s-various-legal-affairs-heres-a-handy-guide-to-six-important-issues\/\"> a litany of legal challenges<\/a>. If there were ever a time to deliver a death blow, it would be now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The addition of Colorado shows the Big 12 knows. The league staying put at 13 would be odd; there\u2019s little chance it isn\u2019t courting at least one more convert. No SEC or Big Ten school is jumping ship. The most valuable ACC schools have their eyes on the prize of the SEC or Big Ten, while the less valuable ACC schools probably won\u2019t be the ones to go first considering they greatly benefit from the conference sticking together. This leaves the disheveled husk of the Pac-12 for the Big 12 to pick through. And look at how convenient: Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are all located right at the Big 12\u2019s door!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4lKEyhURyDA?start=210\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These aren\u2019t the only reported contenders. Connecticut and Gonzaga have also come up plenty, with the Zags as a basketball-only member in this theoretical future. The Huskies heading to the Big 12 might sound outlandish on its face, but the league\u2019s tactics for the future are through basketball, international appeal, and becoming a national conference \u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/big-12-conference-basketball-mexico-a8e2366d11224e05db865eeb35116265\"> holding hoops contests in Mexico<\/a> is one indicator of that. Of course, football is important, too, but the league understands its position relative to the SEC and Big Ten. If you can\u2019t beat \u2018em, do something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re going to consider all options,\u201d Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/gonzaga\/basketball\/big-12-discusses-potentially-adding-gonzaga-uconn-at-league-meetings\"> told reporters in June<\/a>. \u201cWe do see the upside in basketball for all the right reasons. We think it\u2019s undervalued and there is a chance for us to double down as the No. 1 basketball conference in America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/2023\/07\/28\/sources-big-12-determined-to-add-another-school-quickly\">According to Pat Forde and Richard Johnson of <em>Sports Illustrated<\/em><\/a>, the Big 12 is eager to gobble up one of Arizona, Arizona State, or Utah immediately as soon as they get an answer from one of them. The Wildcats check the Big 12\u2019s boxes the best of the three easternmost Pac-12 schools left, and the rumors around them have been heavier than the rest. Zona\u2019s who I see as the next Big 12 devotee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The league may feel full at 14, but even if so, it\u2019ll be equally insatiable in a year or two. This is an arms race, and those are notoriously unsatisfying. The Pac-12 is in complete shambles \u2013 after Colorado said goodbye, the league announced it would look into expansion after signing a media rights deal, a puzzling order of operations that I can\u2019t help explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Statement from the Pac-12 Conference: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/up5hjSD1ek\">pic.twitter.com\/up5hjSD1ek<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pac12\/status\/1684740924537233408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s not much for current Pac-12 members to cling to for a brighter future. When the arm is extended to Utah and Arizona State, they will grab hold.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/sports\/college\/pac-12\/2023\/08\/01\/big-12-expansion-arizona-state-sun-devils-pac-12-candidate\/70506799007\/\"> They could fumble<\/a> and let someone else have the lifeline, because they\u2019ve been more pro-Pac than others. But for the sake of my exercise, I\u2019m assuming the Utes and Sun Devils make the sensible decision and ditch the sinking ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Great Pac Partition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you hear that? That\u2019s the Pac-12 not-quickly-enough ushering in dump trucks from the landfill to pad its numbers to pretend it isn\u2019t already alive in name only. But hey, being a shell of your former self yet still operating beats ceasing to exist at all, so here come the monotonic beeps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s recap who the conference is left with sans the Four Corner schools: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, and Cal. A six-team conference simply won\u2019t cut it in modern college athletics. So, the Pac-12 must add.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We know San Diego State and SMU are targets. In fact, the Aztecs<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/college\/cfb-hq\/ncaa-football\/college-football-expansion-realignment-san-diego-state-mountain-west-decision\"> went through a bizarre and embarrassing saga<\/a> this summer thanks to a combination of their itch to join the Pac-12 and the Pac-12\u2019s inability to do anything right. The Mountain West would be the primary point of feasting for the Pac-12, but since the June 30 deadline passed, the exit fee for a school to depart the MWC has doubled to $34 million. Way to be proactive, Pac-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What the existence of the Pac-12 hinges on further, though, is the Big Ten\u2019s interest in Oregon and Washington. Both were reportedly on the league\u2019s list for new additions, but the Big Ten soured at the prospect of exceeding 16. But of course, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/story\/_\/id\/38123037\/big-ten-explores-possible-expansion-amid-pac-12-instability\">that didn\u2019t last long<\/a> \u2013 again, it\u2019s an arms race \u2013 and the Ducks and Huskies being an even easier add than before seems to have charted a new course. Perhaps the Big Ten attaches a higher value to targets presently residing in the ACC; given its current hand, the Big Ten can afford to hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s no limit to the size a conference can reach, and I expect these leagues to test those limits anyway. There are a lot of reasons why Oregon and Washington make sense in the Big Ten, and the ACC fish can be fried when the time comes, too. The Big Ten could likely convince the desperate Ducks and Huskies to sign a favorable deal while firmly cementing its grasp on the Pacific Coast, which appears to be part of what has altered the league\u2019s view on the idea. The conference is even reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/2023\/08\/02\/big-ten-expansion-oregon-washington-pac-12-cal-stanford\">looking at Stanford and Cal<\/a>, two comparatively smaller gets, another ax swing into the Pac-12\u2019s fragile foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pac-12 will try to backfill first, albeit lackadaisical, but it won\u2019t matter to Oregon, Washington, or anyone else. Nobody the league adds will make it a better option than the Big Ten; the same goes for the Big 12 or ACC if the Big Ten truly turned up its nose. There\u2019s no way to stop the bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the Big Ten doesn\u2019t work out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college\/2023\/08\/02\/big-ten-expansion-oregon-washington-pac-12-cal-stanford\">like the league\u2019s media partners reportedly prefer<\/a>, Stanford could go independent. Its academic stature and Bay Area location mean it can survive and maybe even succeed athletically without a conference. That would be better than joining the Mountain West or going through the hassle of adding a bunch of Mountain West teams to the Pac-12. It\u2019s possible that Cal could try the same, though the Golden Bears would find life in the Mountain West more suitable than their local rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mountain West would welcome Oregon State and Washington State in a heartbeat. The only other avenue for the Beavers and Cougars would be the AAC, but geography and fit make the MWC the more amenable move. Considering two or three Pac-12 schools would be joining and no one else would want the Pac-Whatever name at this point, the Mountain West could rebrand as the Pac-14 or Pac-15 and pretend nothing happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Great Pac Partition will spread its former congregants among three conferences and independence. The transformed Pac-15 will feature marquee matchups such as Hawaii-Wyoming and Air Force-New Mexico. The Big Ten will stretch from Los Angeles to Seattle to Piscataway. The Big 12 will have Arizona travel to Florida for a conference game. You\u2019ll get nothing and like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FuNJq_wI1ns\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or, the Big Ten won\u2019t want Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12 leftovers will absorb what of the Mountain West they find redeemable (Boise State and UNLV, come on down, you\u2019re the next contestants the league can let down!), limp through whatever meager short-term future it has in that form, and the MWC will have a backfill job big enough for FCS schools to lick their lips. North Dakota State, anyone? Spin the wheel!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":78624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[797,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-ncaa-college-football"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Poolside Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RunYourPool\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matt Krol\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@RunYourPool_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@RunYourPool_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matt Krol\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Matt Krol\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a4fba0717d58ecf45134055a9d801dc3\"},\"headline\":\"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1534,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04005024\\\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Editorial\",\"NCAAF\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/\",\"name\":\"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04005024\\\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04005024\\\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04005024\\\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"AP Photo\\\/Ralph Freso, File\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/04\\\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Poolside Post\",\"description\":\"The Latest in Sports News from RunYourPool.com\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Poolside Post\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/s3.amazonaws.com\\\/assets.articles.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/08164027\\\/RYP_TPSP_Doodle.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/s3.amazonaws.com\\\/assets.articles.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/08164027\\\/RYP_TPSP_Doodle.png\",\"width\":1173,\"height\":519,\"caption\":\"The Poolside Post\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/RunYourPool\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/RunYourPool_\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a4fba0717d58ecf45134055a9d801dc3\",\"name\":\"Matt Krol\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Matt Krol\"},\"description\":\"Matt is the Social Media Manager at RYP and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts. He has experience managing social media accounts with agencies, small brands, and large companies. He\u2019s a diehard New England sports fanatic, and if he\u2019s not watching the Celtics, he can be found roaming around Boston discovering all that the city has to offer.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/mattkrol\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.runyourpool.com\\\/articles\\\/author\\\/mkrolbetterpool-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post","description":"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post","og_description":"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/","og_site_name":"The Poolside Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RunYourPool\/","article_published_time":"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Matt Krol","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@RunYourPool_","twitter_site":"@RunYourPool_","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matt Krol","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/"},"author":{"name":"Matt Krol","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/a4fba0717d58ecf45134055a9d801dc3"},"headline":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next?","datePublished":"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/"},"wordCount":1534,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg","articleSection":["Editorial","NCAAF"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/","url":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/","name":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next? | The Poolside Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-04T00:51:32+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-04T00:51:44+00:00","description":"The Pac-12 is on the brink of collapse. What does that mean for the remaining teams and the rest of the Power 5 conferences?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog-assets.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/04005024\/Conference_Realignment_Football_23208693986637.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"caption":"AP Photo\/Ralph Freso, File"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/08\/04\/conference-realigment-what-happens-next\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Conference Realignment: What Happens Next?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/","name":"The Poolside Post","description":"The Latest in Sports News from RunYourPool.com","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#organization","name":"The Poolside Post","url":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/assets.articles.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/08164027\/RYP_TPSP_Doodle.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/assets.articles.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/08164027\/RYP_TPSP_Doodle.png","width":1173,"height":519,"caption":"The Poolside Post"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RunYourPool\/","https:\/\/x.com\/RunYourPool_"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/a4fba0717d58ecf45134055a9d801dc3","name":"Matt Krol","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/47f215ec0b5de35c8a1c089d0b8d95a2edf6b2b2d7f61ede8352b705a4c44d3b?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Matt Krol"},"description":"Matt is the Social Media Manager at RYP and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts. He has experience managing social media accounts with agencies, small brands, and large companies. He\u2019s a diehard New England sports fanatic, and if he\u2019s not watching the Celtics, he can be found roaming around Boston discovering all that the city has to offer.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mattkrol\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/author\/mkrolbetterpool-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}