2023 NCAA conference realignment (12/20: the PAC-2 join the WCC)

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SMU as in Southern Methodist University in Dallas? Kind of a ways away from the Pacific, don't you think?

Yes, but why not when the Big Ten is becoming a coast to coast conference?

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Will California Baptist join the WCC, since it's a Christian school? The WCC also has a better television contract with no home broadcast rights on ESPN+.

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Isn't the WAC a dying conference?

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Is San Diego State on the Pac 12's list for possible expansion?

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In more urgent news, does anyone understand what Cal/Stanford plan to do if the only six valuable schools all leave the conference, now that they appear to be off the Big Ten wishlist?

It was reported yesterday that Boise State, Fresno State and UNLV are not on the Pac-12 expansion list solely because of academics (and instead Colorado State somehow is). It's hard to see this exclusionary behavior being driven by anyone else, and it's almost certain to accelerate their own demise.

Oregon State and Washington State would go MW if they had to, but it's clear Cal/Stanford will not relegate themselves to that future. Football independence? But they have to put other sports somewhere. And I'm not sure which schools they would align themselves with west of the Mississippi. Rice and UC-Davis? Surely this arrangement would not be of interest to SMU any longer.

Seems complicated by them participating in nearly every sport possible.

Stanford should go to the Ivy League and Cal to the Big West. Football can go independent or a G5 affiliate.

Stanford and Cal don't want to be relegated to ESPN+.

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In more urgent news, does anyone understand what Cal/Stanford plan to do if the only six valuable schools all leave the conference, now that they appear to be off the Big Ten wishlist?

It was reported yesterday that Boise State, Fresno State and UNLV are not on the Pac-12 expansion list solely because of academics (and instead Colorado State somehow is). It's hard to see this exclusionary behavior being driven by anyone else, and it's almost certain to accelerate their own demise.

Oregon State and Washington State would go MW if they had to, but it's clear Cal/Stanford will not relegate themselves to that future. Football independence? But they have to put other sports somewhere. And I'm not sure which schools they would align themselves with west of the Mississippi. Rice and UC-Davis? Surely this arrangement would not be of interest to SMU any longer.

Seems complicated by them participating in nearly every sport possible.

Stanford should go to the Ivy League and Cal to the Big West. Football can go independent or a G5 affiliate.

Stanford and Cal don't want to be relegated to ESPN+.

It's probably happening anyway if they can't get into the Big 10.

The Pac 12 dies then?

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Wouldn't the Mountain West or Conference USA be better for Cal if it leaves a power conference? The Big West rarely has games on cable networks.

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Isn't the WAC a dying conference?

This was true about 8 years ago. They’ve rebuilt itself through D2 moveups.

The WAC has had at least one radio only (not even an ESPN+ stream) game as late as this season (Southwestern Adventist @ Sam Houston State). A few years ago GCU had a radio only game against Chicago State. In states other than Texas, the WAC is dying.

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Seattle University is Catholic, urban and an historical program. This would be the only logical fit if they can better meet WCC standards of play. Currently they are an inadequate replacement for BYU - closer in quality to USD and Santa Clara than San Francisco and LMU. Too much downside risk. Grand Canyon is also a minor candidate if expansion is needed due to their respectable facilities but is also a longshot

I don't understand your categories of "San Diego and Santa Clara" and "San Francisco and Loyola Marymount", since San Diego was the worst team of that group this year and Santa Clara was the best. Is this based on something other than men's basketball performance?

Anyway, Gonzaga doesn't want Seattle so they're never getting in. There's no need for the conference to replace BYU and I haven't seen any indication that the conference intends to. Grand Canyon was a for-profit school until a couple years ago, so no conference that isn't desperate wants them. It's why they're stuck in the WAC.

Adding on to this, the WCC broadcast today discussed the new league commissioner and strongly suggested that this would mean expansion to replace BYU and potentially more. There just aren't many non-football schools anywhere near the footprint that work well at all. Other than Grand Canyon and Seattle, which have aforementioned issues, the only name I can think of is Denver. The WCC would be an obvious step up for Denver from the Summit League and the school's two championship-level sports (ice hockey and lacrosse) wouldn't be affected by a conference change, so I would expect this to happen.

How could Denver fit in the WCC despite not being a Christian school?

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Is San Diego State more likely to join the Pac 12 or Big 12?

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San Diego State will probably join the Pac 12.

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Probably the Pac 12.

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Maryland and/or Rutgers to the ACC?

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Notre Dame football has two years left on its contract with NBC. What will the next deal be when it expires?

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Is the Apple Pac 12 deal guaranteed to happen?

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Larry Scott is a bozo who killed the Pac 12.

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Will Hawaii remain in the Big West for most sports?

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Will Hawaii football remain in the Mountain West?

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Hawaii wants to remain FBS. A new Aloha Stadium will be built to FBS standards. Would Conference USA or independence be a possibility?

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What's the future of the Mountain West?

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Is San Diego State going to stay in the Mountain West?

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Is San Diego State going to stay in the Mountain West?

Now that the PAC-12 is dead, yes for the foreseeable future. I guess the Big Twelve could invite them and Boise State if they want to go to eighteen teams, but I think they'd be more interested in picking off a couple of ACC Teams instead (Florida State, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, North Carolina, Miami, possibly also Syracuse are all possible, plus UConn is probably in line ahead of all of those teams.)

Is UConn interested in building a better football program?

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Is San Diego State going to stay in the Mountain West?

Now that the PAC-12 is dead, yes for the foreseeable future. I guess the Big Twelve could invite them and Boise State if they want to go to eighteen teams, but I think they'd be more interested in picking off a couple of ACC Teams instead (Florida State, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, North Carolina, Miami, possibly also Syracuse are all possible, plus UConn is probably in line ahead of all of those teams.)

Is UConn interested in building a better football program?

That's a good question. Their other sports would fit well in the Big Twelve, but they might prefer to remain in the Big East, where they have a bunch of rivalries that they are used too. The last time they left the Big East for another conference, it didn't end well, and they might remember that too.

San Diego State basketball always has a home and home with BYU. Wouldn't the Big 12 make sense for San Diego State?

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Is any conference other than the Big 12 plausible if San Diego State wants to join a power conference?

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Where do Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, and Washington State go?