With the recent groundbreaking news that Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC, the Big 12 is now headed to shambles. The conference can’t survive without its two biggest teams and, ultimately, a massive conference realignment is likely in store.
Schools have already begun contacting other conferences about potential moves, but with nothing set in stone, these are all predictions as of now. It’s important to keep in mind that these changes won’t happen for a long time. Texas and Oklahoma won’t actually jump ship until 2026, so there is plenty of time for these other programs to figure it out.
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Two to Shake Up the Big 10
Our first two teams on the move here are Iowa State and Kansas. This move would make sense geographically and from a quality standpoint. Iowa State has a really fantastic football program that has been on the rise for quite some time now. On the other hand, the Kansas football program is, quite frankly, abysmal. However, they would bring some nice benefits to the basketball world and make for a very competitive conference on that end. Depending on how the divisions are drawn up, this would make for a really fun and competitive Big 10 year-round.
Puzzling Geography in the Pac 12
When you think of the Pac 12, you think California, Oregon, sunny beaches, and the whole west coast vibe. So, it would be quite interesting if schools from Texas, Oklahoma, and even West Virginia join the conference. That seems to be what is occurring, though. We know that Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, and West Virginia have all reached out to the Pac 12 about joining their conference, and they haven’t exactly been shot down.
The only problem is that the Pac 12 can’t really take in four teams from these locations. The best bet is that they admit two of the teams: one being TCU or Texas Tech and the other being Oklahoma State. There are also teams like Boise State and BYU who have been waiting on entrance to this conference for quite some time and could see their names chosen over a West Virginia or Baylor. This will probably be the most interesting conference to watch as time moves on.
The ACC Ready to Take on More?
If the Pac 12 doesn’t add West Virginia, perhaps the best place for them is the ACC. Obviously, the geography just makes so much more sense, and the level of play is pretty much the same. If the ACC lets the Mountaineers in, they would certainly have to let in another team to even out the divisions.
With that being said, maybe it’s time for Notre Dame to get back into the conference world. Playing in a conference clearly benefited the Irish last year as they drew a playoff berth without even winning the conference championship. They are a team that should play in the Big 10, but with how last year went, they are most likely loyal to the ACC, and the ACC certainly is loyal to them with the amount of revenue the program generates. Letting West Virginia play in the ACC would be a really great move for both sides and one that we would like to see happen most.
The AAC Route
So far, we’ve touched on the three remaining Power Five conferences, but how about the conference that’s next in line? This one would make plenty of sense geographically because it’s a primarily southern conference. Because it’s not as big as the Pac 12, Big 10, or ACC, we will probably see teams join the AAC as a sort of last-ditch effort to join a bigger conference before it’s too late. A team like Kansas State comes to mind here. We haven’t really heard much out of the Wildcats in terms of what conference they may be going to, so this could be a great option for them. The AAC is no one’s first option, but keep an eye out for them as they will almost certainly land at least one school.
Alternative Options
The biggest alternative would be to keep the Big 12 alive and bring in two programs to replace the Sooners and Longhorns. This is probably the most improbable option because it’s challenging to get two programs with the size and branding of Texas and Oklahoma to leave their conference and come to a dying one.
Another route would be taking a look at the Mountain West Conference. This would be for some of the misfit schools that may not end up in a good spot come realignment time. The MWC could lose Boise State and will need some high-caliber teams. This is another unlikely one, but definitely not impossible.
Final Predictions
Iowa State → Big 10
Kansas → Big 10
Kansas State → AAC
Baylor → AAC
TCU → Pac 12
Texas Tech → Pac 12
Oklahoma State → Pac 12
West Virginia → ACC
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