Anything can happen in realignment. But my money, and. I would guess house money too, is on an expanded playoff. Adds more inventory for the networks, addresses access concerns for the conferences, increases parity for the sport.

I would be surprised if the B1G or SEC expanded. I don’t see them being able to grab the inventory pieces they desire out of the ACC. The Big 12 could be an option, but I think Texas and OU are fine with the status quo so long as they still make their money and have access to the CFP. Texas could be a wildcard with the LHN winding up and losing that revenue stream. A Pac-12 merger might have some benefits for both parties, but there is a real question about differing cultures athletically and academically, commitment to high level competition, increased travel expenses, lack of fan interest in the tier 2 matchups, and not least of all who’s conference takes over? The PAC-12 leadership has been a disaster the past decade and the Big 12 has more or less stabilized.

But money talks...