Reworking the Pacific Southwest Conference and ensuing realignment
I previously had a thread about a 14-team Pacific Southwest Conference (a merger of the better brands of the Pac-12 and Big 12 to increase revenue, playoff access, and brand visibility). I believe that either the status quo stays put in 2025 regarding realignment (with the playoff expanding) or a Pacific Southwest Conference emerges (with the playoff expanding).
My 12-team PSW is the following:
West: Washington, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Cal, Stanford
East: Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma
IF this happens, the 8-team playoff emerges, and no other moves are made in the new P4 (comprising 55 schools, including Notre Dame), what are the realignment waves down below?
Here are the rules:
No conference has more than 12 members
No FCS call-ups
Here is my stab at it:
Pac-12: Utah, Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State, BYU, Boise State, San Diego State, Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, UNLV, Hawaii (football-only)
Big 12: Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, West Virginia, Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, UCF, USF
MW: Nevada, San Jose State, Fresno State, Wyoming, Utah State, UTEP, Rice, NMSU, North Texas, UTSA
American: ECU, Tulsa, Tulane, FIU, FAU, UAB, Texas State, Appalachian State, LaTech, Southern Miss, Marshall, ODU
MAC: Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Akron, Bowling Green,
Ball State, Western Michigan, Toledo, CMU, EMU, NIU
C-USA: WKU, Charlotte, MTSU, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Troy, Louisiana, South Alabama, Arkanasas State
Independents: UConn, UMass, Temple, Liberty, Army, Navy, UL Monroe
Side notes:
1. Gonzaga stays in the WCC with St. Mary's.
2. Temple and Wichita State go to the A-10 for Olympic sports
What do you think? How would you rearrange the deck chairs below the new P4 I created using just the two rules?
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