The first domino in the conference realignment came last fall when Oklahoma and Texas bolted from the Big 12 to join the SEC. The Big Ten responded to that move last week. The college football world received quite the shock when it was reported by multiple outlets that USC and UCLA are leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten.
The conference realignment season is here, and this one will bring a seismic change to not only the college football landscape but college basketball as well.
All is quiet right now, but to quote a white wizard, “this is only the deep breath before the plunge.”
Reports and rumors are flying everywhere but what can be taken from them is that the PAC-12 is on life support. Oregon, Stanford and Washington are awaiting word on whether they can also join the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah have met with the Big 12, hoping to join that conference.
If all goes as reported, the PAC-12 will be left with three teams, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State. Officially killing the Power 5/Group of 5 era and ushering in the two mega conferences with the Big Ten and SEC, a respectable Big 12 and the even smaller little guys.
Impact of conference realignment on the Wyoming Cowboys and Mountain West
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How does this latest realignment impact the Wyoming Cowboys and the conference it belongs to the Mountain West? It’s anyone’s guess at this point.
The Cowboys should be fine sticking around in the Mountain West. The PAC-12 could recruit from the Mountain West, but they’d have to lower many of their standards. Which doesn’t seem likely. The Big 12 is the conference that the Mountain West should worry about. They’re more likely to raid the conference.
However, there are so many variables to this conference realignment, and it really hinges on what happens to the PAC-12 and where Notre Dame lands. Odds are, the Mountain West should be fine. Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State will undoubtedly be courted, but the level of seriousness, again, depends on how things play out with the PAC-12.
The courtship could be honest, but it could also be used as a negotiating tactic for a conference to say to one of the PAC-12 schools, “Hey, we’ve got other options if you want to be this difficult.”
Path forward for Mountain West
While the Mountain West should make it out of this realignment generally unscathed. That doesn’t mean they should stand pat. They need to be aggressive in this uncertain time. Just last week, PAC-12 was hanging and feeling good. Things can change on a dime, and just because the odds favor you a little doesn’t mean you’re safe. All it takes is one bad break, which can spiral from there.
The Mountain West has moves to make, but two moves stand out the most. First, move headquarters to Las Vegas. Conference headquarters currently reside in Colorado Springs, Colo. Now that sports gambling is legal and more and more states have legalized it, Vegas has become an underrated hub for the entire sports world.
The city has an NFL team, NHL team and WNBA team. The MLB Oakland A’s might relocate to Vegas, and once expansion in the NBA is given the green light, the city will have an NBA team.
Vegas is an up-and-coming sports city, and the Mountain West can add to that if they move their headquarters to Vegas.
Second, the Mountain West has to be aggressive with its expansion. Who knows what will happen to the three remaining PAC-12 schools? They likely wouldn’t join, but lunch and a meeting couldn’t hurt. The Mountain West would be a step down for those schools, but with their help, they could build the conference into something special.
If those PAC-12 teams say no, look elsewhere to add new members. The AAC is one target. The Mountain West could extend offers to East Coastal Carolina, Memphis and South Florida. It wouldn’t help for football but bringing in Gonzaga and St. Mary’s from the WCC is another avenue. Being proactive will do wonders for the conference.
Doing nothing would be the beginning of the end for the Mountain West. Again, they’ll likely survive this round of conference realignment, but who knows down the road. Standing pat would signal to members in the conference they’re content and growth isn’t on their minds. They’d become the ACC, minus the horrible contracts, with a countdown clock to their demise.
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