The Syracuse Orange and the rest of its Atlantic Coast Conference peers had better buckle up, because it may prove a bumpy ride as the next round of conference realignment inevitably takes shape.
Last week, the collegiate athletics landscape got rocked by the news that Southern California and UCLA, the two biggest brands in the Pac-12 Conference, would be moving to the Big Ten Conference.
The Trojans and the Bruins heading to the Big Ten makes no sense, geographically speaking, but then again, neither does having Maryland or Rutgers in that particular league.
Adding USC and UCLA will propel the Big Ten to 16 teams, matching the 16 squads that will make up the equally powerful Southeastern Conference once Oklahoma and Texas bolt the Big 12 Conference for the SEC.
As we all know, conference realignment is dictated by football and TV contracts. The Big Ten and the SEC are poised to dominate both of those departments moving forward, unless the ACC and other leagues do something big.
The Syracuse Orange and its fellow ACC members could be in a precarious position.
So what will occur next? I have no idea whatsoever. It will be interesting to see what happens with Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish is an ACC member for most sports, but of course not in football, where Notre Dame is an independent and has its own TV contract with NBC.
I’ve come across numerous articles in recent days speculating that the Fighting Irish may consider jumping to a new league for all of its sports, including football.
If Notre Dame was to, say, go to the Big Ten, I assume that’s a disaster situation for the ACC. The Fighting Irish is a huge brand for the ACC in sports beyond football, such as men’s and women’s basketball.
What’s more, on an annual basis, Notre Dame suits up versus multiple ACC groups in football. Would that pattern go bye-bye if the Fighting Irish is in the Big Ten?
Let’s not forget that there is an alliance among the ACC, the Big Ten and the Pac-12 as it pertains to scheduling in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, which the three leagues announced nearly a year ago.
Given the decisions by USC and UCLA, and the assumed additional conference realignment to come in the future, this alliance to me means absolutely nothing.
For my money, when all is said and done, it will prove the Big Ten and the SEC as super conferences, with the ACC and every other league relegated to leftovers.
Could big schools in the southeastern region, such as Clemson, Florida State and Miami, ultimately bolt the ACC for the SEC? It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that ends up happening.
Some of my fellow Syracuse Orange fans have opined on social media of late that the ACC could end up cherry-picking a few teams from the Big 12 or the Pac-12.
Then again, the Big 12 has added four teams to its membership in BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to help offset the defection of Oklahoma and Texas.
I’ve said on so many occasions that the ACC should target West Virginia out of the Big 12. I don’t foresee Pac-12 teams joining the ACC, since those squads are primarily based on the west coast, but if the powers that be want to give us Mike Hopkins-led Washington against Jim Boeheim-coached Syracuse, I’m good with that.
All kidding aside, the ACC and other conferences around the country not named the Big Ten or the SEC are in trouble. Brace yourself for a wild roller-coaster ride lurking on the horizon.