A rebuilt* conference of champions

Realignment never ends. Let’s dive in.

1. Did the ‘Pac-6’ just ruin the Mountain West?

When the mass Pac-12 exodus left Oregon State and Washington State alone as the “Pac-2”, the two schools were determined to find a way to rebuild the conference. They had to maintain that automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (and keep the automatic berth to the college football playoff).

Rumors always floated around some Mountain West schools. And It became official on Thursday morning.

Adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State cements this as a football decision. Each school reportedly will pay a $17 million exit fee, and the Pac-12 owes an additional $10-12 million penalty fee they acquire. The four schools will join starting the 2026 school year.

There’s more to come as well. The Pac-12 doesn’t meet the minimum standard to earn a postseason bid. It still needs at least two more schools.

So who could be next? Other Mountain West teams, such as UNLV, Nevada, and San Jose State, could make sense, but there would be more penalties paid by the Pac-12 schools. AAC schools such as Memphis and Tulane also have been floated. Any additional moves reportedly won’t come until the spring.

There’s also the chance Cal and Stanford return. They’re entering their first years in the ACC, yet there’s reported interest is staying on the West Coast. (Considering the legal battles with Clemson and FSU and the ACC’s Grant of Rights agreement, they might not be realistic options.)

From a basketball POV, San Diego State and Boise State are the top programs. Between them, they’ve won the four regular-season MWC titles, and the last three tourney titles. Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico and UNLV are the top basketball programs still in the MWC. Losing those four schools will hurt the MWC’s overall profile and potentially elevate the Atlantic 10, the American and the Missouri Valley above it.

The Mountain West earned four NCAA Tournament bids in 2022 and 2023, and placed six schools in the Big Dance last season. Those days are over. Just another realignment gift.

2. Go ahead. Pick your must-see Big East game.

The league schedule is out for the Big East. And the first game isn’t the one you’d expect.

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