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Convention realignment continues to rock the inspiration of school sports activities, dissolving geographical ties and separating colleges into extra distinct courses of wealth. Whereas soccer is on the root of realignment, the fallout will definitely be felt on the courtroom. Take Oregon, for instance. As an alternative of a convention slate that includes close by Oregon State and different groups within the Pacific time zone, the Geese shall be required to make a number of cross-country journeys per season as soon as they’re members of the Large Ten for the 2024-25 season.
A reinvigorated rivalry between longtime Pac-12 foes Arizona and UCLA is one other seemingly casualty with the Wildcats off to the the Large 12 and the Bruins becoming a member of the Large Ten in 2024-25.
After all, it isn’t all dangerous. There are some intriguing new matchups that shall be created, lots of which our Cameron Salerno examined in a recent article.
For this week’s version of the Dribble Handoff, our writers are taking part in the function of School Sports activities Commissioner and placing basketball first. “When you may select one realignment transfer for the sake of school basketball, what would it not be?” Listed below are our responses to that immediate.
Maryland to the ACC
Sufficient is sufficient. Maryland doesn’t resemble a Large Ten faculty, has by no means resembled a Large Ten faculty and doesn’t belong within the Large Ten. That league can afford to lose one program and nonetheless muddle by in some way. Ship the Terrapins again to the place they belong — within the convention they helped type and construct on the Atlantic coast. Maryland is an ACC faculty. It belongs within the ACC. Its return would deliver stability to that league, up its hoops status all of the extra, and permit the soccer program a greater probability at success. Convention realignment has led to numerous idiotic dispersement of faculties in leagues the place they do not belong (Boston School, Syracuse, UCLA, USC, the checklist goes on) and Maryland is close to the highest of that checklist. Get these reptiles again of their pure habitat. — Matt Norlander
UConn to the ACC
I do know, I do know, for Huskies followers, leaving the Large East after lastly reestablishing your identification as a nationwide powerhouse is not all that interesting. UConn and the Large East are synonymous, and there’s no counter argument to the assumption that staying within the league is finest UConn’s long-term viability. I imply, the crew received a nationwide title behind a real teaching star mere months in the past. I hear you and I respect that. It is legitimate. Howevah, a leap over to ACC nation may be a internet constructive each for the college and for the school hoops panorama writ massive. There’s extra publicity available taking part in the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world than taking part in the Villanovas and Xaviers. There’s considerably more cash available, too. That is all to say nothing of the worth in consolidating much more blueblooded energy into one convention. Geographically it would not even be a complete stretch, both, with all the opposite groups within the ACC working on the identical time zone. It will take a while to get used to and there is no assure it could go properly, however on paper it’d make a ton of sense for the 2 to marry up. — Kyle Boone
Memphis to the ACC
To be clear, I do NOT imagine the ACC ought to add Memphis now. Financially, it could seemingly make little sense. However ultimately, I believe, some mixture of North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State and Clemson are going to depart the ACC, at which level Memphis ought to be an apparent choice as a alternative.
I hope it occurs.
It is comprehensible, however nonetheless unlucky, {that a} faculty that cares as deeply about basketball as Memphis has been caught in so-so conferences for a lot of my grownup life. Going ahead, the Tigers will compete in a diminished American Athletic Convention, the place they will have few friends (presumably zero) that may match their stage of dedication to the game. It isn’t excellent. As you seemingly know, Memphis has lengthy sought a Large 12 invitation, however that league has constantly handed Memphis over. So with the Large 12 not a sensible choice, the Tigers’ finest hope of bettering their neighborhood may be for some huge manufacturers to exit the Atlantic Coast Convention (like a number of have indicated they want to do), leaving the ACC searching for replacements. If that occurs, Memphis would make sense for a lot of causes, and it is price noting that the Tigers did beforehand share a league with present ACC members Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville.
(Shouts to the Metro Conference.)
I get why when the Large 12 seemed towards the AAC to exchange Texas and Oklahoma, it most well-liked top-40 markets like those Houston, Cincinnati and UCF can present. However one factor convention directors have largely failed to understand over time when evaluating growth candidates is that the College of Memphis issues WAY extra in Memphis than the College of Houston issues in Houston, far more in Memphis than the College Cincinnati issues in Cincinnati, and far more in Memphis than UCF issues in Orlando. The truth is, I am unsure there’s one other market within the nation with an NFL, NBA or MLB franchise that cares as a lot in regards to the native college’s athletic division as Memphians care in regards to the College of Memphis’ athletic division even with the NBA’s Grizzlies additionally on the town.
Merely put, Memphis has a soccer program that completed No. 17 within the Related Press Prime 25 ballot simply 4 years in the past with a 12-2 file and convention championship, a males’s basketball program that is made three Closing Fours in three totally different many years with three totally different coaches, and sufficient help in and across the metropolis to flourish in a serious convention if it ever truly will get the chance to be in a single. It was presupposed to occur with the Large East — nevertheless it did not. Some thought it could occur with the Large 12, however that now appears useless. On this second, there are not any clearly nice choices. But when the ACC ever will get picked aside and finds itself in want of recent members, Memphis is the place it ought to look. — Gary Parrish
Gonzaga to the Mountain West
Mark Few is an absurd 333-34 in convention motion over his 24-year teaching run, and the Zags have by no means misplaced greater than three league video games in a season below his watch. In a six-year interval from 2017 to 2022, Gonzaga misplaced simply 4 whole convention contests. However what do the Zags achieve from obliterating the WCC yearly? Certain, successful is enjoyable. However the Zags would nonetheless win at a excessive clip within the Mountain West and in addition get challenged in a approach that will higher put together them for the NCAA Match. The MWC has been a multi-bid league up to now 5 NCAA Tournaments, and the league had 4 representatives the previous two years. The WCC remains to be vulnerable to being a one-bid league when St. Mary’s will not be in peak type. With BYU off to the Large 12, the WCC is simply getting weaker. Including Gonzaga would elevate the Mountain West’s nationwide profile, and it could profit the Zags by maintaining them on their toes all through January and February. — David Cobb
Gonzaga to the Large 12
The Zags becoming a member of the Large 12 is a match made in heaven. Gonzaga has been one of the crucial constant packages on the West Coast and their addition would make the Large 12 even stronger. Look, the Large 12 was already actually, actually good after which the convention added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF final realignment cycle. Brett Yormark subsequent took the “4 Nook” colleges from the Pac-12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah) to solidify the Large 12’s standing because the premier school basketball convention within the nation. Including Gonzaga would make that argument even stronger. Gonzaga has received 23 or extra video games each season since 1997-98. One of many solely packages to problem Gonzaga within the WCC (BYU) is off to the Large 12. So why cannot the Zags’ be a part of them? To make it a good quantity, I’d pitch to try to add UConn to the Large 12 as a basketball-only faculty, too. However for the sake of this train, let’s stick with Gonzaga. The Zags may compete with each crew within the convention. Certain, they would not dominate the Large 12 like they’ve the WCC, however each convention sport can be must-watch. Give it some thought: Gonzaga-Kansas, Gonzaga-Baylor, Gonzaga-Arizona and Gonzaga-Kansas State. These would all be higher matchups than any faculty Gonzaga will face within the WCC. — Cameron Salerno
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