Good thing there aren’t any college football games being played today because the whole college football world seems to be more entrapped in conference realignment.
Which, as unbelievable as it may sound, has now been focused squarely on the ACC and Big East, of all places.
Late last night and into this morning, rumors began circulating that Syracuse and Pittsburgh have been partaking in informal discussions with the ACC, with the latest speculation being that both institutions have reached out to the ACC to apply for conference membership.
A loss of both those schools would absolutely be a huge blow to the Big East, which, as I’d like to remind you again, has spent the past year trying to figure out how to make 1-AA Villanova a 10th member of the league.
But, is the Big East still salvageable even without Syracuse and Pitt? Word on the ESPN street -- and it should be noted that is is far from confirmed -- is that Iowa State and Baylor have reached out to the Big East if the Big 12 falls apart. Baylor has previously expressed confidence that if the Big 12 were to dissolve, that an invite from the Big East would follow.
Missouri, Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State were reportedly in talks with the Big East last summer when the first conference realignment apocalypse-that-wasn’t fell through. The popular speculation this time around has been that the Big East would form some sort of, um, “superconference” with the remaining members of the Big 12 -- were it to fall apart.
Still, when the Big East weighs its options, losing Pitt and Syracuse is far more damaging that gaining Baylor and Iowa State. If nothing else, and if the rumors of Pitt and Syracuse come to fruition, it shows the former two have no confidence whatsoever in the future and stability of the Big East.
The fact that a Big East official told us the conference was “caught off guard” earlier this morning says it all.
In a whirlwind of speculation, one thing is for certain: every institution is marketing themselves to the best of their ability, even if their own conference isn’t reciprocating.