Strength in Numbers?!?
- ljm623
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
August 30, 2026
Over the spring and summer, we have presented eight realignment scenarios for our followers. Frankly, we thought we were finished for the year. Until we got another email from one of our followers.
Awhile back, the Southeast and Big Ten announced they would confer on issues affecting college athletics. Such an "alliance" has unfolded a number issues including the latest on college eligibility. Some folks around college athletics have called the alliance collusion.
Recently, SEC Ed Sankey came out with an interesting statement. If the U.S. Congress didn’t pass the proposed bill, “Protect College Athletics”, his conference (SEC) and the Big Ten Conference might decide to breakaway from the NCAA.
Sankey’s latest threat trigger the following email from one follower.
“Why hasn’t the ACC and Big-12 formed its own alliance?
Good question!
That got us to thinking… What if the Big-12 and ACC beat the “Super 2” to form such an alliance?
As a result, we would like to present a strategic alliance for your review.
STAGE ONE: The ACC and Big-12 announce a formal alliance for the purpose of balancing power in the NCAA.
STAGE TWO: If the SEC/B1G should elect to breakaway from the NCAA, the Big-12 and ACC conferences would expand and form four divisions consisting of ten schools each. While remaining separate entities, each conference would consist of twenty (20) schools with two ten-team divisions each. They would play a nine-game division schedule, with three cross division games or a mx of regional games. However, no games with SEC/B1G schools.
STAGE THREE: Realign the schools into geographic divisions. This would require three current schools from the ACC and Big-12 to switch conferences. We feel the Big-12 should welcome SMU, Stanford and California while the ACC welcomes Central Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati. This move would bring the ACC to 17 schools and the Big-12 to 16 schools.
STAGE FOUR: The Big-12 expands to 20 schools with the inclusion of UTSA, UNLV and San Diego State. Meanwhile, the ACC would expand from 17 schools to 20 schools with the inclusion of Notre Dame, Navy, and Tulane, Should the Irish elect to remain independent, the ACC should invite Connecticut (UCONN).
STAGE FIVE: The Big-12 and ACC would form a joint committee to address common interests in college athletics, including rules, enforcement, officiating and media rights.
STAGE SIX: The resulting structure might look something like this.
ACC CONFERENCE:
North Division:
Boston College
Syracuse
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Navy
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Louisville
Notre Dame or UConn
South Division:
Wake Forest
North Carolina (UNC)
Duke
NC State
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Central Florida (USF)
Miami
Tulane
Big-12 CONFERENCE:
Central Division:
Texas Tech
TCU
SMU
Baylor
Houston
UTSA
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
West Division:
Arizona
Arizona State
San Diego State
Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV)
Stanford
California (CAL)
BYU
UTAH
Colorado
Air Force
CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS:
Both the ACC and Big-12 would conduct a championship tournament between the top three schools in each division, utilizing existing bowls. The regular season division champions would get a bye in the first round. The combined championship game would pit the champion of the ACC against the champion of the Big-12.
MEDIA RIGHTS:
The Big-12 and ACC could negotiate with media partners with a combined package offering .
REVENUE DISTRIBUTION:
Each conference should be able to distribute their media rights as they see fit. However, their alliance could come up with a common model, with a base amount, supplemented with reward (bonus) for on the field excellence. Schools would bellowed to keep financial reward from bowl income.
Strength in inventory numbers.
BOTTOM LINE:
We expect the next wave of realignment to begin this fall. It should be interesting.
GO CANES!
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