What NCAA Conference Realignment Should Look Like

Nov 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the Pac-12 logo at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before the NCAA football game between the California Golden Bears against the Southern California Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Pacific-12 (Pac-12)

The Pac-12 would be exactly as it is now except for there would be no Utah or Colorado once the Mountain West is in play. Instead, it would add Hawaii, which has been a very solid smaller school at times with the exception of recent years, and New Mexico, which could rival the Arizona schools and is another non-coastal school in the conference.

They both would be great fits for the Pac-12. Hawaii has the potential to be a great college football program because of some of the raw talent that already exists in that state along with the ability to attract people to the idea of going to college in Hawaii.

New Mexico, meanwhile, once had a rivalry with the Arizona schools and would complete the Pac-12 cycle of a team in every state along the border until you got to Texas. And they would probably be able to up their recruiting as well by bringing in a few Texas guys.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with this. The Pac-12 North is fine exactly as it stands currently. Nothing needs to change there.

The Pac-12 South would be fine, but Utah and Colorado both belong in the Mountain West. You can’t pick betwen Fresno State, San Diego State, and San Jose State because of how similar they are. That leaves you with New Mexico and Hawaii.

This makes for two more state schools and a conference that would be equally as powerful as it is right now, and that and the Mountain West together could be along the lines of the SEC and the ACC.

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