SMQ: Thinking radically about college football realignment in age of coronavirus
By Zach Bigalke
Northwest Conference
- Teams: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Boise State, Utah, Utah State, BYU
- States included: 4 (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah)
- Current P5 teams: 5 (Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah)
Though it looks a little unwieldy from a geographic standpoint, covering four states throughout the Pacific Northwest and into the northern Rockies, the Northwest Conference basically unites two regions. The first encompasses the I-5 corridor schools of Washington, Oregon, and Oregon State. The latter extends the inland push of the Pac-12 from Washington State to Utah, with Boise State, BYU and Utah State included in the mix.
At first glance this conference looks like it would be dominated by former Pac-12 schools. However, the only two out of the bunch that can boast national championships are Washington… and BYU. This conference also affords Boise State a real chance at playing for more than a consolation prize.
While a league within this footprint would be tough to operate as a bus league, the longest flight required would be the trip from Seattle to Salt Lake City — a trip of about 740 miles as the crow flies. That makes for a much more manageable realignment in terms of logistics, whether in the midst of a pandemic or after the fact.