As the world becomes increasingly digital, it’s no surprise that the way we communicate and collaborate is changing as well. With more and more companies moving their conferences to different time zones, the industry is facing some serious realignment challenges. In this post, we will explore some of the issues facing conference realignment in the coming years and how you can prepare for them. From optimizing meetings to understanding cultural differences, read on to learn what you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.
What is Conference Realignment?
In recent years, conferences have been realigning to create more competitive sports. This change has caused some academic institutions to reconsider their affiliation with a conference. Conference realignment can have a major impact on the athletic programs of schools that are affected.
Schools may leave a conference if they feel their program does not receive the level of support that they feel is necessary. Schools may also leave if they feel that the new conference is more competitive and will offer them better opportunities for postseason play. Conference realignment can also lead to changes in scheduling relationships, as schools may be moved from one divisional schedule to another or from one division to another within the same conference.
The Big Five conferences
The Big 5 conferences – the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and SEC – will all be affected by conference realignment in the coming years. The ACC is expected to be the most affected conference, as it is rumored that it will lose at least two member schools to other conferences.
Here’s a look at each of the five conferences and what could happen to them in the next few years:
1. The Atlantic Coast Conference: The ACC is expected to lose at least two member schools to other conferences – likely the ACC’s traditional Big East rivals Connecticut and Miami (FL). This would leave the ACC with just nine members, which would make it one of the smallest conferences in Division 1 college football. It’s possible that new members could be added to bring the conference up to 10 members, but this remains doubtful.
2. The Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten is also expected to experience significant realignment in the next few years. Currently, there are ten member schools – but that could change soon as reports have linked Michigan and Ohio State with potential departures for greener pastures. If both Michigan and Ohio State leave, that would leave nine teams in the conference (assuming no other schools defect), which would make it one of the Power Five leagues (ACC, BCS/Big 12/Pac-12/SEC/AQ) with fewer than ten teams. A potential solution? Add a tenth
BYU Conference Realignment
1. Brigham Young University (BYU) is a private university in Provo, Utah, United States. The school was established in 1876 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) founder Joseph Smith. BYU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 130 academic majors.
2. As a religious institution, BYU is committed to following the doctrines of the LDS Church, which mandates that students be members of the church before attending the school. In addition, BYU requires all students to serve a two-year Mormon missionary service before graduating.
3. BYU has an active athletic program that competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars have won nine NCAA national championships, including seven in men’s basketball and two in women’s golf.
4. Brigham Young University is ranked No. 16 on U.S News & World Report’s list of best universities and No. 1 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Colleges for Entrepreneurship
Temple Conference Realignment
The Temple Owls will have to find a new home for the 2016-17 season. They have been accepted into the Big East Conference. The Big East has 10 schools and Temple was one of the original members back in 1979. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Owls are excited about this opportunity to join an established conference with other top programs in college basketball.
Temple looks forward to competing in a league that emphasizes both regular seasons and post-season play. The Big East has had some success over the last few years and they hope to continue that momentum moving forward. With eight teams contending for a conference championship, it will be a tough competition all year long.
The addition of Temple gives the Big East an even more competitive conference lineup. Teams like Villanova, Butler, Xavier, Notre Dame, and Marquette are sure to challenge any team on their schedule. Adding another program of that caliber strengthens the conference even further and makes it one of the top conferences in America.
Uconn Conference Realignment
UConn has been mentioned as a possible home for newly minted Big East associate member Rutgers. The move would reunite UConn with its original Big East Conference, which it left in 2011.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced Monday that it will expand to 14 teams starting in the 2017-2018 academic year. UConn and NC State were both among the ACC’s selections to receive an invitation to join the conference on July 1, 2024.
Both schools have expressed interest in joining the ACC and both are likely to receive strong support from their alumni bases. UConn is located in one of the nation’s most populous regions and NC State is close to major metropolitan areas. The addition of these schools would give the ACC a footprint in New England and help address some of its geographical deficiencies.
UConn and Rutgers would be among the newest members of the ACC but they wouldn’t be the only newcomers. Louisville, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, and Boston College are also expected to join the ACC next season.
Boise State Conference Realignment
Boise State is one of the smaller member schools in the FBS and is currently without a conference. The Broncos are looking to join a new conference and have been in talks with the Mountain West Conference and the Big 12 Conference. Boise State could leave the Mountain West Conference if they don’t reach an agreement with the conference by December 1st.
Utah State Conference Realignment
Utah State is one of the newest additions to Conference USA. The Aggies join Fresno State, Hawai’i, and Marshall as new members of C-USA. Utah State is coming off of a 6-6 season which was its first winning season since 2007.
The Aggies are led by second-year head coach Matt Wells. Wells was a graduate assistant at Utah under Kyle Whittingham for two seasons before taking the head coaching job at Weber State. Wells inherits a program that has been dormant for several years. He will have to work hard to get the Aggies back on track in Conference USA.
The Aggies play their home games at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium.
San Diego State Conference Realignment
San Diego State is one of the most well-known universities in California. With over 30,000 students, San Diego State is known for its large campus and diverse population. The university offers over 200 varsity sports teams and has produced many successful graduates including NBA stars Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The university has been in a state of continuous realignment since 2002 when it joined the Mountain West Conference. In 2013, San Diego State announced that it would be joining the Big West Conference for both football and men’s basketball beginning with the 2016-17 school year.
Wyoming Conference Realignment
Wyoming is one of the smaller states in the nation, with a population of just over 5 million. The state is home to many natural resources, including coal, oil, and gas. Wyoming was originally part of the Utah Territory and became a state in 1890. The state has a strong Republican Party presence and has been relatively uneventful in terms of major political changes over the years.
Wyoming’s main athletic rivals are Colorado and Nebraska. The Cowboys football team is the most prominent sports figure in the state and has won three national championships (1996-1998, 2011). Other popular sports include skiing and horseback riding.
Conclusion
With the start of the college football regular season rapidly approaching, conferences are starting to make decisions on where their games will be played. As of now, it is looking like there will be some realignment in the next two years as 10 teams switch conferences. Here is a look at what might happen: -The SEC and ACC will battle it out for eight division titles while both have six teams in each conference.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 will add four more members each resulting in 16 members per conference. -The AAC and Mountain West will split up with the AAC taking ten members and MW taking eight. -The Sun Belt, American Athletic Conference (AAC), MAC, and WAC will all disappear due to lack of membership.