College football expansion: Which schools could move next in realignment?

With news that Oregon and Washington are set to jump ship for the Big Ten, we predict which other schools could be a candidate in the college football realignment arms race

The latest move in college football conference realignment and expansion is about to hit after the bombshell decision by Oregon and Washington to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten, bringing the sport closer to a two-conference super league.

And that news is followed by speculation that more Pac-12 schools could depart for the Big 12, including Arizona, and potentially Arizona State and Utah along with them after Colorado's decision to return to its former conference.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark hasn't been shy about saying his league is open for business on the expansion front and so far insiders have revealed that he may want to target more pieces from the Pac-12 as that conference struggles to hold together. What schools could follow Colorado in the future and look for a new conference home?

College football expansion: Which schools could move next in realignment?

Arizona: UA president Robert Robbins has stated that he hopes to keep Arizona in the Pac-12 going forward, but his remarks left open some room that it would depend on what the new media deal looks like. Now, with no good deal yet in sight, and the state's Board of Regents discussing the matter, it's looking very likely that the Wildcats will be heading for the Big 12 very soon. 

Arizona State: Many of the rumors that have connected Arizona to the Big 12 have also included the Sun Devils, who were reportedly a target for the Big 12 to extend its reach westward. Important people in the state, not to mention fans, want to preserve the historic rivalry the school has with Arizona.

SMU: Adding the Dallas media market and moving into the football-obsessed state of Texas are both intriguing options for the Big 12 or the Pac-12, the latter of which has reportedly been in direct contact with the school recently. One obstacle here is a reported $10 million exit fee to leave the AAC, plus the fact that the Big 12 didn't extend SMU an invitation to join during the league's recent expansion that included its four additions last offseason. It's not a huge winner on the football field, not really ever recovering from the NCAA's "death penalty" it received in the 80s, but given the Pac-12's now-desperate situation, and SMU's presence in a larger market, it could consider the Mustangs as a replacement.

UConn: Insiders have confirmed that there is some considerable interest in the Huskies from the Big 12, which is hoping to add properties to its already-valuable portfolio of basketball brands. But it's far from a given that Connecticut, which just won the men's basketball national championship, will want to leave the Big East, where the school feels truly at home.

Gonzaga: Keeping with the basketball theme, the Big 12 has been in contact with the Zags, based out of Spokane, Wash., about joining up after the school has made some overtures to wanting to be a part of the Power Five. Gonzaga has made the Sweet 16 in eight of the last nine seasons and was national title runner-up in 2017 and 2021.

San Diego State: Despite the Aztecs' aborted attempt at trying to eject itself from the Mountain West Conference — an awkward move that included a letter announcing its intention to leave, followed by the MWC saying it did leave and owed them $17 million, and then the league saying it could stay and didn't owe the money after all — there could still be some hope on SDSU's part that greener pastures lie elsewhere. Perhaps in the Pac-12, which has considered the school already, and has extra incentive to add pieces amid Colorado's exit. Or maybe the Big 12, especially if that league attracts another addition. The Aztecs are in California, boast a new football stadium, and are a winner on the gridiron and in basketball, where they just played UConn for the NCAA title. But one bump in the road here would be the $34 million exit fee SDSU would have to pay to the MWC. Is that an investment worth making to join the failing Pac-12? It might be to get a shot at the Big 12.

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