Rivals Roundtable: Examining conference realignment
Another Friday brings another roundtable discussion to Rivals. This week, our analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan explore conference realignment through a three-pack of questions about the hottest topic in college sports.
Below, they discuss which rivalries they’ll miss, which new matchups excite them and which school they’d move to if they had that kind of power.
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WHICH REGULAR-SEASON SERIES ENDED BY REALIGNMENT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST?
“As an insomnia-stricken sicko that routinely stays up way past normal people’s bedtime, I’m gonna miss Arizona-UCLA. It always felt like I had a reason, not an excuse, to be excited for a 10:30 ET tipoff when those two got together. Extra points if the incomparable Bill Walton was on the call. No analyst is better suited for a late-night time slot. Then there's the tradition. Losing two regular meetings between a pair of titans in the sport is a bummer of the highest order. This is a series that includes 111 games to this point, after all.” - Cassidy
“I’d say Oregon-Oregon State, just because that rivalry is a big deal on the West Coast and the energy is always palpable in those matchups. The good news is that the Ducks are on record as saying that they’d like to keep the rivalry going. Oregon AD Rob Mullens told ESPN that the goal is to “absolutely” continue to play Oregon State.” - Jordan
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WHICH REGULAR-SEASON SERIES CREATED BY REALIGNMENT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
“Kansas-Arizona has serious rivalry potential, in my opinion. The Jayhawks are used to being the dominant force in the Big 12, having won 20 Big 12 regular-season titles. So introducing a new, high-level foe will create a renewed sense of intrigue in the title race. Will Arizona actually be a threat to the Jayhawks as the league’s perennial bully? Who knows. But the Wildcats’ presence will help make KU feel at least slightly less inevitable. At the very least, the series will bring another matchup with a big-game feel into what has undeniably become the best basketball league in the country.” - Cassidy
“Can you even imagine when UCLA steps into Assembly Hall to face Indiana for the first time? I mean, I can hear the deafening screams from the capacity crowd as I type this. That’s the one for me. Two titan teams and fan bases duking it out on the hardwood would be a marquee matchup for years to come. So many nuances in this one, from styles to coaching personalities to personnel. This matchup has a chance to be special.” - Jordan
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE GRANTED THE POWER TO MOVE ONE SCHOOL INTO A NEW CONFERENCE?
“Under my rule, we’d ignore football completely and continue to beef up the Big 12. Adding Gonzaga would take it from “best league in the country” to “undeniable juggernaut.” Imagine the national intrigue when the Final Four of the six-day Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City is Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga and Houston. Add in the fact that you’d get to see Mark Few square off with Bill Self every year, and the idea is tantalizing.” - Cassidy
“Oh, I’ve said this multiple times: I’m bringing Gonzaga to the ACC. I agree that adding the Zags to the Big 12 would make it ridiculously lopsided, so I'm going to make Few run the Tobacco Road gauntlet year after year. Imagine Duke-Gonzaga on Tuesday then a Saturday afternoon head-to-head with Zags and the Tar Heels at the Dean Dome. Yes, please.” - Jordan