Realignment keeps rocking the West: Big Sky ready in case “the Mountain West loses a bunch of members”

The realignment wave that began with thunderous news from SEC country four years ago has touched conferences altered the future for dozens of schools and shifted the balance of power within the NCAA When will it end In tiny Farmington Utah miles north of Salt Lake City along Interstate executives from the Big Sky are pondering that very question Will their proud -year-old conference which thrives in the Football Championship Subdivision be impacted by the same forces that engorged the SEC and Big Ten decimated the Pac- and restructured so several others That shredded the Mountain West last fall then plucked the biggest brand from the West Coast Conference roiled the Big West and definitively whacked the WAC this week when Utah Valley declared it would join the Big West in the summer of The Wolverines are an unlikely contestant in a chain reaction that started July when Texas and Oklahoma accepted membership offers from the SEC But they won t be the last The next move could come this week this month of this summer The Pac- demands at least one more football-playing school The Mountain West could expand again Either way the Big Sky is ready We re talking about it all the time commissioner Tom Wistrcill revealed We had our conference meetings last week in Portland It was a topic of conversation Wistrcill s comments came during a fresh wide-ranging conversation on Canzano and Wilner The Podcast A former administrator in the Big Ten at Minnesota and athletic director Akron Wistrcill addressed everything from the coup orchestrated by the power conferences to the future of the NCAA Tournament and the state of the Big Sky We do have plans together he continued It s kind of a decision-making tree If this happens then we look at these three options if this happens it s these two options We ve talked through all those We have a good plan together if one of the eight things we think could happen happen If Nos and happen then we ll have to adjust There are just a lot moving pieces that all are coming to a head at the same time Those pieces include An economic revolution The House v NCAA lawsuit settlement was approved Friday evening by Judge Claudia Wilken The landmark scenario created a new financial model for college sports Schools at the top of FBS football will share million with athletes beginning July The amount will increase over time as revenues soar Lower down the food chain the shared amounts will be smaller College Football Playoff changes The season marks the start of a new contract cycle for the CFP The revenue model was agreed to last spring but a new format will be set later this year All of it tilts heavily in favor of the Big Ten which favors a format based on automatic qualifiers and the SEC which prefers a model that s heavy on at-large berths Power Conference control The Big Ten SEC ACC and Big are methodically staking out greater control of the landscape Their greater part controversial agenda item is expansion of the NCAA Tournament to or teams but the quartet also created along with the Pac- the College Sports Commission The CSC will provide oversight of the NIL industry with the goal of eliminating pay-for-play deals funded by booster collectives The transfer portal The source of so much roster-management chaos was not impacted by the House lawsuit settlement Only antitrust protection from Congress or a collectively bargained agreement between the schools and the athletes can end the lawsuits over eligibility and restrict performer movement Current labor law indicates the players would need to unionize in order to sign a CBA But in order to unionize they must be declared employees a step the schools have thus far been loath to take Western realignment Closer to Big Sky headquarters the Pac- and Mountain West have been seeking media rights deals and finalizing their membership structures for the summer of Related Articles House vs NCAA settlement Gonzaga Big East and billable hours the biggest winners fans bloat Olympic sports among the losers House vs NCAA lawsuit settlement approved A momentous step for college sports that won t end the chaos West Coast recruiting roundup Hot starts for Stanford Cal and Boise State Mailbag Comparing the new Pac- to the Big and ACC the UNLV and Texas State scenarios media deal timeline and loads more College Football Playoff dispute Pac- commissioner Teresa Gould on format options the path forward and outdated metrics For both the process appears to have paused while they attempt to negotiate two lawsuits with more than million at stake On May they began mediation over the poaching penalty and exit fee cases Three weeks later they have not resolved the disputes at least they haven t publicly disclosed a resolution One of the attorneys I talked to commented it s highly rare to have it last this long Wistrcill explained So why is it lasting this long Obviously it s got to be about money The implications of the decision just have to be so dramatic one way or the other I get the feeling they re just staring at each other because a lot happens after that depending on what the outcome could be If the outcome favors the Pac- the Mountain West could destabilize as UNLV and Air Force potentially pursue membership in the Pac- and American respectively If the Mountain West loses a bunch of members they have to decide if they want to survive Wistrcill stated If they want to survive they could come calling to particular Big Sky schools And that could have a dramatic impact on us Might the Mountain West attempt to backfill with the Montana schools that help anchor the Big Sky How will Sacramento State s departure impact the conference The Hornets have filed a waiver to become an Independent in the FBS Clarity remains elusive as realignment rocks the West four years after butterflies flapped their wings in Austin and Norman Send suggestions comments and tips confidentiality guaranteed to wilnerhotline bayareanewsgroup com or call - - Follow me on the 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