• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 8, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

The Biggest Problem With The Conference Realignment Craze

  • In a wave of realignment driven by football TV dollars, everyone else has been left out.
  • Many Olympic sports athletes, coaches, and advocates believe the trade-off between revenue and travel won’t be worth it.
Stanford soccer field.
Stanford Athletics

When UCLA track and field athlete Shawn Toney found out the Bruins would be joining the Big Ten, he heard the same justifications as everyone else.

“Yeah, travel’s going to be a pain in the ass,” Toney was told. “It’s money. We’re getting money. Obviously it’s mostly because of the football program. But money for the football program is money for the athletic department — which trickles down to us.”

But many Olympic sports athletes, coaches, and advocates believe the tradeoff between revenue and travel won’t be worth it. 

NIL has been touted as the potential death knell to college sports as we know them, but the conference realignment wave — driven by football television dollars — is a much bigger threat.

Since 2021, ESPN and Fox have bankrolled more than a dozen moves to the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and ACC. USC and UCLA could make up to $40 million extra in their new conference, while others like Oregon and Washington will make up to $10 million extra. Stanford and Cal are joining the ACC at a discount, but only because TV money killed their previous home of the Pac-12.

The enterprise is fueled by the revenue generated by predominantly Black football and basketball players, who will continue to generate most of the money funding Division I athletic departments’ predominantly white administrators and sports.

“You can’t understate the racial exploitation that’s going on here,” said Ramogi Huma, executive director of the National College Players Association. “I think in every discussion that should be included as a wakeup call and a reminder.”

On the day the Pac-12 disintegrated, athletes from Oregon to Arizona State tweeted their concerns about being ignored in the shakeup. Coaches, like UCLA’s Mick Cronin, whose pocketbooks will benefit from the extra revenue, have also criticized the changes. Two athletes Front Office Sports spoke with confirmed locker rooms are mixed on realignment.

On Thursday, the National College Players Association called for Congress to reverse realignment altogether — suggesting every sport besides football should be in a regionally based conference.

Even supporters acknowledged potential concerns caused by travel, from fatigue to frigid temperatures. Toney said the travel will make studying on the road difficult, and some professors refuse to allow athletes certain accommodations, like joining a class online. 

“Conference realignment would have a negative impact on us overall,” Stanford women’s soccer player Nya Harrison said in a statement. “Taking midterms and finals on the road, having to make up two-to-three-hour labs, etc., is not sustainable. Conference realignment would result in worsening mental health of college athletes who will have less sleep due to more traveling and more makeup work.”

Additionally, families will have to spend extra money to see their kids play — or forgo travel altogether, NCPA executive director Ramogi Huma told FOS.

Administrators have attempted to minimize the problem, claiming many Olympic sports athletes will only have a couple of extra cross-country trips — and others will have none at all. 

Multiple FBS conferences will rely on the help of a scheduling algorithm they hope will ease some of these issues, leading to some creative solutions. Schools could send teams to play multiple schools on one road trip — or meet at a school halfway between them. Others like UCLA have preached that their lucrative TV contracts will give them the ability to spend more on travel — making athletes’ journeys easier. 

But so far, athletes said they haven’t received concrete answers on how their futures will be affected, or what accommodations they’ll receive to ease the burden.

“None of those ideas are adequate,” Huma said, adding schools could save millions by reverting Olympic sports to regions. “These teams will be flying over a number of regional schools they could have otherwise been playing.”

While discussions with lawmakers are in initial stages, there’s no guarantee that Congress will succeed in passing any proposed legislation to pump the brakes. “So far, we have not found any [Congressional] office that is in support of conference realignment,” Huma said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Three Schools Sue Mountain West, Commish Over Withheld Funds

Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State intensified the court battle.
NC State

NC State ‘Cardiac Pack’ Team Loses NCAA Suit for NIL Back Pay

The 1983 team was among college basketball’s greatest Cinderella stories. 
Etienne

A ‘College Football RedZone’ Is an ESPN Gold Mine—in Theory

The network would have to strike new deals with its rivals.

March Madness Fields Will Stay Put at 68—at Least Until 2027

NCAA tournament expansion is still on the table for 2027.

Featured Today

Inked Under Anesthesia: Athletes Getting $50,000 Tattoos

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty
August 2, 2025

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
May 4, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; The BYU Cougars against the Long Beach State 49ers at St. John Arena

Federal Judge Tells Stephen F. Austin to Reinstate Women’s Sports Teams

Schools may not be able to follow through on threats of cuts.
NCAA Track
July 31, 2025

NIL Collectives Can Still Pay College Athletes, With Some Restrictions

NIL collectives will still play a pivotal role in recruiting.
Stanford
August 1, 2025

John Donahoe Taking Over Stanford Sports After Rocky Nike Tenure

John Donahoe will be Stanford’s AD after a four-year stint running Nike.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Rutgers
July 28, 2025

Rutgers Finds New Athletic Director After Almost a Year

Rutgers’s previous athletic director, Pat Hobbs, resigned in August 2024.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) runs the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
July 25, 2025

‘More Bark Than Bite’: What Trump’s Executive Order Means for College Sports

“This all comes down to Congress and the courts.”
July 24, 2025

UNC’s Bill Belichick Brings His NFL Swagger to ACC Media Days

UNC is becoming one of the most interesting stories in college football.
President Donald Trump speaks during the American 250 kickoff event on July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrouds.
July 24, 2025

Trump Signs Executive Order on College Sports Pay

The order marks Trump’s first foray into legislating college sports compensation.