Joel Klatt reveals positive long-term benefit of further conference realignment moves

The conference realignment race is off and running after USC and UCLA suddenly left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten last week. More moves seem all but certain to come, and FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt argued there are long-term benefits to the amount of movement.

After USC and UCLA departed the Pac-12, speculation came out about what could be next. The Big 12 is reportedly looking into adding six Pac-12 teams and rumors are swirling about what Notre Dame could go if it decides to join a conference. Klatt argued fans will end up liking the future of college football — especially a more entertaining postseason.

“It is incredibly hard to see right now, in particular if you’re [sic] team is outside SEC or Big 10, but the long term outlook for fans is a good one,” Klatt tweeted. “We will look back on these times as the moves that shaped a better post-season, more quality non-con games, & stronger governance.”

But Klatt also made another bold claim. He said the moving parts with realignment could eventually lead to the end of the NCAA. That, he said, would be a “major win.”

“One of the major wins in all of this conference movement is the fact that we are growing closer to the moment when the NCAA no longer exists,” Klatt wrote.

Report: Big 12 in ‘deep discussions’ to potentially add up to six Pac-12 teams

While the Big Ten and SEC are seeing their conference strengthen, the other three Power Five conferences have been sent into a frenzy. The difference is the Big 12 has been dealing with realignment for just over a year now, with four new programs entering in 2023.

Now, an additional six could be on the way via the Pac-12, per a report.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the Big 12 is in “deep discussions” with six Pac-12 teams about joining the conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah were known from previous reports but Dodd said Oregon and Washington are in consideration as well.

The Big 12 is currently sitting at 12 members, once Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF will be added around this time next year. Adding the six Pac-12 programs would bring the conference up to 18 members, the largest college football has ever seen at the FBS level.