Hearing all these what-ifs and possibilities never ceases to let the irrational hope well up inside me. FWIW, my realignment wet dream (other than a straight up UConn to B1G move) is this:
**Prepare for delusion**
- The Longhorn Network folds (losing tons of money right now), and Texas begins discussions about a conference move
- B1G decides 16 is the future, adds Missouri (no grant of rights) and Kansas
- Oklahoma beats Texas to the punch and joins the SEC to fill Missouri's place
- SEC also adds West Virginia and Virginia Tech to match the B1G at 16 (two new markets)
- Texas panics without their network and OU, and ends up in the Pac-12 (now 14) with Texas Tech as a travel partner
- 5 defecting Big 12 schools sue over GOR, they win and the Big 12 has officially blown up
- In a blockbuster move, the football-centric ACC schools jump ship to join the five remaining Big 12 schools
- New Big 12: Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Baylor, with Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State and Miami from the ACC, plus Cincinnati from the American
- ACC is left with 7 full members, adds UConn as a full member plus Army and Navy football only
- The ACC gives the Catholic 5 (sorry Marquette/DePaul) a sweet offer, they join for non-football sports with Notre Dame
- ACC: BC, PC, UConn, SJ, SHall, Cuse, Pitt, ND, Nova, GTown, UVA, UNC, Duke, Wake
- ACC is a middling football conference but a basketball powerhouse, just what UConn always deserved
As you can see it gets more and more unlikely as it unfolds. But a kid can dream right?