Conference realignment has leveled college sports over the last decade. As a fan of the sport, it can be an exhausting discussion to deal with. Programs and traditions dating back over a century are being left behind in the name of the dollar.
The west coast has arguably been hit the hardest. Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera isn’t happy about it.
Rivera, a Golden State native, starred at the University of California-Berkeley from 1980-1984. He won the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year award in 1983 and was named a consensus All-American. If anybody is qualified to have an opinion on the matter, Rivera certainly is on the list.
“I’m really disappointed. My concern is West Coast football has lost its prominence, and the primary West Coast teams that helped bring a lot of prominence have left a lot of people high and dry,” River said via Ben Standig of The Athletic. “Imagine the outrage if that happened to the SEC or ACC.”
Rivera: “I’m really disappointed. My concern is West Coast football has lost its prominence and the primary West Coast teams that helped bring a lot of prominence have left a lot of people high and dry. Imagine the outrage if that happened to the SEC or ACC.” https://t.co/OX2o3CvcTh
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 19, 2023
Rivera isn’t wrong to bemoan or lament what’s going on with programs on the West Coast that are being hit hard by conference realignment. Like Cal, for instance, his alma mater, whose status hangs in the balance after numerous Pac-12 schools fled for the Big Ten and the Big 12.
Conference realignment won’t have many fans no matter what, but moves like these inspire even more eruption.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022