College sports realignment will bring big challenges to fans who travel to see their teams on the road. Longer plane rides and potentially higher costs are two key challenges.
Washington’s first season with both coach Kalen DeBoer and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was a magical ride that put the Huskies back on the national stage. Their second season comes with a straightforward goal — win the Pac-12 one last time before Washington takes up residence in the Big Ten. The 10th-ranked Huskies will begin their final season as part of the premier conference on the West Coast with a legitimate chance at a conference title. If the defense can show significant improvement from last season, the Huskies could find themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation.
The four remaining Pac-12 schools, California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State, will have options if they are looking for another conference.
A mass exodus has led to a seismic shift in the Pac-12 Conference. The “Conference of Champions” suffered what could be crushing blows after five schools announced defections from the league within hours of each other.
A group of Big Ten presidents has begun discussing the possibility of adding more West Coast schools to the conference if the Pac-12 continues to crumble.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim and UCLA linebacker Laiatu Latu have been named college football’s comeback players of the year.