Fwd: Weirdest realignment move yet?

Plus: Let's map new conference midpoints.

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READ THESE STORIES FOR FREE By Jason Kirk Hey, you big star. This is a college football newsletter just for you. Let's get right to it. Big MAC Sacramento State University Sacramento State joined the ... what? The MAC, a conference mostly based in and around Ohio, is adding Sacramento State from the FCS' Big Sky Conference, as announced yesterday. It's doing so on "a five-year term," whatever that might mean. The Hornets seem to believe they'll be in the NFC West by then.   As with Mountain West newcomer North Dakota State, Sacramento State's move is happening immediately for the 2026 season, meaning it isn't allowed to play in the FBS postseason for two years.   But unlike NDSU (and successful FBS newbies like Appalachian State and JMU), the Hornets were not big winners during their 33 years in FCS. Only two playoff wins, though both were in the 2020s. No semifinals since 1988, in Division II. After last season's 7-5 finish, head coach Brennan Marion left to become Colorado's OC. Local rival UC Davis has long been a superior program.   All realignment moves are ultimately about money, but this move is extremely about money. Sac State is expected to pay $18 million to join the MAC, $16 million more than Northern Illinois is paying to join the Mountain West. A key seven words: Yesterday's MAC statement touted Sacramento State's "record of investment" and "commitment to continued growth."  For years now, Sacramento boosters have heavily promoted those investments, at one point trying to tempt the Pac-12 with talk of an Ohio State-sized NIL budget. 🤨 This week, school president Luke Wood claimed the MAC move will deliver "an estimated economic impact of $975M and national broadcast value of $675M over the next five years." 🤨🤨🤨 (Joining the NFC West would add eight figures to the Hornets' value, sure. But the MAC's current ESPN deal reportedly pays about $8M per year ... for the league's 13 teams to split. Elite teams in the Big Ten and SEC might fall halfway short of $675M in five-year TV money.)   Beyond that diamond-eyed math, I can see some logic. Stakeholders believe they have the financial power to create a champion where there isn't one, and they believe their metro population of 2.4 million people will begin falling in love with it. (Over the last few years, the Hornets have ranked around 12th in FCS in attendance, rarely selling out their 21,000-seat stadium.)   Neither the Pac-12 nor the Mountain West were interested enough to add Sac State, and the NCAA declined its request to join FBS without a conference invite. (In 2017, it approved such a request for Liberty, a program that had won a bit more consistently in FCS.)   So the idea appears to be: Buy a ticket into the weakest FBS conference, flood the field with NIL cash and quickly springboard into the Mountain West or Pac-12 and beyond. Money powered JMU's rise, after all.   Sure. There is a dollar amount that could convince any five-star to move to the radiant city of Sacramento. And sure, gathering enough of those players on one roster would mean dominating the MAC. Maybe the Pac-12 and Mountain West will look silly for not buying in, then watch as the NFC West bids against the Premier League and Marvel Cinematic Universe for the Hornets.   But as "The Audible" discusses today, this whole thing just feels like a pyramid scheme. Quick Snaps Justin Ford / Getty Images 🤨 "Once upon a time, extra years granted were strictly based on season-ending injuries. Now, athletes should be able to dissect loopholes within the archaic NCAA eligibility system." FAQs about all these high-profile players suing their way back to school, answered.   🧢 It's 2027 recruiting season! So far, Oklahoma and Texas A&M have impressed the most important teenagers. Everything to know, for now.   📈 "He was like what he is now, except 20 pounds lighter and goofier." Bruce Feldman on how a two-star QB turned into a Heisman winner and likely No. 1 NFL Draft pick.    🫩 What's the world's hardest coaching job? In our panel on a variety of sports, Ralph Russo nominated Alabama, where every day means having to live up to Bear Bryant and Nick Saban.   📰 News: "Yale football head coach Tony Reno has stepped down for health reasons, just months after leading the Bulldogs to a Football Championship Subdivision playoff win."   "BYU expelled former football standout Parker Kingston from the university Friday night after he was arrested and jailed earlier this week on a felony rape charge." A Message From Hims Imagery provided by Hims Make some hair-line adjustments The best programs are built in the offseason. If your current scheme for hair loss isn't working, it could be time to update the playbook by consulting a medical professional. Hims offers access to dermatologist-recommended treatments, including citrus-flavored Hair Hybrid chews. The process is simple: answer a few questions online, and if prescribed, your treatment ships free. You could see results in 3-6 months*—just in time for the season opener. GET STARTED WITH HIMS Cartography Conferences have become total messes With the MAC annexing part of California, almost every FBS conference has now added at least one team far outside its traditional geography. The MAC had begun to feel special for resisting the call to establish an outpost on a far-flung moon (though I suppose it's time to remember that random blip when UCF was a MAC member).   The worst parts of this geographic jumbling happened in the last few years, when the SEC continued mudsliding into the Big 12's old turf, the Big Ten devoured the heart of the Pac-12 (the biggest Rubicon, IMO) and the ACC sought every coast except the Atlantic. All of that is why the Mountain West claimed DeKalb, Ill., (elevation: 880 feet) and Texas State gets to frequently visit Pullman, Wash.   But this border gore has been ongoing for a couple decades. Compare the current setup to, say, 2004, when the ACC hadn't yet taken northern schools from the Big East and the Big Ten hadn't launched 2010s realignment by claiming Nebraska, one of several schools that told the Longhorns to shove it.   I calculated the geographic midpoint of each FBS conference, comparing 2004 to 2026. Using advanced technology (doodling in Paintbrush on Google Maps screenshots), I am sharing those midpoints with you. Tap to zoom. Jason Kirk / The Athletic That extremely well-designed map doesn't account for the Mountain West's Hawaii, an obvious geographic outlier, and it doesn't display the Western Athletic Conference, which dropped football in 2012. RIP.   The point is: Almost every conference is slopping its way toward a soupy mishmash in the middle of the country, like they're all sliding toward a hole in the earth. The ACC's center is no longer Tobacco Road, but somewhere in Kentucky. The Big Ten drifted from Chicago to Omaha. The Pac-12's new coast is on Great Salt Lake. The Sun Belt is the only real exception, having now defined itself as FBS' actual Southeastern conference, partly by losing its former oddballs like Idaho and New Mexico State. Thank you, SBC, for becoming FBS' only honest league. Also, don't be fooled by the Big 12's midpoint remaining basically unchanged. Its longest drive used to be Colorado to Texas A&M (14 hours) ... and is now UCF to Utah (34 hours). Far away! Technically, even Conference USA moved midward despite changing its entire roster in the meantime. But nobody should be mad at CUSA, merely a helpless passenger. (Its epic membership timeline is one of my favorite Wikipedia graphics.) For over a century, college football had regional identities. Then we kept watching it change. We had no idea how great it was, since we never had reason to suspect there would one day be Washington-Maryland conference games, let alone that it would pressure smaller leagues into crafting their own bizarre artwork.   Anyway, end on a happy note: The top comment on every post (including ours) about Sacramento State joining the MAC is by someone celebrating the imminent Ball-Sac rivalry. What a Tuesday night kickoff at 5 p.m. PT that'll be! That's it for today. Other than sports stuff, the only things I know about Sacramento are things I've learned from Tom Ziller, "Lady Bird," Blackalicious and the Deftones. Email me at untilsaturday@theathletic.com if you have Sacramento lore the people should know about.   📫 Love Until Saturday? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters, too. Hair Hybrids are compounded treatments and have not been approved by the FDA. The FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness, or quality of compounded drugs. Prescription products require an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. Restrictions apply. See website for full details and important safety information. *Individual results may vary. Based on separate individual studies of oral minoxidil and oral finasteride. View Online | Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe   To opt out of emails from The New York Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your preferences here. © 2026 The Athletic Media Company. All Rights Reserved. | 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018

Why College Football’s Looming Collapse Endangers All Youth Sports and How to Prevent It

Coach Mark Rauterkus worries that the looming crisis in college football will create a ripple effects across all college sports. He outlines a reform plan, highlights recent program cuts, and offers a path forward.

You’ll learn in episode #89 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide:

• The urgent need to reform college football before it collapses and drags other sports down.

• Key takeaways from Coach Nick Saban’s interview (Episode 88) and the reform package available at 4rs.org.

• The fallout from Cal Baptist cutting its men’s Division I swimming & diving team and the disappearing full‑time diving coach.

• How a “pod” system with promotion/relegation could replace money‑driven conference moves (e.g., North Dakota, Sacramento State).

• The risk of a 30‑team super league (“JV NFL”) and why equitable, merit‑based structures are essential for the sport’s future.

Let’s put equity over money. A New, Tiered Model to Preserve College Football’s Future needs your help.

Here is your call to action.

1. Subscribe.

2. Suggest.

3. Comment.

4. Share.

This Heavy Or Not podcast is pushing for a Merit‑Based, Pod System to Safeguard College Sports

• Are you in?

Check out this episode!

Nick Saban’s Five Enemies of Greatness via My New Best Friend at The 7 Minute Leadership Pod

How Entitlement, Discipline, and Complacency Undermine Teams – Insights From Saban

Inside Penn State’s Quarter‑Billion Dollar Athletic Budget and Its Profit Margins

In episode #88 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, you’ll meet my new best friend, Paul Falavolito and a snip from his show, The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast. He shares Nick Saban’s “Five Enemies of Greatness.”

Paul's Site, The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast

Plus, we’ll break down the money behind a powerhouse college athletic department. You’ll get practical leadership takeaways and a raw loo

k at Penn State’s finances.

• The five hidden threats to performance: entitlement, lack of discipline, choosing circumstance over vision, self‑pity, and complacency.

• How Saban’s “standards over hype” mindset translates to everyday leadership.

• A step‑by‑step walkthrough of Penn State’s $254 M athletic budget – where the cash comes from and where it goes.

• Why football alone generates 57% of the department’s revenue and the impact on other sports.

• The razor‑thin profit margin and why college‑football reform (promotion/relegation, entry‑fee changes) matters now.

Outline

1. Podcast Introduction & Teasers

• Host – Mark Rauterkus introduces his “new best friend” in podcasting, Paul Falavolito.

• Mentions Paul’s own show “7 Minute Leadership.”

• Announces upcoming content:

  • A deep‑dive with Nick Saban.

  • “A bunch of sports news in college swimming and college sports” that will appear in Episode 89.

---

2. Leadership Lesson: Nick Saban’s Five Enemies of Greatness (7 Minute Leadership)

a. Who Is Nick Saban?

• Most successful modern‑sports leader; multiple national championships.

• Built dominant programs at several schools over decades.

• Known for selling standards, not hope – discipline, consistency, daily execution.

b. The Five Enemies (each broken down)

• Entitlement

  • Success whispers “you deserve comfort.”

  • Leaders stop preparing, teams rely on reputation.

  • Rent‑based metaphor: respect, trust, results are “rented daily.”

• Lack of Discipline

  • Doing the work when no one’s watching; showing up on time.

  • Small lapses (late meetings, cutting corners, ignoring safety steps).

  • Sloppy habits ⇒ sloppy outcomes.

• Choosing Circumstances Over Vision

  • Letting conditions dictate effort.

  • Great leaders hold the line regardless of budget, morale, or external pressure.

  • Avoids “meteorocracy” (followers drifting with every change).

• Self‑Pity

  • “No one appreciates us” mindset; excuses become the norm.

  • Kills ownership and responsibility.

  • Leads to rapid decline.

• Complacency

  • Thinking you’ve “arrived” – winning becomes expected, effort drops.

  • Turns champions into former champions.

  • Blind spots, reduced hunger, maintenance mindset.

c. Overarching Takeaway

• Enemies sneak in quietly, sound reasonable, and cause damage before they’re noticed.

• Saban’s dynasties were built by refusing to tolerate these enemies.

• Call‑to‑action: Which enemy are you allowing right now?

---

3. Coaching Reflection & Mental‑Skills Prompt (Fortune Segment)

• Quote: “Coaches become more knowledgeable by immersing themselves patiently in the systematic teaching of the mental and emotional skills.”

• Presented as a reflection prompt: apply to training, competition, coaching, or life beyond the pool.

• Suggests writing about the insight to turn ideas into habits.

• Source: Mental Skills for Young Athletes – John Hogg, PhD (link: swimisca.com).

---

4. Nick Saban on Player Development & NFL Draft Process

• Development First: Emphasizes “development as a person, student, and player” over money.

• Draft Call Statistics:

  • 35 early‑exit players → >1,000 calls from NFL teams.

  • No calls ask about freshman playing time; focus is on development into a player.

• Character Over Athleticism:

  • Teams ask about character, fit, teammate qualities, leadership.

  • Trustworthiness and ability to represent the organization are paramount.

• Advice: “Create value for yourself in all those areas.”

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5. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) Resources

• Website & Email List: nil.cloh.org – a hub for NIL information and community.

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6. Penn State Athletic Department Financial Deep Dive (Guy Moderator)

a. Revenue Overview – Where the ~$254 M Comes From

• Donations: $64.5 M (pure donor power).

• Media Rights: >$58 M (Big Ten TV contracts).

• Ticket Sales: >$50 M (fan attendance).

• Zero funding from university tuition, state taxes, or student fees.

b. Expense Overview – Where the Money Goes

• Personnel (Salaries & Benefits): >$84 M – the single biggest expense.

• Athlete‑Related Costs: ~$48 M total, broken into:

  • Scholarships / Athletic Aid: >$24 M.

  • NIL Payments: >$18 M.

  • Educational Awards: ~ $5 M.

• Facilities & Operations: Significant portion (second‑largest bucket).

c. Football Program As the Financial Engine

• Generates ≈$147 M in revenue – >4 × the combined revenue of all other men’s sports and >16 × women’s sports.

• Accounts for 57 % of total department income.

d. Bottom‑Line Result & Sustainability Question

• Total revenues vs. total expenses differ by only ≈$223 K – essentially a “rounding‑error” profit.

• Highlights the razor‑thin margin model and raises the question: Is this breakeven structure sustainable as NIL and revenue‑sharing rules evolve?

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7. College‑Football Reform Discussion

• Call for Reform: Need a functional, sustainable college‑football system.

• Geographic Remix of Conferences: Proposed plan (linked to Rauterkus.Substack and 4rs.org).

• Promotion & Relegation: Suggests a system allowing movement between tiers, avoiding punitive $5 M entry fees for new programs.

• New‑Program Examples:

  • North Dakota wanting “big‑time

    ” football (Paul’s comment).

  • Sacramento State—should not be penalized with heavy fees; discuss alternative handling.

Check out this episode!