ACC Basketball: Best realignment scenarios for each team if conference breaks up

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is another former Big East program that ended up in the ACC a decade ago during the last big flock of conference realignment. The last decade hasn’t exactly seen the Panthers having their greatest athletic accomplishments, but that doesn’t mean the future can’t be bright for Pittsburgh, especially with several potential options for their next move.

Perhaps the most sensible would be for the Panthers to join the Big 12. While it might not make the most sense geographically, and their basketball program has mightily struggled in recent years, they’d be reunited with bitter rival West Virginia. The pairing of those two programs would be very attractive to the Big 12, solidifying the conference’s footprint in that part of the country.

The Panthers could certainly consider a return to the Big East, but they are another school that won’t leave their football program out in the cold. There’s also a potential in the Big Ten, especially with Penn State already in the league, but it’s unlikely that that kind of marriage will happen. All things considered, renewing a regular rivalry with West Virginia would be a winning proposition for everyone.