Brent Pry addresses conference realignment, makes case for Virginia Tech

The conference realignment arms race is on as the SEC and Big Ten both get ready to expand to 16 teams by 2025. Now, the question is who’s next — and Brent Pry made a case for Virginia Tech this week.

Pry, who’s gearing up for his first season as the Hokies head coach, talked about the realignment landscape. He shared what he likes about Virginia Tech and how he expects things to shake out as the college sports landscape continues to change.

“For us I’ve always been taught you worry about what you can control,” Pry said. “That’s where your focus is. What we can do is what’s best for Virginia Tech. I love our brand. I don’t know where else in the country, what other conference offers everything that the ACC does: Great academics, great climate, great cities, great rivalries, great talent. To me, it’s a rare combination that I don’t think you get in any other leagues.

“I’ve been in the SEC, and I’ve been in the Big Ten. I love what we have to offer. I’ve got tremendous faith in our Commissioner and our ADs and our presidents. They’re very engaged in this. I expect big things. I feel very confident.”

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What the next steps could be for the ACC in conference realignment

After USC and UCLA announced they’re leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, the ACC — along with the Big 12 and Pac-12 — has to keep up with the SEC. In fact, a potential media partnership between the ACC and Pac-12 has reportedly been discussed, and ESPN’s Pete Thamel recently detailed what the next steps could be for ACC.

“If the number crunching on the ACC arrangement with the Pac-12 come back underwhelming financially — and that’s the expectation — things could potentially go from collegial to predatory in a number of directions,” Thamel said.

“Here’s the question that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips must answer through the context of this potential move. The ACC already has a large amount of low-wattage inventory in football schools like Syracuse, Boston College and Duke. Why take on the Pac-12’s have-nots, too?”