Players speak out on NCAA conference realignment

College athletes returned to campus this fall faced with an unsettling question: How much are their lives about to change? Last summer, fifteen schools in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), realigned conferences, chasing lucrative media deals in what led to the demise of the Pac-12. Seemingly overnight, the 109-year-old conference of a dozen schools, with decades of rivalries, became a conference of two. For some student-athletes, the switch meant their schools would play games across the country, leading to longer travel schedules, increased time away from school, and a more rigorous schedule. Athletes saw the move as a change they hadn’t entirely signed up for. Some worry their well-being has been overlooked. In this week’s Stay Tuned, we’ll explore the real human cost of conference realignment and how it could impact student-athletes’ mental health.Sept. 9, 2024