New Power Five Conference Math: When 12 Means 10 and 10 Means 16

The departure of the University of Southern California and UCLA from the Pac-12, bound for the Big Ten in 2024, is the latest “stop-the-music” moment in a game of musical chairs that continues to reshape the landscape of NCAA Division I athletics. It won’t be the last. The Pac-12 is already looking to replace what it has lost, while rumors grow of other schools looking to leave the conference, and other conferences ready to take them.