Conference Realignment: Will San Jose State, Fresno State rivalry continue?
The San Jose State Spartans are playing at Fresno State on Saturday, something they typically do every two years. But the series could soon hit the pause button. The "Valley Rivalry" first kicked off more than a century ago in 1921. This weekend represents the 87th meeting. Since 1946, the two programs have missed each other only six times. Conference realignment and the COVID-19 pandemic have been the only factors to keep these two teams away from each other as of late.
Winds of change: college basketball enters a new world following massive realignment
College basketball has undergone a massive upheaval in a short time. The transfer portal has created what amounts to free agency, with players switching teams like wardrobe changes at a Broadway show and forcing coaches to rebuild their rosters annually. Name, image and likeness compensation deals have changed the game off the court, providing financial opportunities for athletes that weren’t there just a few years ago while adding another layer of recruiting and retention headaches to coaching staffs. Extra eligibility for players because of the pandemic impacted rosters, too. The latest jolt: Conference realignment, which has shifted — consolidated? — power in college hoops.