West Virginia Sends CLEAR Message: Big 12 Needs to Add ACC Schools Like Pitt, Louisville

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez has recently sparked conversation regarding the future structure of college football, advocating for a return to regionalized conferences. In a landscape increasingly dominated by national super-conferences and sprawling travel demands, Rodriguez is pushing for a model that mirrors the NFL, where teams are grouped by proximity to reignite dormant rivalries and prioritize fan experience. Highlighting the unique geographic position of the Mountaineers, Rodriguez noted that West Virginia is surrounded by schools with which they share deep historical and cultural ties. Specifically, he pointed to programs like Pitt, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, and Cincinnati. He believes that forming a league—or at least a division—comprised of these nearby institutions would be a massive win for the sport. "Our fans would eat that up," Rodriguez remarked, emphasizing that these types of storied, regional rivalries are what made college football special in the first place. For Rodriguez, this is not just a nostalgic desire for the way things used to be; it is a practical approach to organizing a sport that is currently juggling the logistical headaches of massive, disconnected conferences. He suggests that as the sport trends toward a structure of just three or four major leagues containing 20 to 24 teams each, organizing these leagues into smaller, 5-to-8-team regional pods would simplify scheduling and restore the "fan intrigue" that has been diluted by the shift toward a national scope. While he acknowledges that existing, long-term television agreements make such a radical restructuring unlikely in the immediate future, his comments reflect a growing sentiment that the current trajectory of college athletics has drifted too far from the roots that built the sport’s most iconic rivalries. For fans in Morgantown and beyond, the prospect of playing regional foes like Pitt on an annual basis remains a tantalizing "what if" that Rodriguez clearly wishes could become a reality once more. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel.Visithttps://FANDUEL.COMto get started now.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.