Wednesday Dots: Are we aligned?

Ooh baby

Let’s, let’s stay together (Together)

Loving you whether, whether

Dots are good or bad, happy or sad

• Pac-12 Media Day in Los Angeles produced lots of headlines. From conference (re)alignments to CFP, lots has changed off the field since the last time we saw the Huskies play. Christian Caple’s summary of the event focuses on the cases that various school and conference higher-ups made for the stability and marketability of the Pac-12.

• The Seattle Times also featured extensive coverage of media day, including Jimmy Lake’s thoughts on conference realignment. Additionally, Lake and Nick Rolovich each gave their thoughts on the current state of the Covid pandemic and vaccination, which weren’t quite in line with each other. Finally the fake news, lamestream media picked Oregon to finish first in the Pac-12 North, ahead of UW.

• Stewart Mandel looks at the realignment question from a different point of view. He highlights how the top teams in the West have some leverage as the Big 10 and ACC plot moves to keep pace with the SEC. At a minimum, the ACC would have to drop “Atlantic” from its name if it added teams literally on the Pacific coast.

• If that’s not enough on conference expansion, here is 247’s breakdown of new commissioner George Kliavkoff on potential expansion. Of all the options, expansion seems the weakest to me since it would mean adding inferior programs to the conference.

• Yesterday, we shared the outstanding news of Danielle Lawrie and Team Canada’s Bronze at the Olympics in Softball. Kelsey Plum transcended even that with a Gold Medal in the first women’s 3x3 basketball competition. Also, four UW men’s rowers have advanced to the finals in their competition.