Paul Finebaum addresses future of conference realignment triggered by possible ACC collapse to create imbalance in college football landscape

Conference realignment has been going on for some time, getting a great push when the Pac-12 collapsed as its teams looked for greener pastures. According to ESPN's Paul Finebaum, a similar scenario could be staring at the college football world in the event of an ACC collapse.

Finebaum addressed the future of conference realignment on "McElroy and Cubelic," saying that an Atlantic Coast Conference collapse would create an imbalance in college football.

“I think the real concern for everyone in this group is what happens if the ACC starts to implode even more than it currently is," Finebaum said. "And because, I mean, there are certain schools that I don’t think either league really wants and then there are those who I think both covet. So, I think that’s where it would get really sticky.”

"SEC Nation" analyst Roman Harper (left) and Paul Finebaum speak before a college football game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Sept. 23 in College Station, Texas. Mandatory credit: Maria Lysaker, USA Today Sports

Finebaum said that the television deals have already been done, and the only thing left to do for Power Five conferences is more conference realignment.

The big question he raised was that if the ACC collapse happens, who would take the schools coming out of it? When the conference realignment happened last year, the SEC got the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners. The Big 10 bagged the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins.

An ACC collapse would make the Florida State Seminoles and Clemson Tigers the big prizes of the next phase of it all.

Amid speculations about ACC collapse, Utah could be on the move in new conference realignment

Legendary sportswriter Dick Weiss thinks that the Utah Utes and the ACC might be headed for a union.

“There is discussion about Utah possibly moving to the ACC despite its recent move to the Big 12, with some suggesting the ACC might be a better fit due to its ESPN network agreement and potential for increased TV value," Weiss tweeted. "However, skepticism exists regarding the stability and attractiveness of the ACC compared to the Big 12."

In the era of conference realignment, anything and everything seems to be on the table.