Pitt notebook: Pat Narduzzi laments 'money-driven' realignment in college football

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi used the words “crazy” and “sad” when asked Monday morning about the current realignment trend in college football.

With UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten that is rooted in the midwest and east and future Big 12 members Arizona State, Arizona and Utah facing trips to West Virginia, Narduzzi said that wouldn’t be ideal for anyone.

Pat Narduzzi, trying to make sense of realignment in college athletics. pic.twitter.com/hKOGoeCUbe

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) August 7, 2023

“You look at different conferences across the country, and they’re going from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” he said of movement that will become official in 2024. “It doesn’t make sense financially. Especially for the other sports (aside from football and men’s basketball).

“Would we mind a trip out to Oregon or wherever it might be for a week? It’s fine, just one time a year. But when you’re talking about all the travel for all the different sports and what that does mentally and physically to a student-athlete.

“I know what it takes going out and playing in Louisville. I can’t imagine what it does to some of these other ones. You guys (reporters) have all been on some long flights, come off a red eye or whatever after a game, how you feel, it takes you a day to recover. We don’t have a day. We have to go back to work, and your bodies and your minds will be affected, I think.”

Narduzzi called the situation “crazy” and “money-driven, which is sad.”

The situation might hit close to home for Pitt if Florida State decides to leave the ACC — as it has threatened to do — for a conference such as the SEC where there is more TV money.

Narduzzi praised ACC commissioner Jim Phillips for maintaining stability, noting that expansion should only occur if the new schools are the “right fit.”

“To go all the way out on the West Coast, does it really make sense?” he said.

Despite Narduzzi’s remarks, there is a report of the ACC considering a merger with the four remaining Pac-12 schools, Stanford, Washington State, Oregon State and California.

The Pac 4 will talk with the ACC have talks about a merger. The ACC legal team feels that the additions @StanfordFball @calfootball @OregonState @WSUCougarFB could open the door for a better TV deal w/ ESPN keeping @FSUFootball & @ClemsonFB happy. It would bring @DukeMBB @UNC…

— Jim Williams (@JWMediaDC) August 7, 2023

ESPN college football senior writer Pete Thamel was asked Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show” about Stanford’s future, and he mentioned “some Stanford/ACC smoke.”

"There has been some Stanford to the ACC smoke that has emerged..

All four teams in the Pac-12 are still together but they are exploring other options"@PeteThamel #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/yPKIGcN61j

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 7, 2023

“Stanford has been the farm system for the U.S. Olympics,” said Thamel, noting the school has won 26 of the past 29 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cups, symbolic of the most successful overall intercollegiate athletic department. “Stanford is this vibrant, just teeming athletic department, filled with all these world-class people, great facilities. And they have nowhere to go right now.

“Could (Stanford) and maybe Cal end up in some sort of hybrid ACC or some sort of ACC West Coast wing. I don’t know.”

Meanwhile, coaches at California and Washington State have expressed serious concern. California’s Justin Wilcox called it “preventable.”

“There’s no denying the significance of this,” Wilcox told reporters Sunday, according to ESPN.com. “This is as big a deal as it gets to be. Really kind of shocking. Personally, it’s sad. From what I know, it probably didn’t need to come to this, but things happened along the way and really unfortunate.

“So it’s frustrating, there’s some anger in there.”

Washington State’s Jake Dickert blamed TV money.

“The old question of, ‘How long would it take TV money to destroy college football?’ Maybe we’re here,” he said.

“To think even remotely five years ago, the Pac-12 would be in this position, it’s unthinkable to think we’re here today. To think local rivalries are at risk and fans driving four hours to watch their team play in a road game is at risk, to me, is unbelievable.

“We’ll look back at college football in 20 years and say, ‘What are we doing?’”

Full pads Tuesday

Narduzzi gave the players a day off Saturday before three practice days in a row, including Tuesday in full pads. Narduzzi said he likes the idea of allowing players’ bodies to heal after three consecutive days. “We’re in a lot better place (compared to years ago) as far as how we treat our kid,” he said.

He said it

After more than three months without organized practices after spring ball, Narduzzi said the “rust” on some players is disappearing.

“We got the WD-40 sprayed and got it all lubricated and ready to go,” he said.

Practice report

Narduzzi said the deep passing game looked good Sunday.

“Phil (Jurkovec) and Christian (Veilleux) connected on some deep, deep throws,” he said, noting Bub Means, Konata Mumpfield and freshman Kenny Johnson were on the receiving end. “The receivers were definitely not as rusty, for sure. The DBs, you could say were rusty. They were rusty or lacked technique.”

He added that redshirt freshman wide receiver Che Nwabuko turned a short pass into a long gain. “He’s shown some really good things so far,” he said.