Over the past several years, conference realignment has reshaped major college athletics around the country as schools like Oregon and USC are joining the Big Ten, with most schools located in the midwest, while Cal and Stanford joined the ACC, where most schools are located in the southeast. It will lead to a lot of extra travel between athletic events, and one study expressed concern about the environmental impact.
Researchers at Arizona State concluded each Power Five conference, except for the SEC, will see a significant increase in emissions, finding that the ACC and the Big Ten will double their emissions per game. The study urges administrators to consider the environmental impact before further conference realignment.
“Yet, we contend that there is potential to strike a more optimal balance between the benefits and environmental costs of these realignments,” the study said according to Fox News. “One potential avenue for achieving this goal is to consider the geographical proximity and competitive skill levels of schools when making realignment decisions.
“By aligning schools that are closer to each other both geographically and in terms of performance, tradition, and academic mission, it may be possible to reduce the carbon footprint associated with travel as well as maintain the excitement of games.”
We’ll have to see whether or not administrators take this into account as conference realignment continues in college sports.
[Fox News]
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