Where do Pitt, WVU fit in new college era?

I’m not sure exactly how we’re going to get there. Or when. But I’d bet big money we will.

College football will have two superconferences.

It already does, pretty much, in the Big Ten and SEC. It’s simply a matter of how large those two entities want to get — and how much power they want to wield.

All kinds of dramatic headlines will pave the road toward a more streamlined, two-conference power structure. In fact, we’re seeing a bunch this week:

Colorado headed back to Big 12

Pac-12 could be on life support

Florida State openly threatens to leave ACC — and if it does, could Clemson and Miami be far behind?

Big Ten could look west to poach schools

Some have even wondered — assuming a few top programs manage to break agreements and flee the ACC — if whatever’s left of the ACC would merge with pieces of the Pac-12 in an effort to save themselves. Can you imagine the pageantry surrounding an Arizona-Wake Forest game?

Such is life in the never-ending quest for more television money, and it appears we have reached another inflection point and also question on our little stretch of Interstate 79: Where would all this leave Pitt and its favorite frenemy, West Virginia?

I would say in wait-and-hope mode, on both counts. You can’t ask yourself to the prom. Somebody has to invite you.

First, let’s go back to a spring interview with Brett McMurphy of ActionNetwork.com, who told 93.7 The Fan that breakaway schools from the ACC would eventually double their media revenue if they landed in the SEC or Big Ten. That would involve breaking what appears to be ironclad ACC media deals that run through 2036, but we all know contracts in college sports were made to be broken.

McMurphy expounded:

“The unknown is: How big does the Big Ten or SEC get? Not tomorrow, not next year, but in five to six years, the Big Ten and SEC could be 20 teams — and if all hell breaks loose, could be 24 teams.”

(Narrator: “All hell is breaking loose.”)

“Those two conferences could do whatever they want,” he continued. “They could hold their own national championship. You’d be excluding (several) other Power Five schools, but (the SEC and Big Ten) could be a college version of NFL, one on Fox, one on ESPN, and do their own playoff. What would happen to the Pac-12? What would be left of ACC?”

Yes, and what about the Big 12, which was bolstered by the announced return of Colorado but which has lost all kinds of brand-name recognition over the past few years?

Those are pertinent questions for Pitt and West Virginia, and it’s a little scary to picture those two waiting for an invite to, say, a 48-team dance.

“I think Pitt would be fine in the musical chairs of conference realignment — if the Big Ten and SEC got up to 24 schools — but there’s no guarantee either way,” McMurphy said.

He stopped short of saying Pitt and West Virginia could be a package deal, but he did say their rivalry would help make them attractive. Every little advantage helps, as both would figure to be directly on the bubble if we’re looking at the 48 most attractive programs in America.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde last summer ranked the top 69 football programs on desirability, using a formula that included success on the field, academic ranking, attendance, all-sport success and TV ratings.

Pitt ranked 46th, West Virginia 48th, both behind the likes of Minnesota, Kentucky and Cal. Colorado was several spots behind but could rise dramatically with Deion Sanders taking over as coach. A TV ratings-based study by the site medium.com two years ago put West Virginia 30th and Pitt 44th in total TV viewers between 2015-19.

You get the idea. If there’s going to be a game of musical chairs, Pitt and WVU would at the very least experience some nervous moments before they found a seat. Both have attributes, of course. Pitt’s include a rich history, recent on-field success and a decent-sized TV market.

It’d be easier if the ACC and Big 12 would stabilize, but who in their right mind expects that?

As always, follow the money.

Joe Starkey: jstarkey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @joestarkey1. Joe Starkey can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.