Is it too late for the geniuses of conference realignment to consult Rand McNally?

Geographically, the following may not make total sense. These are all Power Five (soon to be Power Four) conference members:

Big Ten partners: Oregon and Rutgers, 2,899 miles

Soon not to be conference partners: Oregon and Oregon State, 48 miles

SEC partners: Georgia and Missouri, 734 miles apart

Not conference partners: Georgia and Georgia Tech, 79 miles apart

SEC partners: Oklahoma and Florida, 1,188 miles apart

Soon not to be conference partners: Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, 80 miles apart

ACC partners: Pittsburgh and Miami, 1,174 miles apart

Not conference partners: Pittsburgh and West Virginia, 75 miles apart

Big 12 partners: Cincinnati and Arizona, 1,797 miles apart

Not conference partners: Cincinnati and Kentucky, 82 miles apart

Big Ten partners: Nebraska and Maryland, 996 miles apart

Not conference partners: Nebraska and Kansas State, 136 miles apart

SEC partners: Kentucky and Texas A&M, 968 miles apart

Not conference partners: Kentucky and Louisville, 72 miles apart

Not conference partners: Texas A&M and Houston, 94 miles apart

Big 12 partners: Utah and UCF, 2,312 miles apart

Big Ten partners: Oregon and Rutgers, 2,899 miles apart

Big 12 partners: Kansas and Arizona, 1,161 miles apart

Not conference partners: Kansas and Missouri, 165 miles apart

Big 12 partners: Iowa State and Arizona State, 1,421 miles apart

Not conference partners: Iowa State and Nebraska, 225 miles apart

Big Ten partners: Iowa and Washington, 1,852 miles apart

Not conference partners: Iowa and Iowa State, 138 miles apart

Pac-12 partners: California and Stanford, 38 miles apart

Soon to be Mountain West partners? .

Big Ten partners: USC and UCLA, 14 miles apart

That one would make sense except ... they’re in the Big Ten!

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com