AP Top 25 Podcast: What lies ahead for Power 5 conferences?

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2020, file photo, LSU celebrates after their win against Clemson in a NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans. The photo was part of a series of images by photographer David J. Phillip which won the Thomas V. diLustro best portfolio award for 2020 given out by the Associated Press Sports Editors during their annual winter meeting. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) (David J. Phillip, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A big two has emerged within the Power Five.

On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins the AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the future of the Power Five conferences.

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The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have surged from their P5 peers in terms of generating revenue. Is there any reason to think that won’t continue? What hurdles do the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Pac-12 have to overcome to close the gap? Could expansion or realignment be on the table?

The Power Five might benefit from aligning their interests, but that’s a difficult ask for competitors.

Plus, why eight teams might not be enough for the next evolution of the playoff.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://APpodcasts.com

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25