Should the SEC be proactive on expansion?

The answer is…NO!

• Link
• Report this comment

Add texas, TAMU to the west, Clemson and VA Tech to the east. Pretty balanced additions, adds more of the DC tv market (with VA Tech), all of the TX market, and locks down every talent base in the nation but cali. Game over.

• Link
• Report this comment

I think the SEC East should add another team and subtract the Georgia Bulldog football team. Until they are relevant, replace them.

• Link
• Report this comment

Clemson and Florida State to the East
Texas and Oklahoma to the West

But, that aint happening, the SEC cannot bring in 4 additional teams. It dilutes what the SEC is about and remaining at 12 continues a tradition of football excellence.

RomeDawg, nice point.

• Link
• Report this comment

Texas and TAMU would be great. Clemson,and VA Tech, IDK…adding Miami, as much as I hate to say it, should bring in some money.

• Link
• Report this comment

Add Clemson, FL State, Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, Ga. Tech.

Give Georgia and Vandy to the ACC.

• Link
• Report this comment

trade GT for USC so someone in the East can beat UF.

• Link
• Report this comment

but Paul Hewitt still couldn’t beat the SEC pathetic basketball teams.

We’re stuck with him, so who cares.

• Link
• Report this comment

I hope both the Big Ten and SEC don’t increase to 16 teams. If either or both does, would the football schedule have to increase as well? Each team plays 8 conference games. If there are 16 teams (eight in a division), UGA would only play each team from the SEC West every eight years. What would happen to the great rivalries of UGA-Auburn, Tenn-Ala?

On a side note, if the football schedule does increase accordingly, what does that say to the argument of not having a playoff b/c of the number of games currently played?

• Link
• Report this comment

this is all bs, if you expand all you do is dilute the BCS Bowl revenue. come on this is garbage

• Link
• Report this comment

add FSU and Miami to the East and Texas and Texas A&M to the West and declare the SEC winner the national champ each and every year.

• Link
• Report this comment

Ramble On,

You could not even beat Iowa, UF would absolutely dismantle GT.

Hell, you could not even beat UGA last year and UF throttled them.

• Link
• Report this comment

Kind of makes you wonder if Charlie Smart knew something when he took the Louisville job…

• Link
• Report this comment

The SEC should expand by two teams> Go after FSU and Clemson. They bring great fan bases and money to the table, while keeping the georgraphic integrity of the conference and tradition in tact.

• Link
• Report this comment

If you’re a Dawg fan, you don’t want Clemson in the SEC..It gives them validity and us another recruiting headache.

• Link
• Report this comment

NO NO NO NO

maybe Clemson & FSU but lets not expand for the sake of expanding

• Link
• Report this comment

[...] piece on whether the SEC should act now with expansion plans rather than wait to see what the Big 11 does. And here is the really delicate [...]

• Link
• Report this comment

i think the Big 12 emergence is the best thing to happen to college football in the past couple of years-still wish Penn State had joined the Big East way back when that would have been great conference as well (PSU, WVU, VT, Pitt, Syracuse, Miami,BC )

• Link
• Report this comment

No they don’t need to expand………let other divisions expand.

• Link
• Report this comment

Add Texas and Texas A&M and call it a day, or at least go hard after them.

If the Big 10 adds Nebraska or Mizzou (or both), then the Big 12’s future would be up in the air. At that point, the SEC would look mighty attractive to members of that conference.

Texas and Texas A&M would have to be a package deal, you won’t get Texas without A&M. Let Oklahoma dangle in the wind . . .

• Link
• Report this comment

Bring in Clemson, Ga Tech in the East, and Southern Miss, and Memphis to the west. The level of recruitment goes up, and Tech can take an annual A$$ kicking, while making UGA-Clemson relevant again. It also would draw alot of kids from the South and midwest to Memphis knowing they would have a chance to play in the SEC.

• Link
• Report this comment

So of you people are nuts. East Carolina? Marshall? Yeah, let’s two teams from CUSA who are afterthoughts in their own state. Memphis? Why would the SEC want them? They already have that town with Vol and Rebel fans. Southern Miss? Are you kidding me? Yeah, let’s have three teams from the poorest state in the country that has no major cities whatsoever.

If you want to think outside the box, besides Texas, TAM, and OK, other interesting options would include West VA, Va Tech, UNC. I don’t think GA Tech would add much of anything. Maybe Clemson and FSU.

• Link
• Report this comment

A requirement would have to be you must have at least a 70,000 seat stadium and you consistantly fill it up. That rules out Southern Miss, Memphis, East Carolina, Marshall and probably Miami. Anything less and the program is not really bringing anything to the table.

• Link
• Report this comment

I hope all of this happens. College Football is in need of a change and something like this could shake up the whole system. It would be fun to watch.

• Link
• Report this comment

Collegefootball does not need to change, it is the best sport in the US as it is.

The Big Ten does have to make up some ground somewhere to compete for national titles. IMO their claim that time off reduces their rankings is not valid. The Big10 getting blown out in BCS title games keeps them from being on top.

• Link
• Report this comment

Sleeze, S Car is in the SEC and they only way they are leaving is if the SEC kicks them out. Could you imagine the media fallout from kicking out a member for someone that would draw more money?

I do agree Clemson and S. Car do little to expand TV exposure.

• Link
• Report this comment

winterDawg, what if Texas, Tx A&M, Tx Tech, and TCU were the expansion teams. The Big12 has more rumbling of a split than all the other BCS conf. excpet for maybe the constant talk of the Big10 raiding the BigEast.

• Link
• Report this comment

GA Tech has a hard time getting 45k for their games. Atlanta is already an SEC town. Don’t see what they’d bring. 70k as a criteria is unrealistic. If that were the case, Vandy, Miss St, and maybe Ole Miss would have to go. I think if expansion is going to happen, you have to expand your footprint, not just fill in what you already have. That’s what the SEC did the last time they expanded, two new schools in two new states. That’s why the Texas schools, Va Tech, WV, and UNC make sense.

• Link
• Report this comment

Otto, I think that would be tremendous. Just don’t know if it’s a possiblity.

• Link
• Report this comment

TB, Where’s my earlier post? You can’t be that sensitive.

• Link
• Report this comment

I think the Big Ten is making a mistake in thinking about going to 16. If you’re lucky, the SEC will stick with their current 12. Due to the length of the ABC/ESPN contract, I think the SEC sticks with the status quo.

• Link
• Report this comment

If the Big10 takes Nebraska, Mizzou, and OU and Colorado moves to the PAC10 I see it as possible. The only move above that has been reported as possible and something that has been considered is the OU move.

I don’t understand the Big10’s logic in taking creampuff BigEast teams. The teams are a distant 2nd in the local market to NFL teams and have little national attention. The Big12 teams would up the national exposure. Michigan/tOSU/Penn St vs. Nebraska would generate national TV exposure coast to coast. Michigan/tOSU/Penn. St vs Pitt/Syracuse/Rutgers is Thursday night/Saturday regional material. Also remember JoePa kicked out the idea of the BigEast teams but the strongest rumors came from Mizzou and Nebraska.

• Link
• Report this comment

Granted but they should have joined in 92 instead of Arkansas. But see they can’t make request like that. Who knows where Bama or Auburn will be in 5 years. Look where Bama was 5 years ago. The ACC thought that adding Miami was going to make it so much stronger. Just go where you need to go and play the teams that are regionally near you. It’s college football the scene changes constantly. If FSU can’t stand to play Bama and Auburn every year like the other Western teams to then the SEC needs to say “no deal”. Go enjoy your small market ACC set up.

• Link
• Report this comment

Clemson is in by far the weakest division of the ACC, and they only made it to the ACC championship for the first time this past season. It’s not as if they’re dominating. They are competing, but that’s about it.

• Link
• Report this comment

*The only move that NOT been discussed is OU.

• Link
• Report this comment

Clemson has less tv market than Ole Miss, Miss State, Vandy or Kentucky? You obviously weren’t around in the early 80’s when UGA and Clemson were the center of the college football. They have the potential to be huge. To deny it is simply ignorant!

• Link
• Report this comment

[...] What if the Big Ten expands to 16 teams and one of them is Notre Dame? The subscriptions to its conference television network grow exponentially. It adds a conference championship game which would be very valuable. It will have incredible leverage in its next round of TV negotiations. What if the financial gap between the SEC and the Big Ten grows to $10 million per school? The SEC has a good thing going at 12, but does it stand pat? “The tricky part is that we (the SEC) would have to broaden our (geographical) footprint to increase the revenue enough to justify the move,” said former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer. “And that is not an easy thing to do.” Here is some more simple math: If SEC schools now make $17 million each year, to add four teams there would have to be a minimum increase of $68 million (4 times 17) in revenue. Are there four schools out there that could bring in that much revenue? And here is the really delicate part: Obviously if the SEC wanted to expand, the first phone call would be to Texas. Texas brings that kind of value and more. But if Texas says no, what are the SEC’s real options? Do they go to the ACC and take teams from a conference that just expanded? The ACC is currently in negotiations for its new television deals and the proposed numbers from the TV boys are not great. — Atlanta Journal-Constitution [...]

• Link
• Report this comment

Why can’t FSU? They would play more teams that have reularly been national title contenders since the late 70s than anyone in the country.

Who is to say FSU and Miami desn’t get things turned around again. VaTech wins some BCS bowls, and GT, BC, UNC do not become repected BCS level teams.

As you said things change I do not feel the SEC is as strong as it was 5 yrs ago and these other programs are on the rise.

• Link
• Report this comment

5IML, Those big money TX A&M guys maybe wanting out of the Big12 TV contract which gives more money to the teams making the bog bowls and BCS tourney than the contracts of other conferences. TX A&M is not what it was in the 90s.

• Link
• Report this comment

Klempsin? Why bring in the most egregious cheater in college football history? There wouldn’t even be an exit off I-85 for them if for the bought and paid for ‘81 championship. And they have done nothing in that league in over 20 years.

Better to get VT and pick up the Washington/Baltimore/VA market as well as East Carolina to sew up the Carolinas. Then go west and get Texas and TAMU. South Carolina would fight to keep Klempsin out as would UF to keep FSU out; etc.

• Link
• Report this comment

Why Not ???

• Link
• Report this comment

Change is inevitable, and the upcoming expansion of the Big 10 (11) will be just the first step in what will eventually become college football mega conferences. I expect Rutgers and Pittsburgh from the Big East and Missouri from the Big 12 to join the Big 10, and probably Notre Dame. That would give them 14 teams. 2 other possibles are Syracuse and Cincinnati. If 2-4 teams leave the Big East, then the remaining football schools will be forced to head elsewhere and the Big East will become a basketball only conference again.

I fully expect to see the Pac-10 as well as the SEC to follow suit. When this occurs, you will see teams that do not join those conferences to form their own.

I predict that within 5-10 years, you will see maybe 6 Super Conferences with 14-16 teams each with the rest of the smaller schools dropping down a level.

It’s all about money…

• Link
• Report this comment

The 16 team conference is an absurd idea. It is really going in the opposite direction because the conference would effectively be split into two 8 team conferences. If the SEC stayed with an 8 game regular season, each team would play 7 within its division and only 1 game against the other division. So some traditional rivalry games would be lost (Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia) or to maintain them by locking in one SEC West school with one SEC East school, the teams would never play regular season games against the rest of the other division. If they go to a 9 game schedule and drop all cross-division rivalry games, SEC West schools would only be playing particular SEC East schools twice every 8 years versus the current 4 times every 10 years (plus one every year cross-division rival).

If a 16 team SEC went with a 9 game conference schedule plus a conference championship game you could forget any meaningful regular season games versus other conferences, like Alabama-Penn State the next 2 years. Rivalry games like Florida-FSU and Clemson-South Carolina would probably be dropped unless FSU and Clemson came into the league with expansion.

Look at the unbalanced basketball schedule in the 16 team Big East to see what an unfair mess that would be.

• Link
• Report this comment

Memphis, Louisville and Cincy would add market and basketball cred to the league.

• Link
• Report this comment

Dawgboy, please explain how East Carolina would “sew up the Carolinas”? That school is in an armpit town. Eastern NC resembles AL or MS. They are at best, the third best program in that state, sometimes 5th or even 6th. Skippy Holtz just left town so I suspect they are in for a fall. They get next to no recruits in NC.

• Link
• Report this comment

“lets move Florida to the ACC”

If you can’t beat them join them

• Link
• Report this comment

Rambless On!!!,

How can GT ever beat UF….they only beat UGA once every 10 years?

• Link
• Report this comment

BitTimeTECHFan,

That explains why so many Tech Nerds join the UGA blogs everyday.

• Link
• Report this comment

I would add Ga Tech and Florida State….try to improve the SEC’s basketball performance with Tech.

• Link
• Report this comment

If the SEC is adding four, the first three targets should be FSU, Clemson, and GT. USC, UF, and UGA are at a disadvantage having that game set in stone as an OOC game every year. These three would have plenty of natural and historical rivalries with the existing SEC, and would make for good travel games (especially GT with the number of SEC alums living in Atlanta). Then take Louisville to beef up the bball side of the TV contract too.

The divisions could look like this (in annual cross-division rival order…so 1 plays 1, 2 plays 2, so on and so forth…..numbers 6-8 I didn’t really see a natural rivalry):

SEC East: UT, UGA, GT, Clemson, UF, USC, UK, Louisville
SEC West: Bama, Auburn, Vandy, LSU, FSU, MSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas

• Link
• Report this comment

NO!

• Link
• Report this comment

I thinking adding Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is the way to go and would expand the SEC footprint in a way Clemson and the other Fla. schools could not. They you would have a SEC West of Tex., Tex A&M, Okla., Okla. St., Ark., LSU, Miss. and Miss St. with an SEC East of Ala., Auburn, Tenn. Vandy, Ky., UGA, S.C. and Fla.

• Link
• Report this comment

Drop Arky and let them align with the Big XII (XVI). Pick up Clemson, Tech, Miami, FSU, and Louisville. God knows you don’t want Texas constantly competing for recruits from the southeast, they got enough as it is.

Texas could form it’s own conference, by the by. Maybe the Dust Bowl conference of teams from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

• Link
• Report this comment

I can promise you all of this is just wasted breath. Michigan can’t compete in the Big Ten as it is, they’re nott gonna go for adding competative teams to the Conference. Ohio State likes their free ride to the National Championship too. That expansion ain’t gonna fly without those two schools on board and I don’t see what they have to gain.

• Link
• Report this comment

It was Tony who mentioned this possibility a few weeks ago. It’s his story. Get your facts straight, I believe/scenario.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hey GatorinAthens, based on your relevance theory, Florida should have been excluded from the SEC thier entire football history until 1992. Amazing that it took that long to do at least something with the talent in your state at UF.

• Link
• Report this comment

You people don’t get it. The SEC would only add teams that can bring in football revenue, but do well enough in the other sports to garner some attention. Football is king to the SEC. In that scenario – Texas and Texas A&M from the Big 12; FSU, Clemson, or VA Tech from the ACC are the only logical additions that could be made. Miami could bolt IF they believe being in the same conference as FSU and Florida helps them both financially and athletically. Louisville is not happening and GT is not happening. Read the blog…..when the SEC does it, they do it BIG!

• Link
• Report this comment

CrazyVol,

Kentucky is always going to be good and Tennessee, and Florida will usually be fairly good. The rest of the SEC basically doesnt care about basketball and it wouldnt hurt their conference to have some other teams that will at least make an effort.

• Link
• Report this comment

Why in the world would the SEC EVER want GT? What do they bring to the conference? 50,000 seats in a half filled stadium, a downtown Atl campus with crime overrunning the area, no TV ratings, a basketball program struggling to be relevant, a very small women’s program. There is no financial benefit nor value to the SEC to add GT. This is about money.

Here’s the approach that could work. If the Big 10 adds Mizzou, ND and Neb, the SEC should seek Tex, A&M, OU and Rutgers. That would wrap up Tex and much of that part of the country, Rutgers would add the NY and Penn markets. Tex, OU, A&M play in the West with Aub, Ala, moving to the East Div. Natural rivalries are preserved, the SEC enters the TV mkt on the Eastern Seaboard. As for FSU, they had a chance to join the SEC and opted for the ACC; GT fled the conf, Miami brings nothing, Clempson offers no significant value.

The Big 12 would either expand by adding Houston, TCU, SMU or vanish. Colorado would likely bolt for the Pac 10 along with BYU and UNLV from the Mountain West and Fresno from the WAC.

It’s crazy.

• Link
• Report this comment

Being a Texas grad and resident of Atlanta, I would love to see Texas join the SEC as I would be able to see more of their games. However, I have to agree wtih the earlier comment regarding Texass not joining the SEC due to academics. This is very true as that was one of the challenges to overcome before Texas, Tx Tech, Baylor and TAMU joined the Big 12

• Link
• Report this comment

Andy Staples has a good column on the potential conference realignment at SI.com. The domino to set things off would likely be Missouri or Nebraska going to the Big 10 to give them a 12th team. That could put the rest of the Big 12 in play because their schools don’t collect nearly as much TV money as the Big 10 or SEC schools. I think the opportunity to grab Texas would be the only thing to motivate the SEC to expand. If they took Texas, Texas A&M would have to come with them. That would finish off the Big 12 and make the rest of the teams free agents, so the SEC would probably grab Oklahoma and Oklahoma State as well. I could see those 4 teams going in the SEC West with the 4 westernmost SEC schools: LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Miss. St. Alabama and Auburn could move to the SEC East.

Adding the high school talent base of Texas to the existing SEC geography would create a conference that nobody else could touch.

I still don’t want to see it happen but if that opportunity presented itself I couldn’t see the SEC turning it down.

• Link
• Report this comment

Basically all the ACC teams not in NC hate the ACC! Duke, NCSU, UNC and Wake are the ACC. All other teams would move if the call came. They get the bad calls in sports and are the step children of that league. Leave GT and their terrorist in the ACC with the other 4. Take Clem, FSU, Mia and Va Tech. Realign the divisions to North and South rather than East / West. Done AND DONE.

• Link
• Report this comment

“You have no pride or dignity left. We took it from you when we beat you down in the rose bowl.”

Typical barefoot Bama barf-breath blowhard. Beating UT without Colt was like beating Indy without Peyton or the Bulls without Jordan.

Word of the year is “Asterisk”…

• Link
• Report this comment

How would the scheduling work if there were 16 teams? Would you play the other 7 teams in your division every year and one from the other division every 8 years? Or would you have 3 divisions, play the other 3 teams in your division every year, rotate playing everyone in the one of the other two divisions every other year, and play your 8th game against a team that isn’t in the division you were playing that year?

No matter what you do, some great rivalries would be lost.

• Link
• Report this comment

No!!! There really is not a true SEC champion now because all members don’t play each other.

• Link
• Report this comment

aps,

Saying there is not true sec champion because not all members play each other is like saying their is no true super bowl champion because the eventual champion doesn’t play everyone in the NFL. Ot saying the NFC or AFC champion is not a true champion because they don’t play everyone in the conference. The sec champion is in fact a true champion because he plays all of his division opponents, half of the other division, and if the other division champion doesn’t play them in the regular season then they play them in the seccg. For example Bama beat all their division opponents last year and then 4 of the opponents in the east division. The only teams Bama didn’t play were cellar dwellar Vandy at 4-8 and Georgia at 7-5. Does this make the Bammers a non champion?

• Link
• Report this comment

I would prefer that the SEC stay as is; however, if the big 10 declares nuclear war through expansion the SEC’s decision is obvious…

Texas and AM for 13 and 14 and Oklahoma and Missouri (or OSU) for 15 and 16.

It makes zero sense for the SEC to pursue Clemson, FSU etc.- schools already in the SEC’s geographical territory.

• Link
• Report this comment

The only constant is change! It does appear that the big 10 will/has to expand..hopefully and logically that expansion will include only 1 additional addition…Notre Dame is is by far the most logical choice…HOWEVER their deliusional and arrogant belief that they are the Notre dame of old and ALL things to college IMO make their joining the big 10 highly unlikely..at least in the near future..that said, it will soon become a necessity on the part of the Irish!

As an old and long time avid follower of ALL things college football related..the concept of 4 16 team “super” conferences would drastically change the world of college football as we have know it would be no more! It would do away with too many 80 to 100 year rivalries…however in the now dollar driven world of college football..it is certainly possible!

From a “southern” college football perspective..there are deep seated issues that many of the younger fns may or may not know!

GT to the SEC….NEVER! Dodd and the “powers to be” at the time left the SEC…they were, according to them” bigger than the SEC…they wanted to be and thought they would be the Notre Dame of the south..make tons more money, etc! NOT!!
GT football never has nor never will be the GT of old since their departure from the SEC GT insiders and the old guard readily admit this privately!

When the SEC decided to expant to 12 teams…FSU and Miami were both tendered official letters of invitation to join the SEC! Both declined…Bowden later admitted during an interview on ESPN….”we choose the path of least resistance..in other words..a much easier schedule and much better chance of playing for championships…and he was right!

After being turned down by the SEC…Texas and Texas A&M were approached..they also declined! Arkansas and USCe were then added…a mistake!

IF the SEC does expand to 16 teams..and I dont think they will…rest assured GT will NOT be considered….in fact they have privately lobbied for years to be allowed to rejoin the SEC!

• Link
• Report this comment

Still Another Perspective,

Or like the referees beating Nebraska by putting a couple of seconds back on the clock in the BIG XII championship game so Texas could kick the game-winning field goal.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ L. Bo & winterDawg – dropping Arkansas would make sense, if not for the fact they’ve won more team championships than Georgia, Florida or any other SEC team over the NCAA’s history, not including football championships which would put them behind only LSU.

Total Team Championships in NCAA History with current SEC Teams (not including BCS)
Arkansas 43
LSU 42
UGA 26
Florida 19
Tennessee 15
Auburn 14
Kentucky 8
Alabama 4 (all in women’s gymnastics)
South Carolina 1
Vanderbilt 1
Ole Miss 0
Mississippi State 0

Since most people only care about football and the NCAA doesn’t sanction football national championships, here are the totals with football added:
Total Team Championships in NCAA History with current SEC Teams (with football championships added to total and individually in parenthesis, from College Football Warehouse)
LSU 46 (4)
Arkansas 44 (1)
UGA 28 (2)
Florida 22 (3)
Tennessee 19 (4)
Alabama 16 (12)
Auburn 16 (2)
Kentucky 8 (0)
Ole Miss 2 (2)
South Carolina 1 (0)
Vanderbilt 1 (0)
Mississippi State 0 (0)

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/champs_records_book/summaries/combined.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_I_FBS_National_Football_Championship#College_Football_Data_Warehouse_recognized_national_champions

Do your homework before posting.

• Link
• Report this comment

What’s with all the love for Clemson? They haven’t even won the ACC in a couple of decades.

• Link
• Report this comment

Add two teams…..Lowndes County in the East and Prattville, Al. in the West. RTR

• Link
• Report this comment

An even more hot burning question…………Does the back-up punter count towards Fulmer Cup points?? Don’t look now but there’s another article followed by “comments are closed”. Never good news at the ol AJC. Thanks for making us look not so bad down here…

• Link
• Report this comment

Tech’s not ready for the SEC and probably never will be. Who in their right mind would want to join the Big 10 (really 11)?

• Link
• Report this comment

Rufus, Plenty of teams could use the extra money including Big12, BigEast, and maybe even ACC schools.

• Link
• Report this comment

Gatorinathens…wanting Georgia replaced until they become relevent…that is funny…I guess under that logic Florida shouldn’t have even been let in until 1990

• Link
• Report this comment

GT leaving the sec was good idea at the time but the falcons hawks and braves changed things. if the lol guy fl couldnt beat ole miss in the swamp but wake forrest beat ole miss at ole miss in 08 so what should ole miss be the national champion in 08 because they were the only team to beat fl that year

• Link
• Report this comment

What?

RAMBLE ON!!!

April 21st, 2010
9:33 am
but Paul Hewitt still couldn’t beat the SEC pathetic basketball teams

If the SEC team are “pathetic” and you don’t have the ability to beat them–then, what does that make Ga Tech?

• Link
• Report this comment

funny how the AJC likes to close its blog when a UGA player is arrested !

• Link
• Report this comment

TB may have some inside scoop, but ND in the Big Ten, I will believe it when I see it. It has been tried for years. ND has an unbelievable contract with NBC. The money is 100% ND, nothing is given to 11 other schools. Unless the conference offers ND certain incentives in revenue sharing equal to their current deal, it is doubtful ND would give up their current deal.
THE BIG PICTURE: Concerning the conference expansions, too many options to mention. What needs to occur but never will, due to the greed of college athletic programs, is to design 4 super conferences of 16 teams each. Teams that don’t compete within a certain timeframe are rotated out and an independent rotates in. Again, it won’t ever happen, forget all the other obstacles, the pure economics of the current “system” containing a zillion bowl games, would squash this plan.

• Link
• Report this comment

If the SEC was to expand texas and UNC would be at the top of there list. Both schools are among the top brands in America and both would bring the SEC into huge tv markets where these two universities dominate there respected states. Depending on how the expansion of the big10/sec starts to shape up if the acc is going to be raided and left as a very weak conference I believe UNC would jump. The only issue with UNC jumping would be if the state law makers would allow them to make the jump without NC state and well no body wants state.

• Link
• Report this comment

Oh, and how is it a big PR hit for the SEC to raid other conferences for expansion, but no one questions the Big Ten?

• Link
• Report this comment

Finally, you just know that EA Sports is begging for the Big Ten to expand to 16. EVERYONE will have to buy a new NCAA game.

• Link
• Report this comment

NO…..it is great now. Why would we want to go and do something like that…..because the big 11 does it??? The SEC is ALL about tradition and we are in a current 2 year cycle of playing non traditional rivals now. I don’t want to wait another two years to beat bammer. WoooooooooooGo Dawgs!

• Link
• Report this comment

Call it snobbery if you like, but none of the original ACC members would ever leave the ACC for the SEC. They are more concerned about their academic character than about football, although UNC, UVa, , Clemson, GaTech and NCState, have as much upside in football (and more in BB) as any team in the SEC, with the probable exception of Fl and Al. UNC has more capability than any SEC school in sports and academics. It is a school that all kids want to attend.

• Link
• Report this comment

TX, TAMU, OU, and Kansas would be superior adds to the SEC.

East:UF, UGA, UT, USC, UK, Vandy, Bama, AU
West: LSU, MSU, OM, AR, TX, TAMU, KS, OU

• Link
• Report this comment

East – GA, FL, FSU, Clem, SoC, Tenn, KY, Aub

West – ALA, MS. OMiss, LSU, Arky, Tex, TAMU, TCU

Tata Vandy – to ACC

• Link
• Report this comment

per my comment – You add Dallas and Houston TV, give SoCar a reason to beat Clem, and take over as predominant Conf in Florida w/o taking the thugs

• Link
• Report this comment

What’s all this nonsense about Texas and the ACC schools being so worried about their “academics”? What BS. Are we to believe that the football players at Texas or at ACC schools are all geniuses? Are they all rocket scientists in training? What does academics have to do with the football players when everyone knows the football players at all schools aren’t exactly scholars. What a load of BS.

The ACC certainly has higher academics with 4 private schools including Duke, Wake, BC, Miami. And the public schools like UVA and UNC may be better than say Miss. State but what does that have to do with the football players? Same with the big 12 teams like Texas.

• Link
• Report this comment

SEC fan, are you saying that Clowney is a non-qualifier? Pls answer.

• Link
• Report this comment

Sec fan, if you realign the conferences then you are changing more then just football. It affects all other sports and academics as well. Some conferences are stronger in areas other then football and if they leave for football reasons then they can potentially hurt their other programs including academics. Not everything is about football.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hugo, Cat’s fly,

I understand that overall that the academics in the ACC are a little higher, more rigorous than in the sec. I don’t have a problem stating that. What I’m not buying is the argument that you’re changing the other sports, that you’re changing academics just because you join another conference. That is utter nonsense and a cop out. UNC recruits the same caliber athletes as the sec schools. This Clowney could go to UNC just as well as he could to UGA. You guys are just making some vague statements that somehow or another affects all other sports and academics as well as Hugo says. What I am saying is how? How does a realignment affect all other sports and academics if ACC and SEC schools pretty much pursue the same athletes anyway? How?

• Link
• Report this comment

Dost,

And where exactly do Clemson and FSU fit into your argument? Are those academic powerhouses that somehow blow away the entrances requirements of Georgia from the SEC? Or Vandy of the SEC? Please point out to me how Clemson and FSU of the ACC are superior to UGA or especially Vandy?

• Link
• Report this comment

Are VT and NC State also academic powerhouses like Clemson and FSU? I’ve dated girls from Duke and Wake and I’ve never heard these schools mentioned in the same breath as UNC, UVa, Wake, Duke, Miami or BC.

• Link
• Report this comment

he folks, wise up and do the math!

the best option would be to get Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, and OSU – biggest bang for the buck!

the second best option would be 4 BIG ACC schools.. say UNC, NC State, FSU, and Clemson!

while UL, UC, Miami, duke, memphis, etc.. all have points – you are looking at going for NEW markets not overlapping ones (goodbye UL and memphis types) – and going for BIG schools not small ones (goodbye miami and duke types).

If you take texas and UNC you will also have to take their sister school (A&M and NC State) so you would have to compute how much the “sister” school brings to the current SEC members. Keep in mind that Clemson and FSU are already covered by the SEC “footprint” so bring in little added value (no offense to either school, this is a revenue discussion not a personal preference discussion).

for the sake of the argument, no bashing your fellow SEC members (ie Fatty saying “tata to Vandy”)

i for one would prefer a proactive SEC to a reactive one!

• Link
• Report this comment

Drunk and disorderly? If a back-up punter is arrested in downtown Athens in the wee hours of the morning I guess it does make a noise.

• Link
• Report this comment

Yeah, the SEC should allow Hawaii and Washington State in. Maybe we could also allow Harvard or Princeton in as well.

• Link
• Report this comment

The reason Richt has such a good tan is that he goes into his tanning booth every time a player is arrested, to decide the punishment. He is in there now.

• Link
• Report this comment

Virginia should be looked at? What are they any good at and they have some of the rudest fans I’ve been aorund.

A little more perspective, that is amusing

Do the math, The SEC has the contracts with the media and money to react quickly if chips start falling but I do not see the SEC pushing the dominoes over. The SEC has it good now, why risk something that may not work? I am sure Slive and the guys in B’ham are well aware of what is going on. Further Texas and Oklahoma are not doing anything unless the Big12 is seriously threatened which as I have stated is possible.

• Link
• Report this comment

Sounds like everyone would love to be a commissioner, but no one including the NCAA has the power to direct conference reorganization. It would seem to me that if the “haves” choose to create a super tier, they should lose their non-profit, tax-exempt status. Non-profits are supposed to be educational and/or charitable organizations existing for the public good. Acting so selfishly, in the name of business or profit , should jeopardize a school’s ability to receive tax-deductible donations. Athletic competition should take place on the field, not in the board rooms of television networks.

• Link
• Report this comment

“I don’t see any need for the SEC to expand but, if they were to, I think FSU and Virginia Tech are the most logical choices.”

The SEC doesn’t need anymore thug schools. We already have TN and UGA.

• Link
• Report this comment

Imitation is the best form of flattery. Thanks to the gal who stole my blog handle.

• Link
• Report this comment

I’m here. I’m queer. I’m proud. And I’m gonna say it loud! I’m here. I’m queer….

• Link
• Report this comment

Hogfanexpat,

Well said. As a Bama fan I appreciate having Arkansas in the west. If people want to boot Ark please understand though that its solely because of geography and nothing else.

I tend to agree with your post. Having Ark gives the division a lot more balance then what you have in the east. With Ark you have in any given year 4 legit programs that can win the division and I honestly think that having Ark gives the west a slight advantage over the east as far as total overall balance and strength. Historically in the east its been only 3 with UGA, UF, UT. In the west 5 different teams have won the division and I believe Ark has won it 3-4 times.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Not too many Razorback fans posting here”

or anywhere for that matter.

• Link
• Report this comment

“As a Bama fan I appreciate having Arkansas in the west.”

Yeah, it gives Bama another state in which to compare inbred women with.

• Link
• Report this comment

I really think the Big Tenleven is going to expand to 16. They know they will be able to cash in and as folks know screw tradition, its all about the $$$. For what its worth I think they’ll nab Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and Missouri.

When this happens I think the SEC will raid the ACC and pluck off FSU, VT, Miami and Clemson. All four schools are ruled by football and will bring more $$$ in for the SEC. Heck, FSU/UM is the highest rated game ever on ESPN. If this happens I’d expect more of a North/South alignment to the conference.

As for the rest of the ACC, Duke/UNC/Wake and NCState would probably be happy to remain an 8 team conference dominated by baseketball. Those 4 are stuck in the 1960’s…

• Link
• Report this comment

If is ain’t broke don’t fix it. The SEC is the best, why add average teams and hope to be better.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Just throwing out silly insults and calling everybody inbred? Coming up with disparaging handles like Tim Tebow cried. Hiding behind a keyboard acting like a tough guy.”

LOL! No, I just like to mess with Bama fans like you.

“As for Tim Tebow he has accomplished more at 22 than you will ever achieve in your whole pathetic little life.”

And you know this how?

“But then I guess there will always be little people loser types like you trying to bring down bigger people like Tebow.”

Pot meet kettle.

“Pathetic but kinda sad too that there are people like you. You have my sympathy.”

Awe, poor whittle bama fan.

• Link
• Report this comment

“The SEC is the best,”

Famous last words.

• Link
• Report this comment

South Georgia Nole,

Those 4 would make more sense but I still think the alignment would be more east/west. I think if we did that FSU would join the west, VT and Clemson the east. Miami would join the west division even though geographically it wouldn’t make sense. It wouldn’t matter because no matter which division Miami would join the fans of the opposing division team would have to fly to a Miami game or at least make one hell of a drive. It would make more sense to have Tech instead of Miami and have Tech join the west division. Another pitfall though is that both Miami and Tech have smaller football crowds with only 50,000 each game which is way below SEC standards.

• Link
• Report this comment

I take it back. If FSU, Miami, VT, and Clemson joined the SEC we would move UT to the west and add FSU to the west which also makes geographic sense and add Miami and VT to the east which also makes geographic sense. UT would have no problem moving to the west and FSU is close to LSU, AU, Bama and so it only makes sense to have FSU in the west also. Problem solved.

• Link
• Report this comment

RevenueControl

Why would you punt Auburn to the ACC but keep Arkansas or Ole Miss?

• Link
• Report this comment

“You have a point about Tech and Miami’s fan bases being small”

Miami has more national titles than most teams in the SEC.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Mid-90s – Florida – 1 NT
Late-90s – Tennessee – 1 NT
Early to Mid-00s – Georgia & LSU UGA: 0 NT. LSU- 2
Late 00s – Florida – 2
Current – Alabama” – 1

Hardly dominating. UGA never dominated anything.

• Link
• Report this comment

“You have a point about Tech and Miami’s fan bases being small”

“Miami has more national titles than most teams in the SEC.”

I agree with that. That is why even though they don’t pack the stands they are attractive due to on field success and the tv ratings they bring in.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hogfanexpat

You left off Auburn 2004 which, besides BAMA, is the ONLY other team to go undefeated in the SEC since TN.

UGA, LSU, FL………..never went undefeated……………

• Link
• Report this comment

“That is why even though they don’t pack the stands they are attractive due to on field success and the tv ratings they bring in.”

Don’t forget the convicted felons……

• Link
• Report this comment

That Auburn team was great and should have gone to the championship game. I don’t think any unbeaten SEC team will ever get abused like that in the future. But I was looking for a few years in a row of dominance, and AU doesn’t qualify based on that criterion.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Clemson is a natural candidate.”

Clemson is the Miss St of the ACC.

• Link
• Report this comment

“I don’t think any unbeaten SEC team will ever get abused like that in the future.”

Uh, you must not pay attention to the BSBCS. Many teams have been abused by that flawed over-hyped system.

• Link
• Report this comment

I live in ACC country, which can be frustrating during football season. I hear a lot about Clemson and (to a lesser extent) NC State as schools that are always on the cusp of putting their football programs back into regular contention. The difference is that the Clemson people talk about that in terms of the national stage, whereas the NC State people just want to be relevant in the ACC.

I wouldn’t say that Clemson is the Miss State of the ACC, though. Miss State will always have trouble staying ahead because it is the “second school” in a small state, whereas Clemson has real football tradition. I think if you look at it historically Clemson has to be considered a much stronger program that SC. And I like SC.

• Link
• Report this comment

“The difference is that the Clemson people talk about that in terms of the national stage”

TALK being the key word there.

• Link
• Report this comment

“And you’re right, but they didn’t go the SEC Championship game that year.”

No but they beat Florida and LSU.

“But it was the Hogs playing Florida in Atlanta.”

And the Hogs got their arses kicked………. Oh and Auburn finished with a better record than AK.

“And other than 2004, it hasn’t felt like Auburn has dominated in a long time.”

You can thank Tommy Tubberville for that! Chizek is building the program back up and it’s only a matter of time before they get back into it.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hogfanexpat

Three teams have been dominate in the SEC for the past 4 years. Florida, LSU and Bama. So………….

• Link
• Report this comment

I think you’re missing my point. Zoom out on your camera angle. And wipe the Auburn out of your eyes. You can be a fan and still talk about things reasonably.

The LSU / Florida / Bama succession is exactly what I pointed to in my original post on this thread. You can make the case that there was overlap between LSU’s and Florida’s dominance (as one faded and the other jumped in the lead. And I think most people would say that Florida was the dominant team until Bama toppled them in the SEC title game this past year. Even if the contender is better than the champ, the champ is still the champ until he gets beat.

I was just soliciting opinion for people who were interested in talking about the state of the conference. So if you don’t want to engage in that, then don’t.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Zoom out on your camera angle. And wipe the Auburn out of your eyes.”

HUH?

“So if you don’t want to engage in that, then don’t.”

Sounds like someone has a chip on their shoulder. Maybe McFadden can fix it….wait, where is he again?

• Link
• Report this comment

“I meant it in terms of being the dominant power in the conference ”

So why did you include UGA in your list?

• Link
• Report this comment

“But I was looking for a few years in a row of dominance, and AU doesn’t qualify based on that criterion.”

How is UGA in that list? They were good in 2002 and 2007. If my math is correct, that’s 5 years apart……

Hardly “few years in a row of dominance.”

• Link
• Report this comment

“My main interest was in talking about where we are and what will happen in the next 2-3 years.”

But unless you’re Ms. Cleo and can see into the future, you have no idea what will happen. Heck, Saban could get Bama put on another few years of probation for all you and I know.

• Link
• Report this comment

I believe UGA won the SEC in 2002 and 2005 and won the SEC East in 2003 and finished 2nd in the country in 2007.

Every five years?

UGAY must have gone to Valdosta State

• Link
• Report this comment

“I believe UGA won the SEC in 2002 and 2005 and won the SEC East in 2003 and finished 2nd in the country in 2007.”

2002 and 2005 hardly count as being dominant in the SEC. Especially since they won…….ZERO national titles. Same with 2007.

OH but they did get the pre-season number one ranking in 2008. What happened?????

“UGAY must have gone to Valdosta State”

Try Duke ma’am. Class of 1999.

• Link
• Report this comment

Why not just expel UGA for thuggery and add one team?

Why is it that every time the AJC reports another UGA player arrested, the AJC does not allow any comments? Well, heck, we all know why – it’s just gotten so incredibly humiliating for so many players at UGA to be arested every year, especially when the number at Georgia Tech is zero.

The difference is that Tech doesn’t recruit the semi-literate goons and felons that UGA does, but the AJC can’t bring itself to print the truth.

Selah

• Link
• Report this comment

“AU was very good also but I get tired of hearing about the 2004 crap. Everyone knows USC woulda beat the hell outta Auburn that year. The same senior class at USC whupped Auburn 23-0 in Auburn the year before and 28-14 the year before that.”

Oh, so now we’re going on what happened the year before??????? Bama logic at it’s finest.

Auburn 2004 beat more ranked teams than Bama 2009 did. Both the 2009 Bama and 2004 Auburn team match up just about even. Auburn’s defense gave up less points that year than Bama’s 2009 team.

USC played TWO ranked teams that year. TWO!

“In the title game USC blew out unbeaten OU 55-19 while Auburn struggled to beat VT 16-13.”

Well, that struggling VT team almost upset that unbeaten USC team that same year.

“AU didn’t get to play for it but if they had USC would have destroyed them for a 3rd consecutive year. ”

No they wouldn’t. Typical BS from an inbred Bama hillbilly.

Utah much?

• Link
• Report this comment

(FYI – Tide Rising, I was the one saying UGA should get credit as a dominant team in that era. UGAY was the one arguing against it.)

• Link
• Report this comment

Tide Rising, I don’t think you can make an assumption about who would have won between USC and Auburn in 2004 because of what happened the year before and the year after when they met with different teams.

Miami was expected to crush Alabama in the 1993 Sugar Bowl and instead it was the other way around. Ohio State was favored over Florida after the 2006 season and Florida killed them. Then you have the Penn State team that intercepted Testeverde 5 times and beat a heavily favored Miami team (after the ‘86 season I believe).

Auburn got a raw deal in 2004 just like Alabama did in 1966. They did all they could in a major conference and didn’t get a shot to play for the championship.

• Link
• Report this comment

DP,

No one knows for sure what would have happened had they played but I think its pretty reasonable to believe USC would have destroyed AU that year. JMHO of course.

• Link
• Report this comment

I like the idea of going to 14 or 16 teams. Tx and TX A&M are great choices. West Va, Va Tec, Louisvile and Cincy would also make good choices.

• Link
• Report this comment

Since there are a couple of Bama and Auburn fans on right now, let me ask: What do people in Alabama say about Ryan Mallett? I know he gets the obligatory Heismann chatter on ESPN and elsewhere, but do Bama and Auburn fans bring him up when looking at the fall schedules and what it is going to take to do well in the West?

I’m always curious to know how my school is perceived in other schools’ eyes. But with Mallett and our returning RBs and WRs, that is particularly the case this year.

• Link
• Report this comment

Bama hypocrisy,

Bama set a record by being the first team ever to beat 10 bowl teams in a year and only the 2nd team ever to go 14-0. AU did not do that. Bama also played a great VT team out of conference. Go back and look at AU’s nonconference schedule in 2004 with 2 of their 3 ooc teams being double a opponents. That ooc schedule is why OU got into the title game and you did not. End of story.

Your stats are also a little off. AU gave up less points in 2004 then Bama did in 2009 because you played one less game and because your 3 ooc opponents were too laughable to bring up. Did you play a VT ooc that year? Nope. Did you beat 10 teams with winning records and 10 bowl teams? Nope. You won your bowl game by 3 while beat back a 13-0 Texas team by 16 pts. And before that we beat a 12-0 Florida team that finished 13-1 by 19 pts. We also beat the winners of the last 4 bcs titles in one season. Chew on that one awhile. We set a record and had more 1st team all americans than any team ever. Next time you get left out of a bcs title game take a look at your ooc schedule before you complain.

• Link
• Report this comment

Hogfanexpat, after watching Mallett and his receivers light up Georgia’s defense in the first 3 quarters last year I thought they looked unstoppable. I couldn’t believe Alabama held them to 7 points. But as it turned out a lot of teams had huge passing games against Willie Martinez’s defense last year.

When I look at Alabama’s schedule this year, the game that gives me the most concern is at Arkansas, because of Mallett and the receivers, because it’s on the road and because Alabama’s secondary will be very young (but very talented) and it will be the first big test for them. I expect Petrino will have some ideas of how to attack Saban’s defense based on the game last year. I hope the Arkansas defense is as porous as it was last year because Alabama may need to score a lot of points to win that game.

• Link
• Report this comment

A 32 year old pukie on a UGA blog-priceless.

No football tradition at all and you call us UGAY?

Maam? I’m 6′4″ 255 lbs and have asked several nerds like you to meet me face to face to discuss our differences but none of you has agreed.

UGA class of 1983. I’m 16 years younger than you and I’d still wipe the mat with you gerbil boy.

Why don’t you go pitch your tent in K-ville and leave the football to real teams at real schools that actually have a program.

• Link
• Report this comment

DawginLex, all that, and you still have not grown up!

• Link
• Report this comment

Add Clemson (e)and Fla State (w) in a perfect world you could ditch Vandy , then let Ark go back to the Big 12 like they supposedly want to do. We would then have a stronger 12 team league..if not go wth 14..and this would mean a bigger footprint because you would lock up Fla as Miami isnt really the south and has a crappy fan base.I would like to see a 9th conf game regardless. beats playing La Lafayette or Coastal Carolina.

I dont see texas joining the SEC..maybe the Big 10 or maybe the Pac 10..but not the SEC.

• Link
• Report this comment

I can tell you that Arkansas fans do not want to go to the Big XII. I don’t know where that talk comes from. What they want is to be able to play Texas and Texas A&M in football – their two biggest rivals from the old SWC. They did a home & home with Texas a couple of years ago, and now they’ve got an ongoing contract to play A&M down in Dallas. But Hogs fans on the whole don’t care a whit for the Big XII and are happy being in the most competitive conference in the country.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Bama set a record by being the first team ever to beat 10 bowl teams in a year and only the 2nd team ever to go 14-0. AU did not do that.”

Well no $hit, Auburn only played 13 games that year, moron. They beat 6 top 25 teams including the defending national title LSU Tigers.

Oh and Saban has a losing all-time record against Auburn.

• Link
• Report this comment

“Why don’t you go pitch your tent in K-ville and leave the football to real teams at real schools that actually have a program.”

Take your own advice and leave. UGA hasn’t had a football team since 2007.

• Link
• Report this comment

I love UGA fans who talk big about their mediocre football program. You morons have not celebrated a title since 1980.

Hershell Walker was a hack!

• Link
• Report this comment

At least I don’t date blow up dolls gerbil boy.

• Link
• Report this comment

To match the Big 10 and remain the #1 conference, the SEC should expand to at least 14 teams and maybe 16. Ga Tech and Clemson would bolt for the SEC in a heartbeat and maybe go after NC State and Florida State to make it 16.

• Link
• Report this comment

Who gives a rat’s a$$ about the Big 10? They could expand to 20 teams, and still wouldn’t have but one competitive team in the conference……nor would they be able to beat an SEC team in a BCS Bowl. What’s THE osu now, 0-9 against the SEC in Bowls? Little brother syndrome at it’s finest…..Can’t beat ‘em, then try to keep up, and keep on thumping your chest.

• Link
• Report this comment

I respect Auburn but their ooc schedule kept them out of the title game in 2004. It was very weak.

Perhaps the Dawgs didn’t win any national titles but they were very strong in 2002, 2005 and 2007. They also played in the SECCG in 2003.

• Link
• Report this comment

16 teams in the Big 10 is crazy, on the face of it. But, if 4 of these super-conferences were formed, there is your 64 team NCAA championship playoff field. Of course there will be arguments as to whether a team like Colorado State belongs, or Boise State; Wyoming, or Fresno State; etc.

Georgia could find itself in the Southern Conference-East; Tech could be in the Eastern Conference-South. Duke, Vanderbilt, Temple, Hawaii, UAB, the service academies, etc. would be relegated to Div. I-AAA.

It still sounds crazy. Something that a bunch of politicians that want to rewrite the U.S. Constitution might do. Me, I’ll move to Guam.

• Link
• Report this comment

Texas and aTm are the only realistic options for expansion of market share. If the SEC just had to go to 16, I would say that FSU and Miami would round it out. That gives the conference two of the three biggest recruiting states in the nation.

• Link
• Report this comment

16 teams in one conference?

Are you kidding?

Let the Big 10 expand to TWENTY teams and continue to water itself down like a weak drink. I’ll stick with the methodology of the toughest conference in college football, i.e., the 101 proof bourbon of the SEC!

Delany hasn’t half the brain of Slive. Expansion, in and of itself, is not the answer. The most obvious example of expansion failure is the ACC. Though their conference is bigger, their national competetiveness is no greater. Oh sure, the money the conference makes may be greater, but the ACC still can’t compete with the SEC on the football field.

Strenthening conferences should be tantamount for commissioners. Thus, adding a weak Notre Dame team to an already weak Big 10 Conference does nothing to bolster the conference. Rather than expanding, conferences should increase the level of play at their respective schools and this will in turn rejuvenate conference status. What better example of this is there than in last year’s Pac 10 Conference? The Pac 10 was not as good as the SEC, but the conference’s ability to compete on the national stage was not due to expansion. Instead, it was the coaches and players that made the conference the second best in the country.

Expansion accounts for only part of the SEC’s greatness. No other conference has the history, tradition, etc. of the SEC. Furthermore, the coaches and the players in this conference are, by far, the country’s best. Other conferences will try to compete with the SEC for natioanl attention, but they’ll continue to fail as long as they continue to ignore level of play to the preference of expansion.

• Link
• Report this comment

Well, here we are again talking about CHANGE! Be careful what you wish for. Everybody wanted change with the presidency and well YOU got it alright. No changes needed-The SEC already owns the NC games.

• Link
• Report this comment

A 16 team conference is not going to happen. What a nightmare that would be. 12 seems to be the perfect balance. Any conference that calls itself the “big whatever number” and is really the “big whatever number plus one more” is a joke in itself. The only reason these fools are considering expansion is to balance the scales and schedule a conference championship. Any teams that would consider to be a part of the 16 team super conference are nothing but strap hangers along for the ride. And by the way, ND isn’t going to join any conference. They are way too ego driven and self important to stoop as low as to be a run of the mill conference member.

• Link
• Report this comment

Is Emory getting a football program?

• Link
• Report this comment

“I respect Auburn but their ooc schedule kept them out of the title game in 2004. It was very weak. ”

They beat 6 top 25 teams. 4 more than USC. 5 more than Oklahoma…….

USC and Oklahoma had weaker schedules.

• Link
• Report this comment

Comments re various points:

(1) If it is all about TV, why am I the only person who has mentioned TCU as a means to get Dallas TV market. Dump Vandy!
(2) You would never want Oklahoma State, unless you got Oklahoma, which is very, very unlikely.
(3) Virginia Tech has spent the past 30 years trying to get INTO the ACC. They aren’t going anywhere.
(4) The only ACC school that would move to SEC is Clemson. They are a ridiculed step child in the ACC and would leave. None of the others would except, perhaps, FSU. Miami views itself as Eastern, not Southern.
(5) West Virginia does not fit anywhere, really. They have lots of hick fans (just like us. Geographically, they might as well be in Pennsylvania. The Big Ten and ACC would look down their noses at them. They are sort of hosed. If the Big East folded, they may end up in C-USA.
(6) No one here has any real idea what the Big Ten is REALLY thinking. The 16 team thing is all about how they think Notre Dame perceives it – it is to get Notre Dame to join. Beyond that theory, I do not have a clear understanding as to how people who live north of the Ohio River think.

• Link
• Report this comment

If the SEC became a 16 team conference, it would probably break up a number of traditonal rivalies. Each team could play every team in its division, but would have room for only one in the other division. So would Georgia and Auburn play only once every eight years?

I’d rather see the SEC contract (I know, it not a real possibility). Make an offer that Mississippi State and Vanderbilt can’t refuse.

• Link
• Report this comment

The SEC would look to the ACC if they want another homecoming opponent for the conference.

• Link
• Report this comment

why would somebody want to kick Arkansas out of the SEC? They’re pretty solid most years(trust me) and they pack the stadium full every year. They have no other major sports in arkansas so the razorbacks are what they live for(everyone that lives in AR is a hog fan). It makes for some very wild fans and a great environment to play in.

Just a question?

• Link
• Report this comment