So we were taking in Aaron’s first soccer game of the season this past Saturday morning when the pronouncements from guys with their noses in phones much nicer than mine started flying. “SEC expanding!” one said. Another cried “Texas A&M done deal, along with Missouri, Clemson, Florida State, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Tulane, Arkansas State, Louisville, Iowa, Boise State, Arizona State, Colgate, Furman, Samford, and Holy Cross!”
Ha! I kid.
Of course, everyone who cares knows by now that none of it’s happening—at least right now. It will eventually.
My conservative nature is on full display and high alert when it comes to these conversations. South Carolina and Arkansas have been in the conference 20 years, and I still think of them as “the new teams.” At least they (mostly) make sense geographically. Texas A&M and Missouri are stretching things, though I do appreciate that they’re at least contiguous.
Part of it is that I’m a bit of a traditionalist about some things. I enjoy that I watch essentially the same game my grandfather watched when he followed every chapter of Coach Bryant’s career, for example. But you know what the bigger part is, I think? I don’t care for being reminded so prominently of the business side of my favorite sport.
Another expansion will happen, and probably quite soon. Maybe when it does, it’ll elevate Arkansas and South Carolina to full SEC legitimacy in my mind.
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Although expanding into the Texas market makes sense from a TV revenue and recruiting standpoint, like you, I’m a bit of a purist. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And the premier league in college football is definitely not broken.
Besides, if you pick up A&M, you’ve got to keep the balance with a 14th team. Who’s that going to be? FSU? We already invited them in the ’80’s and they ran away from the challenge. Georgia Tech? Didn’t work out very well the first time. There’s not another sexy team that doesn’t come with a substantial downside, with the exception of Oklahoma. And they are most certainly not “southeastern”.
It is the SOUTH EASTERN Conference. If the school is not east of the Mississippi (I’m looking at you Arkansas) and south of the northern border of Tennessee (I’m looking at you Kentucky) then they are NOT in the south east. OK, I will let Kentucky slide since they were a founding member. Schools in North Carolina are pushing the limit.
Who could be added? Not FSU. They were asked once and went to the ACC so they could win, which they didn’t. They get a lifetime ban. Clemson maybe as an in-state rival for SC. Georgia Tech maybe as an in-state rival for Georgia but they would have to start playing SEC style defense.
IMAO, 10 was perfect, 12 is pushing it. Leave it alone. It isn’t exclusive if just ANYBODY can get in.
You are right. Expansion is coming. The funny thing is when fans try to point out that teams aren’t a fit or are too scared to join the SEC. If that were the case then Texas A & M would want no part of it. They haven’t exactly had their way in the Big12. These decisions are hardly based on the field. They are decided by the bank account. It seems they are upset with Texas and their Longhorn Network. Why would they be so worried about competing with just one team and go to a conference where four different teams have won the BCS in the last five years (if it was about winning footbal games)? FSU’s decision to join the ACC in 1991 was more financial than anything. Bowden had said that he would have preferred the SEC. Besides, by that year the SEC hadn’t won a National Championship since 1980. The ACC had two in that span.
The SEC probably isn’t interested in GT since all we bring to the table is the Atlanta market (which is HUGE), but guess what? Tech dhardly owns the Atlanta market, UGA does. No real gain there. IMO, Clemson isn’t coming either. When the whole 16 team mega conference thing happens, Tech’s only hope is that the BIG10/11/12>13 is interested in getting some kind of foot in the door in the south, or that the ACC blows everyone’s mind and finally shows a little proactivism and grabs some teams from the Big East. The SEC will probably look to the west.
Sort-of Eastern Conference?
I kind of see the 4 superconference thing happening. SEC, Big Ten, combo of ACC and Big East, combo of Big 12 and Pac-12.