It’s the off-season so it must be time to talk conference expansion! Texas and Oklahoma are looking at the SEC according to Yahoo Sports Pete Thamel? This might have some legs to it.
After speaking with several sources all around college athletics, the sense is these conversations are very real and could move quickly. The next step in a potential process would be OU and Texas communicating their plans to the Big 12 before formally expressing interest to the SEC.
Sources familiar with the Big 12 call tonight said there weren’t a lot of fireworks. There was a lot of process and legal talk about league bylaws if Texas and OU left. They went through buyout scenarios and timelines of different years they could potentially depart.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 23, 2021
That is a stunning development. Could it really happen? The SEC would become the first 16 team super conference, and we could be headed towards four 16 team super conferences?
Just how exactly could this affect the ACC?
Well if the Oklahoma and Texas leave, you can expect the Pac 12 to expand east. Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, and TCU would be a nice get for the Pac 12. Do they offer a spot to BYU? The Big 10 will look to expand I’m sure, could they pick up Kansas and possibly Iowa State or Kansas State.
Obviously that leaves one school that could jump to the ACC – That’s West Virginia as the ACC would completely lock up the eastern seaboard.
And please on the Academic elitism as a road block to West Virginia. When it comes to college athletics, that’s completely gone out the window. Any last bastion of amateurism and academics, died with NIL and a wide open transfer market. High end College Athletics was pretty much a business, and now the blinders are off. It’s about branding football, eyes on games, and compelling matchups. West Virginia offers that with their regional neighbors in the ACC.
With West Virginia in house, ACC eyes move towards the Holy Grail of Notre Dame. Your guess is as good as mine where their head is at if Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC. Notre Dame loves their independence and that’s fact. They could have joined the Big 10 years ago, and made millions more than they do now. Now if they join a conference it’s the ACC… period.
Cincinnati wouldn’t be a bad add, but they don’t move the needle, but I’d add them if Notre Dame joins and you lose interest in West Virginia.
What should concern the ACC is if Notre Dame doesn’t join – which is a very real possibility, the SEC additions of Texas and Oklahoma make the SEC revenue possibilities go through the roof.
You think the gap is big now, even the Big 10 can’t feel good about what just happened.
Maybe it’s time to think outside the box, and consider setting made for TV agreements between the Big 10, ACC, and Pac 12 to combat what the SEC may be about to do.
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