Conference expansion: What is next for the ACC and SEC
We are back sports nuts.
I've been neck-deep covering high school sports for the past year, and it is high time I get back to the blog.
You thought it was over, but college football expansion is still the hot topic.
The Big 12 is set to add TCU and West Virginia; The ACC is adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse (great moves for basketball); Conference USA is adding five schools; and the SEC is adding Texas A&M and Missouri.
But a new rumor is spreading that the Big 12 is looking to get back to its namesake and field 12 schools.
It seems the big name is Florida State, with the other school ranging anywhere from Clemson, Cincinnati and Louisville.
Believe what you will with this, but I think this has a strong possibility. Geography doesn't matter, with West Virginia joining, and how knows, maybe the Big 12 wants to set up in the Sunbelt of the United States, and adding FSU and, let's say, Clemson would expand the conference's TV revenue.
Of course, if that happens, the ACC will need to add some schools, and losing a founding member in Clemson would hurt the conference as a whole.
I question why Clemson would want to leave:
-You just won your football conference and are favored to repeat this year
-You look to be on the right track in basketball.
-If you hate dealing with North Carolina and Duke running the conference, you think it will be better in the Big 12 with Texas running the show?
If this happens though, look for the ACC to go after either Rutgers, East Carolina, South Florida, Central Florida, Florida International or Florida Atlantic.
Of course, if the Big 12 expands, it makes sense the SEC will want to keep up.
If the Big 12 gets to 12 actual teams, the SEC still has 14 teams, but the key to all this expansion is money and TV revenue. And if the Big 12 starts moving into the SEC's stomping grounds. the SEC will look to lock up the borders.
And to me, no two teams would accomplish that more than Louisville and South Florida.
If the SEC were to grab Louisville, that would lock down a huge TV market in Kentucky, along with locking down the state, similar to the situation in the state of Tennessee. Not to mention, Louisville seems to be on the right track under Charlie Strong in football, has a good basketball program, and is pretty decent in baseball.
Also, adding the Cardinals adds some extra fire to the Kentucky rivalry, especially in hoops.
South Florida on the other hand would lock down the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg market. Add in that USF is growing its program, and could create rivalry against Florida.
Of course, if the SEC goes to 16 teams, look for the Pac 12 to do the same, along with the Big 12, and the ball will continue to roll to getting closer to the myth-like super-conferences, and hopefully, a college football playoff.
And really, as fans, that is all we really want.
I've been neck-deep covering high school sports for the past year, and it is high time I get back to the blog.
You thought it was over, but college football expansion is still the hot topic.
The Big 12 is set to add TCU and West Virginia; The ACC is adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse (great moves for basketball); Conference USA is adding five schools; and the SEC is adding Texas A&M and Missouri.But a new rumor is spreading that the Big 12 is looking to get back to its namesake and field 12 schools.
It seems the big name is Florida State, with the other school ranging anywhere from Clemson, Cincinnati and Louisville.
Believe what you will with this, but I think this has a strong possibility. Geography doesn't matter, with West Virginia joining, and how knows, maybe the Big 12 wants to set up in the Sunbelt of the United States, and adding FSU and, let's say, Clemson would expand the conference's TV revenue.
Of course, if that happens, the ACC will need to add some schools, and losing a founding member in Clemson would hurt the conference as a whole.
I question why Clemson would want to leave:
-You just won your football conference and are favored to repeat this year
-You look to be on the right track in basketball.
-If you hate dealing with North Carolina and Duke running the conference, you think it will be better in the Big 12 with Texas running the show?
If this happens though, look for the ACC to go after either Rutgers, East Carolina, South Florida, Central Florida, Florida International or Florida Atlantic.
Of course, if the Big 12 expands, it makes sense the SEC will want to keep up.
If the Big 12 gets to 12 actual teams, the SEC still has 14 teams, but the key to all this expansion is money and TV revenue. And if the Big 12 starts moving into the SEC's stomping grounds. the SEC will look to lock up the borders.
And to me, no two teams would accomplish that more than Louisville and South Florida.
If the SEC were to grab Louisville, that would lock down a huge TV market in Kentucky, along with locking down the state, similar to the situation in the state of Tennessee. Not to mention, Louisville seems to be on the right track under Charlie Strong in football, has a good basketball program, and is pretty decent in baseball.
Also, adding the Cardinals adds some extra fire to the Kentucky rivalry, especially in hoops.
South Florida on the other hand would lock down the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg market. Add in that USF is growing its program, and could create rivalry against Florida.
Of course, if the SEC goes to 16 teams, look for the Pac 12 to do the same, along with the Big 12, and the ball will continue to roll to getting closer to the myth-like super-conferences, and hopefully, a college football playoff.
And really, as fans, that is all we really want.
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