Who would you guys like to see the SEC add to fill out a 16 team conference?

I am not sure that I like all the conference realignment. I think Boise St playing in the Big East is absurd! I really was not a big fan of picking up MizzU, either. I understand why they were added, but it does not mean I like it. Texas AM is a little different story. TAM is an easy fit into the SEC for me, and they should have come/been invited before Arkansas in my opinion (I was stationed overseas at the time and do not know the story behind Arky coming to the SEC).

So if we have to add two more teams...here is who I would CONSIDER...

1. Notre Dame. I would love to have the Golden Domers in our conference. I know this is in stark contrast to my feelings about Boise St and the Big East, but I would love to match up with them on more even terms every year. Besides, there is a ton of money that follows this team.

2. FSU. Their move to the ACC was one of the best business decisions ever made in college football. When FSU forst came into the ACC, it was a very weak conference and allowed Bowden and Co. to move up into "Elite" status very rapidly. FSU does have a very rabid fan base, and the money will follow them, too.

3. Louisville. Decent football that may not be ready for SEC football, but basketball, baseball, and other sports would be a welcome addition. The problem with Louisville is that it exists in a state where there is not enough football talent to go around. The same could be said for Southern Miss.

4. Ga Tech. I am really on the fence with this one. On one hand, they had their shot. They left because of a supposed feud with Bama, and I hold a grudge against them. On the flip side, the state of Georgia is rich in football talent, and unlike Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, there is enough talent to support two teams from the same state.

Just my 2 cents.

BamaFanTraeInGeorgia said:

I am not sure that I like all the conference realignment. I think Boise St playing in the Big East is absurd! I really was not a big fan of picking up MizzU, either. I understand why they were added, but it does not mean I like it. Texas AM is a little different story. TAM is an easy fit into the SEC for me, and they should have come/been invited before Arkansas in my opinion (I was stationed overseas at the time and do not know the story behind Arky coming to the SEC).

So if we have to add two more teams...here is who I would CONSIDER...

1. Notre Dame. I would love to have the Golden Domers in our conference. I know this is in stark contrast to my feelings about Boise St and the Big East, but I would love to match up with them on more even terms every year. Besides, there is a ton of money that follows this team.

2. FSU. Their move to the ACC was one of the best business decisions ever made in college football. When FSU forst came into the ACC, it was a very weak conference and allowed Bowden and Co. to move up into "Elite" status very rapidly. FSU does have a very rabid fan base, and the money will follow them, too.

3. Louisville. Decent football that may not be ready for SEC football, but basketball, baseball, and other sports would be a welcome addition. The problem with Louisville is that it exists in a state where there is not enough football talent to go around. The same could be said for Southern Miss.

4. Ga Tech. I am really on the fence with this one. On one hand, they had their shot. They left because of a supposed feud with Bama, and I hold a grudge against them. On the flip side, the state of Georgia is rich in football talent, and unlike Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, there is enough talent to support two teams from the same state.

Just my 2 cents.

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I just don't see Tech getting an invite because they left. And would UGA, AU and UA vote in favor of giving them an invite?

RTR91 said:

If the SEC wants the DC market, why not go straight at DC and get Maryland? College Park is around 30 minutes from D.C.

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Maryland doesn't have the following or the cachet of either of the Virginia schools... Even in the DC area. (I spent over 25 years in the DC area. Fans in DC are from all over the country.)

As we know now, a lot can change and a conference can wind up with some strange bedfellows, but IMO I cannot see UNC, Duke, Notre Dame, or UVA in the SEC. There is merit to the Big 10 adding those four programs to get to the magical 16 number. If I were to wager I would bet on NC State and Va Tech could be new SEC members. From what has been written and said it looks like Louisville, Cincinnati and Miami may be on the outside looking in. The new reality is that none of these programs have much following outside their city limits.

So if the ACC falls apart what happens to Wake, Maryland, Boston College, UConn, Ga Tech and new members to be (Pitt and Syracuse)? Everybody obviously will not have a place at the big table.

BamaFossil said:

Maryland doesn't have the following or the cachet of either of the Virginia schools... Even in the DC area. (I spent over 25 years in the DC area. Fans in DC are from all over the country.)

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If that is the case, why does the "the SEC wants/needs the DC market" continue? DC is like a military town; every few years one group moves out and another moves in. There's no consistency in the viewership.

CapstoneGrad06 said:

A similar contract to what BYU is working with.

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Which won't be renewed , once the dust settles and they enter a conference . There's just not much to be gained from trying to shape a network contract around a bunch of independent schools which won't be playing for anything at the end of the year . No network would find that overly appealing .

Hoover and South Panola

Honestly, I realize that economic considerations are of the utmost importance, but, that being said, I don't want to see further expansion.

If we keep adding strong to superior teams to our conference it's going to get to a point where no SEC Team, including Bama, is going to be able to have a prayer at having a record
that gets them in a BCS Championship Game or even a possible soon to come BCS Playoff System.

I look at our schedule this upcoming season and notice how difficult it really is. Throw say a possible Notre Dame and/or Virginia Tech game into that mix and I can't even imagine the chances of going 12-0 or even 11-1.

Expansion on the outside looks wonderful but from the inside it looks bad to me. It's adding such parity to the conference that, while you'll have more great games week in and week out, you'll end up with a bunch of possibly great teams with one, two or three losses sitting at home while Oregon plays Boise State for the National Championship.

So while it may be good for the conference financially I think it's horrible for the conference from a competitive stand point.

Just my two cents.

sip

RTR91 said:

If the SEC wants the DC market, why not go straight at DC and get Maryland? College Park is around 30 minutes from D.C.

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I don't think that UMD would deliver all that many TV sets. Keep in mind that the "DC Market" refers to the district AND nearby counties in VA and MD. On the VA side, that's Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, Alexandria, Stafford and Spotsylvania, and in Maryland it's Montgomery, PG, Howard, and Frederick. Together, they have something like 5M people, whereas the population in the district is only 600k or so. I don't have ratings data to back it up but having lived here nearly all my life I'd bet that two biggest college football draws are VT and PSU, followed by UVA, then MD. And the Redskins probably trump them all, combined.

TideEngineer08 said:

The case of the state of Virginia is interesting. They were in different conferences for many many years. The legislature got involved only because with the ACC raiding the Big East, it was thought that Virginia Tech would be left in a dead conference. So they pushed to have them included in the ACC. I don't think there was interest in having the 2 in the same league, just having both teams in big time leagues. Having Virginia Tech in the SEC would seem to be ok, since it would be a big time league. They could still play their annual game. Virginia never wanted Va Tech in the ACC anyway...

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As best I can tell, that's an accurate summary of things. It wasn't so much that VT & UVA were joined at the hip as it was the VA legislature/governor weren't going to allow VT to be left out in the cold. If things change, I suspect the only hard requirement from the legislature's point of view is that neither school gets left behind. For example, if VT were to move to the SEC and UVA to the B1G, I don't think there would be a problem. Timing will be an issue, but IMO the two could easily wind up in different conferences.

If T.V. sets is the key then Cinncinati would have to be on the list. Not that they would make a great addition, but they do have T.V.'s.

To the SEC----Virginia Tech, North Carolina State
To the Big Ten-Notre Dame, Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse
To the Big 12--Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Louisville

ACC is then---Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Boston College, Pitt, Cincinnati, Temple, Memphis,
UConn, Navy.....then Georgetown and Villanova as basketball only.

Pac 12---???

Redwood Forrest said:

If T.V. sets is the key then Cinncinati would have to be on the list. Not that they would make a great addition, but they do have T.V.'s.

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I've thought about bringing them up a few times. Ohio really is football crazy, probably the best northern state in terms of producing athletes and following college football. If the SEC could establish a strong presence in the state, it would have every bit the value being in Florida and Texas does. But, I'm just not sure they are up for the task. There is Ohio St. and then a bunch of also rans.

KrAzY3 said:

I've thought about bringing them up a few times. Ohio really is football crazy, probably the best northern state in terms of producing athletes and following college football. If the SEC could establish a strong presence in the state, it would have every bit the value being in Florida and Texas does. But, I'm just not sure they are up for the task. There is Ohio St. and then a bunch of also rans.

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You are right Krazy, Ohio is a great football state and everyone there follows tOSU, and the NFL. UC football is a non event. I am not convinced anybody watches college football in Kentucky, Louisville would add nothing to the SEC or Big 10. IMO Cincinnati and Louisville are good fits for CUSA or the MAC.

For further expansion to happen it has to be mutually beneficial. Virginia Tech and NC St. makes the most sense culturally and competitively and it gives the SEC the two states it covets. Put them both in the east and move Missouri to the west where they belong.

I say we take Notre Dame, BYU, and Boise State with BYU/Boise fielding sort of an all-star-tpye team. They would each play the lowest 6-ranked SEC teams every year. Any year either are %.500-or-better they get a trophy, rings, and a ticker-tape parade! Outside of that a gag order should be strictly enforced.

freefall said:

I don't have ratings data to back it up but having lived here nearly all my life I'd bet that two biggest college football draws are VT and PSU, followed by UVA, then MD. And the Redskins probably trump them all, combined.

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Good point!

I wonder if we could talk the Redskins into joining the SEC? I mean, their record would take a hit at first, but Dan Snyder has shown that he's committed to making them successful and they have SEC style fan support.

TIDE-HSV said:

Stay away from any school named after a city...

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Can we get rid of the one we already have? :wink:

Count me as one of those who'd be happy if we went back to pre-1992 and wasn't that thrilled with the latest additions. However, I realize the old days are gone and aren't coming back. I hate the DH, interleague play and wild card, but I have to learn to live with it.

I think Virginia sees themselves as too snooty for the SEC. VPI would probably be a better fit from a cultural and football standpoint.

I don't think North Carolina would go. Joining the SEC would mean joining a football centric league and they'd lose their annual home and home with Duke.

NC State would be an easy get, I think. They escape big brother's shadow and gets us into a new state and market.

In an ideal world, I'd be happy with Florida State and Clemson. But they would be blocked by their neighbors. I'm not going to complain about the gentleman's agreement to keep them out. If the Extension Center suddenly had an elite program, we and the barn would join hands to keep them out as well.

What about giving back the ones we just added and let everyone else fight to see who'll play Bama in the championship game? How's that for 16!?!

Best case scenario: UNC, VT
Most likely scenario: VT, NC State

I don't see the rise of a new era of "major independents" because if 16 is the true final destination of this runaway realignment train then I see little room for major independents to schedule any quality teams. In fact, if conferences are going to be 16-teams deep there might be little or no out-of-conference play before the postseason anymore. You can't have playoff berths decided by conference championships and play only 8 or 9 conference opponents in a 16-team conference. Obviously, some and maybe all the OOC open dates will be cut from the conference scheduling in favor of more conference games. The 4 mini-divisions with a two-week conference tourney idea is a possible solution to the scheduling issues. Still, that opens up the problem of losing traditional rivals and unbalanced scheduling intra-conference.

What is happening is the rise of conferences more like the NL/AL pre-Interleague. The season will be all intra-conference, they will determine their champion from the season or perhaps a championship game, and they'll send their champion to the national tourney. It's the only way to do it with conferences this big and the stakes so high for winning the conference.

Anyway, to add to the direction of this original post:

I'd prefer Clemson and Florida State is this was an idyllic football utopia where profits were no motive. The reality is that the states of North Carolina and Virginia are our two best options in terms of geographical fit and market expansion. Virginia, Duke, and UNC may be academically elite but the SEC has improved their position recently with the addition of TAMU and Mizzou along with Vandy and Florida. It's not the NC research triangle but the SEC is hardly the academic slouch that we are perceived. Even the Pac-12 has schools like Washington State and Arizona.

The problem is that I like the contiguous regional footprint we've maintained even through two rounds of expansion in the last 30 years. I don't think it's a huge concern but I wish we could get into North Carolina and Virginia but each state will likely require taking two teams respectively.