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SEC expansion fantasy

Posted on: July 21, 2010 10:37 pm
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HOOVER, Ala. -- The conflict, it will be written, started in a small conference room at a Scottsdale, Ariz. resort.

It was on that day in April that Mike Slive, lawyer-turned-revolutionary, calmly unfolded a piece of paper and began reading his manifesto to the assembled media.

"If there is going to be a significant shift in the conference paradigm," Slive began, "the SEC will be strategic and thoughtful to make sure it maintains its position as one of the nation's pre-eminent conferences."

Cool, confident and articulate, the SEC commissioner, fired his warning shot at the Big Ten during the BCS meetings.

College sports stopped short of full-on realignmentmania this summer but Slive's words from that day endure. The point was to get his message across to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

Slive was using his big words that day to issue a short message: If the Big Ten expands beyond 12, the SEC is ready to throw down. The conferences are No. 1 (Big Ten) and No. 2 (SEC) in revenue produced. They didn't get that way by being timid.

The waters are calm for now but when the time comes -- and it will come -- the SEC needs to add these four schools:

Texas: I know, I know. Texas is happy for now. But how long is it going to want to travel to Ames, Iowa and Columbia, Missouri? What Texas wants, Texas gets. Why not access to the SEC riches and recruiting grounds? Arkansas would gain back its natural rival and be able to recruit again in Texas.


Miami: Admit it. The expanded ACC has been a borderline failure in football. The league has arguably lost its position as the nation's best basketball conference.

The SEC would do for Miami what the ACC couldn't. The U still holds that cache as a market (South Florida) and a brand. Get Miami in the SEC and suddenly you turn on that entire South Florida region to the SEC. Think of a conference featuring the Big Three -- Miami, Florida and ...

Florida State: Yeah, that's right. Throw the Seminoles a life line too. Florida State is run like an SEC program anyway. Tallahassee is as Deep South as it gets.

Think of Alabama, LSU and Tennessee coming through Tally on a regular basis. Florida already does. There were 17,000 empty seats (at least) at Doak last year for the Maryland game. It would never happen again.

FSU needs to become a superpower again. It isn't going to happen in the sleepy ACC.

Georgia Tech: A natural rival of Georgia and former SEC member (1933-63), Tech is the easiest fit in this scenario.

It has always been sort of awkward for the Jackets to playing in the ACC in the traditional center of the SEC, Atlanta. Recruiting would definitely improve. Imagine Tech being able to go head-to-head with Georgia in recruiting. Imagine Tech beating Georgia and being able to stay home in the SEC championship game.

Imagine Tech's academics classing up the SEC.

All this a pipe dream, you say? Who would have thought in December that Nebraska would be in the Big Ten?

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Category: NCAAF
Tags: Baylor, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Miami, SEC, Texas
 
Comments

Since: Oct 23, 2009
Posted on: July 24, 2010 11:27 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

Some good points but some rather big steps.  iowa State and Kansas State are not Academically close to the Big Ten/11/12, kansas would join in a heart beat, there would be so much screaming in the Kansas state government I wonder if that is possible.  I don't see a pac 16 happening let alone it adding remenants of Big 12.

My most likely scenario is for Texas. I see them making there own network and it being so successful within the first five years that they go full independents, which includes a CHANGE in state laws to allow Texas Tech and Texas to split there union.

i see Oklahoma making its own network and maybe go independant for a while but, I cant see them having the sme success at it that Texas will.  I ultimately see them become the power center of a new Heartland Conference, full of the remenants of the Big XII or going to the SEC were it could fight every week.  I also can see THE Impenitrable SEC and Big 10/11/12 fall appart when the Big 10/11/12 expands east or west. its too big and the divisions will ultimately split into two conferences. The SEC might fall apart do to inconference competativeness. and like eveyr conference its all about the money, more than tradition or rivalries.

If the pac 10 expands I see them staying near the west coast, Maybe UNLV and Hawaii, New mexico is not a stretch either.
My earlier post will almost never ever happen, I can see penn state getting frustrated with the big ten and leaving despite the Big Ten needing them for competativeness and viewship. Nebraska is far away. for Penn State to playanybody they have to only go west. they or far on the perifery of the Gographical footpint.

Since: Oct 23, 2009
Posted on: July 24, 2010 11:09 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

I just forgot them. my design is highly fictional and the USA has a better chance of spliting into smaller countries than my plan actually coming to pass, thats how much confedence I have in it. 

I would not have the Big East disolve, and would require all its members to be full memebers for stability

 Big East
1. Miami
2. Boston College
3. Syracuse
4. Louisville
5. cincinnati
6. South Florida < (not academically all there and competativeness, and being more of a regional school than a prominant school hurts them in any newly reconfigured set up.
7. Connecticut < would definatly stay and be the only flagship state university in the league.

Newbies
8.UABirmingham
9.Houston
10. Tulsa
11. Charlotte 49ers

Potental others:
12. Memphis < if its not in the Big XII
13. Pittsburgh < if its not in the new Big Ten
14. Villanova < may be asked to become a full member

No East Carolina, no Southern Miss, both good but very regional programs. Plus East Carolina has only been slightly good for 2 years, and only be VTech. and maybe a couple other ACC teams.


I hope i hadent forgot anyone but, then again I don't think any of this stuff is really going to happen anyways. its fantasy = not real

Since: Oct 23, 2009
Posted on: July 24, 2010 10:52 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

BYU would be a huge asset but its Geography and not playin anything on Sundays unforunately hurt there chances.

I don't care if you take me seriously, I wasnt saying anything about being right.  A lot would have to happen, "A LOT" of stuff is stretching,  Georgia State, Delaware, Penn State to ACC? ACC retaining Florida State, Miami, georgia Tech. clemson? Penn State and Arkansas taking a financial hit? A lot in my post is pretty lickly not going to happen tomorrow or even 100 years, if at all.

I would keep lobbying BYU  to join though(not being sarcastic), it paid Utah dividends and they are going to a much more prestegious and stable conference!! than Big XII.  LDS is considered a cult by most christians.  BYU has a very hard road to walk down.  It runs itself like a BIG TIME Atheletic Department, which is great. They are the best of the "Not in a BCS Conference Teams." This, along with other comments I made might not sit to well with you I'm sorry for that but TCU has a better profile than BYU, except BYU opens up Utah, Idaho, and parts of nevada Arizona, and colorado. I do wish BYU some luck, They are better than most teams in BCS Leagues, but I see some potentially major road blocks for them to join a major conference anytime soon. I could be wrong, I am not perfect and dont mean any offense to you or anybody. If I did I am sorry.

Since: Jul 23, 2010
Posted on: July 23, 2010 1:53 pm
 

SEC expansion fantasy

Go Team Go

I have no problem with the ACC Expanding but you booted out Miami and BC in your reconfiguration without adressing where to or why.  Did you just forget that they were there or do you have something against them?

Since: Nov 28, 2008
Posted on: July 23, 2010 10:41 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

Should have signed this one "Delusional in the Dixie Chicken"

Since: Nov 28, 2006
Posted on: July 23, 2010 9:34 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

You make a very good point.  Maryland, Va Tech, Virginia, Texas schools and NC schools would be only way the SEC would farther expand their market.  They have no teams in Texas, Va, or NC.  Great point. 

Since: May 10, 2010
Posted on: July 23, 2010 2:07 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

I think it really comes down to culture and school synergy.   

Lets look whats out there.

If the goal is 16 team conferences, then the Pac 10s addition of Utah Screwed somebody.   The Texas coalition to the PAC 10 is not sustainable.   There
are 5 teams in kind of locked instep in BIG 12 South with only 4 chairs.    Texas and OU are tied at the hip.    They are only sticking with BIG 12-2 as long as they can get their networks up and running.  Then its adios Big 12-2, hello Pac 10.   That is Texas Dream.  TAMU wants no part of it.

Its the ACC that hold all the cards now.   I really don't see Virginia nor Maryland leaving their partners with the Tobacco Road Group.   Miami (which pulls NY as well as anyone) is quite happy with the ACC and probably wishes the ACC would gain a larger Northeast media footprint.  Something SEC can never do.   The ACC can get Pitt, Rutgers, Uconn, Syracuse.   They would all but own the east coast media markets.

Big Ten is so focused on Notre Dame, that its going to last to react.   But I really see Big Ten finally getting Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State (trapped by the AAU prestige) and Notre Dame


So, that leaves WVU, Missouri, Texas A&M, and either Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, or a Cincinatti.

Texas and OU well go to PAC 10 with Okie State or a Texas Tech or New Mexico, or UNLV.

Since: Nov 28, 2009
Posted on: July 23, 2010 12:30 am
 

SEC expansion fantasy

I like three of the four. I agree that a 16 team SEC league would be very interesting. The old heads at the SEC will never allow Georgia Tech back in. A good addition would be

Texas

Teaxas A&M

FSU

and Miami

Since: Oct 27, 2006
Posted on: July 22, 2010 10:03 pm
 

SEC expansion fantasy

Why is everyone obsessed with the idea of 16 team superconferences.  It is a stupid idea and a conference that big is too unmanagable and kills rivalries, which are the thing that adds real value to college football.  The old 16 team WAC of the 1990's proved that.  Anyway, ESPN has long term contracts with all of the major conferences, and does not want to renegotiate them and will probably be a brake on further conference expansion.

Since: Jul 28, 2009
Posted on: July 22, 2010 9:10 pm
 

SEC expansion fantasy

Amen. The Acc expands the first 2 schools on there list are Fsu and Miami.  Period game over.
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