re: SEC Expansion

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UNLESS, we nab Houston - a university that has the ability to benefit the SEC by the SEC benefiting them.

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I don't want Houston or any other Texas team in the SEC besides Texas. We have a good foothold for recruiting in Houston and I don't want to lose that.


Also, I don't see the Big XII going anywhere. If anything, we would lose ArKansas to them before they lost anyone to the SEC. I don't see OU, Nebraska, UT or aTm going anywhere without each one.
The Big XII could easily add TCU, SMU (Not likely), La Tech, Houston, Rice, UTEP, Toledo, Ohio, Bowling Green, BYU, Colorado State, UNLV, Utah, Nevada and even the outside possibility of Arkansas or Iowa.

This is what I see evolving over the next 4-5 weeks--

• Notre Dame will turn down the Big 10's invitation to join the conference for the second time in 20 years
• Notre Dame will remain independent
• The Big 10 will expand to 16 teams, including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Rutgers, and two of the following: Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville, and West Virginia.
• Nebraska and Missouri are the top two remaining targets, but Nebraska would have to make a backroom deal with Texas, because Nebraska will not leave the Big 12 conference if Texas doesn't also leave. If Nebraska doesn't join the Big 10, then I expect Connecticut and Missouri to be invited.
• The Big East conference will be dissolved.
• The SEC will expand from 12 to 14 to 16 teams during a multi-year transition.
• Texas and Texas A&M will join the SEC and be put in the Western Division. This will be the first change in the SEC make-up announced.
• The SEC will expand to 16 teams, but the remaining two teams will have to make their case over the next 13 months.
• Those teams to be considered for invitation into the SEC will be two among the following: Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami, FSU, Clemson, South Florida, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, West Virginia, Memphis, North Carolina, Duke, Baylor, Houston, and Texas Tech.
• I think strong consideration will be given to a) Oklahoma and Nebraska and b) Miami and FSU, however, I think neither scenario will be the final decision. Scenario A would require two of the following to move to the SEC Eastern Division: Auburn, Alabama, Miss State, and Ole Miss. I cannot see Auburn and Alabama move to the East and only playing the new Western Division teams occasionally. I cannot see one team from Alabama and one team from Mississippi moving to the Eastern Division while one team from Alabama and one team from Mississippi remain in the Western Division. Adding Miami and FSU presents both pros and cons. The SEC covets owning the state of Florida, but Vanderbilt made more money in 2009 than either Miami or FSU. I think that is a strong indicator that neither of these teams would flourish in the SEC, at least not immediately.
• I think Clemson will be one of the teams joining the SEC East. There is a natural rivalry with South Carolina, and Clemson already plays Georgia and Auburn frequently. I think it is a natural fit, though not as sexy as Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami, or FSU.
• The final slot will be very hotly debated. If you don't take a pair of rivals such as Oklahoma/Nebraska, Miami/FSU, North Carolina/Duke, Virginia/Virginia Tech, then the state legislatures are not likely to approve the change. So, for that reason, I think the final team will South Florida, Georgia Tech, Louisville, or possibly Virginia Tech.
• I think South Florida is an intriguing choice. One of the main factors in expansion is increasing the TV market. The Tampa market is one of the fastest growing markets and South Florida has one of the largest student populations in the country. The football team is already decent and the basketball team has been playing in the Big East.
• Georgia Tech used to be in the SEC and departed, and they will not be near the top of the list of invitees, however, the rivalry between Georgia and Georgia Tech is one of the established rivalries in college football. It also makes geographical sense. Adding the Atlanta market (however I doubt Ga Tech has more fans in Atlanta than Georgia), is also a plus.
• Louisville is a natural rival with Kentucky and makes similar sense as Georgia Tech-Georgia does. However, the Louisville football and basketball programs have not shown much consistency lately.
• Virginia Tech is the best football program among the four, they only joined the ACC in the past few years, and the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry is not as established as other intra-state rivalries.
• I think if the SEC adds a heavyweight like Texas in the West, then they need to follow suit in the East. My vote goes for Virginia Tech.
• Obviously, this will cause a change in the ACC. While neither Clemson or Virginia Tech are ACC basketball powers, it will change the landscape of football in the ACC. Most likely, the Big East teams not invited to join the Big 10 and SEC will be absorbed by the ACC-- West Virginia and Louisville being the most likely choices, with Cincinnati and Connecticut or both also being considerations.
• The ACC remains a basketball powerhouse conference, possibly adding some of the non-football playing schools remaining from the Big East such as St. John's, Providence, Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, etc.
• The Big 12 conference will dissolve with the departure of Texas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Missouri.
• The PAC 10 conference will expand to 12 teams, adding BYU and Utah.
• The survivors of the Big 12 and the Mountain West conferences will combine to create a new 12-team BCS conference including Kansas State, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Boise State, UNLV, and Air Force.
• The WAC will lose Boise State and Louisiana Tech and will gain Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Rice, and Wyoming.
• C-USA will lose Tulane and gain Louisiana Tech, Cincinnati, South Florida, Troy. Louisville is also a possibility.
• The Sun Belt will lose Troy and gain Tulane.

The name of the conference is the Southeastern Conference. The only southeastern states lacking representation in the conference are North Carolina and Virginia. While we are dreaming, the logical additions to the conference are UNC, Duke, Va. Tech and UVA. It expands the conference into additional markets and completes our dominance over the southeastern portion of the country.

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SEC has the most most $$$, so therefoere I think the SEC wins.

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Actually the Big 10 divided up the most TV revenue of any conference. The SEC was right behind them and everyone else was way back. Also, all the Big 10 schools divide up the most research money on the academic side and that may be a factor with all the shrinking budgets...

the key for big ten is landing texas and oklahoma..thats why i feel its possible for a&m and TCu for SEC. Big ten wants the texas/oklahoma (oklahoma city Dallas region) Missouri/Notre Dame/Illinois ( chicago/St louis )...to go along with there ohio st/ michigan game.

Rutgers and big east teams makes sense to them in market sense. But who wants to watch Indiana and Rutgers on the network nationwide? Nobody..

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Here's the deal, I don't see aTm going anywhere without Texas, Texas going anywhere without OU or OU going anywhere without Nebraska. IMO, those four teams are a package deal. The

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I agree with this. However, Nebraska will leave the Big XII if the Big 10 offers them a spot. Nebraska has been at odds with Texas since the Big XII formed.

it may be in A&M best interest to go to SEC, get away from Texas in conference...They can still play in non conference games every year..

Texas isn't joining the SEC.

the academic faction in Austin wouldn't have it. They want the Pac/Big 10.

(not that I accept/agree with that, just the way it is.. they are not happy with the Big 12 either).

agree, logistics alone would make perfect since for big 10