Alejandro Avila
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As a shift in the college football paradigm continues to unfold after news of Texas and Oklahoma potentially joining the SEC, a new development surrounding other marquee programs eager to also join the SEC has dropped.
According to Barstool Sports’ Jack McGuire, “SEC has been in serious contact with Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, and Florida State. Not clear if this will materialize, but they have their eyes on a true 20 team MEGA conference. …”
SEC has been in serious contact with Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, and Florida State.
Not clear if this will materialize, but they have their eyes on a true 20 team MEGA conference.
OU and Texas just the start. #ScoopCity
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) July 23, 2021
While the tweet swings for the fences, notably in its reporting that OSU would be willing to depart the Big Ten, the appeal of joining the SEC in a 20-team SUPER conference, with the potential inclusion of these four programs, may prove to be an offer too good to refuse. Though news of this transition leaves much to wonder.
Although the Big Ten’s draw in ratings and revenue have outperformed the SEC’s, adding two of the Big Ten’s powerhouse programs, partnered with two from the ACC, could position the SEC to eclipse the Big Ten’s rein on revenue in the long run.
For Clemson and Florida State, pitting the ACC Network’s draw against the SEC’s is a one-sided battle that should intrigue both schools to follow through on their bid. While Clemson leaves behind a clear path to the postseason by remaining in the ACC — not that a seventh straight ACC title in 2021 has lost its meaning — the spectacle presented by joining a 20-team SEC would be jet fuel for recruiting and national presence.
As ACC fans fall on their knees over a potential Clemson exit, the realignment of teams continues to unfold and the teams that could step forward with intentions to leave their conference still remains mystery.
The report remains fresh, with all eyes set on the coming week(s) to determine the legitimacy of these seismic conference predictions.
Should these teams join the SEC? Will we see the ACC and Big Ten form into their own super conference? Let us know what you think will transpire in the coming week as OutKick continues to cover all things college football.
So the SEC will be CFB division all to its own, the rest another. There are only maybe three other teams that matter in CFB if the 20 team div/conf goes down: ND, USC and Oregon. Maybe Penn State. Maybe Miami. It’s getting crazy out there.
Not sure I trust that a random guy at Barstool got a “scoop” like that, seems a little too far fetched, even for the current craziness of college football. I’m calling BS on his report.
I’m not calling bs on anything. I am sure a week ago you’d of said same thing about Texas and Oklahoma. The unbelievable rapid change to what was college football in the last month is mind boggling. Money to players, the NCAA basically rendered meaningless as a governing body, the 12 team playoff. I don’t like it, it’s going to ruin the sport in my opinion.
Your points about all the massive changes making anything possible are valid, so in that sense it’s possible. As soon as I saw the story I started looking for other sports sites/reporting that might corroborate such a bombshell (last night I didn’t even see it on Barstools website). So far I haven’t seen anything. I’m an OU fan, so the last 72 hours has been shocking, but as more reporting comes out the picture of why OU and Texas are looking to make this move becomes easier to understand (stability, money, future landscape of CFB, 11 am kickoffs). I find it much harder to believe that 1) the two premiere schools from the remaining two premier leagues would make a move like this (the same reasoning doesn’t apply to OSU, Mich, Clemson, FSU) and 2) that a Barstool reporter scooped everyone else when the whole sports world is focused and digging into conference realignment. Again, it’s possible, I just find it highly unlikely bordering on satirical. The only other caveat would be these four teams aren’t looking to “join” the SEC, rather this is an indication of a new autonomous league breaking away from the NCAA altogether.
This is beyond silly
It may be wild, but did you see Texas and Oklahoma joining the the SEC last week? Silly suggest you think it’s incredulous…but you aren’t really looking at what just happened.
There is NO CHANCE in hell the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to the SEC. That would be a lateral move, not a move up.
Lol, now what many suspected, you just confirmed. You sir, are a troll, and not a very good one.
It came from Twitter and Barstools sports… it’s gotta true!!
Follow the money… Big10 has their own network and revenue is around $1B per year resulting in much higher share per school. The SEC Network was a little over $650M in last report. Conferences are also affiliated with FOX and ESPN, respectively. FOX is on the rise. ESPN is hemorrhaging viewers. Interesting to see how network affiliation plays in this…
Viewership on the BigTen Network is huge in the Midwest toward the coast with Penn State (Philly), Maryland(Baltimore/DC) and Rutgers(NYC), too. The expansion was very calculated to go toward population centers! The sports mix is also much better than SEC in basketball, wrestling, volleyball, etc.
The potential wildcard is a new Commissioner for the BigTen that has done a HORRIBLE job… what will his influence be?
Not sure how the Longhorn network fits here, but the Big12 has not been the same since Nebraska and recently A&M and Missouri left…
It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I predict no movement from the BigTen.
The B1G is longer a serious athletic conference. Proof? Look at their incompetent, well-spoken-but-says nothing, Commissioner. He’s a joke.
Hell yeah. FSU and Clemson are already SEC teams under a different banner. I don’t like Michigan and Ohio State joining. Mason-Dixson and south only. If you call soda “pop” you can’t join haha
This is all getting ludicrous. Clemson and FSU at least make actual sense as SEC members, but not the rest of these schools like OU, Texas and Ohio freakin State. Please no. Do words not mean anything anymore? Where does the “southeast” begin and end again? Geeze Louise nothing is sacred anymore.
IF the BIG TEN and ACC leftovers merge, That will put Maryland back in the ACC where they rightfully belong.