Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel Shares Thoughts On SEC Expansion

Josh Heupel has two perspectives when it comes to SEC expansion, both of which are valuable.

On one hand, he is now the head coach at Tennessee, meaning his opinion on expansion matters. At the end of the day, adding two more premier programs to the SEC is going to have an impact on conference standings.

On the other hand, he was also once a quarterback at Oklahoma, one of the two schools that will eventually join the SEC. So he has a unique perspective that few coaches have.

When it comes to Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, Heupel had a lot to say on Tuesday.

“You want to coach and play in this league because you get a chance to compete against the best every single day and every single week,” Heupel said Tuesday, via KnoxNews.com. “This league continues to strengthen itself inside the landscape of college football.”

Heupel is right about that, but if the conference remains two divisions, Tennessee's competition just got a lot stronger. Their arrival could even bump the Vols outside the top 10 SEC programs.

Regardless, Heupel is excited about the direction of the conference.

“I think if you look back 20 years ago, I am not sure any of us would have guessed what the landscape would look like now before the original shift of realignment,” Heupel continued. “Once that happened, people thought that at different moments in time, there was the possibility of realignment. I’m excited about what our league continues to do.”

Obviously, Heupel has to say that, but there's something to be said about getting a consistent crack at your alma mater. Plus, his Tennessee squad will also get a chance to deliver a few licks to Texas, his biggest rival throughout his playing career.

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Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.