(07-27-2021 10:22 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(07-27-2021 09:29 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(07-27-2021 03:29 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(07-27-2021 02:53 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  I am fairly close to Charlotte and hear the media from there. One hears all sorts of unsubstantiated new rumors. One is that Dabo Sweeney and Mack Brown were at the Charlotte airport heading to Birmingham to meet with SEC officials. One caller to Paul Feinbaun's show mentioned it yesterday. Never mind that each are closer to other respective airports. Also, why would SEC be talking to two ACC football coaches instead of the schools' ADs, Presidents, or pertinent VPs? Anyway, it fuels the rumor that UNC and Clemson are SEC expansion candidates. I heard other comments, still rumor, that the SEC
seeks to expand with Clemson, UNC, Notre Dame, and FSU (or Miami).
Then some serious speaking caller, and sounding educated, suggested that the SEC is making a deal with the BIG, involving ESPN of course, to collectively extract eight ACC schools to bust the ACC's GoR. The way I heard the commenter, is that along with Kansas from the B12, the BIG seeks UVA, GA Tech, Pitt, FSU (or Miami?) and Duke or NCSU. I don't recall exactly, and wasn't taking notes on what may be largely nonsense.
There are Clemson fans galore around me. Many do think the SEC wants them now. They talk as if Clemson has an immediate decision to make.
If the SEC and the BIG (silently for now), are working together with corporate media to essentially dismantle two other P5 conferences (the B12 and the ACC), that's one hellava conspiracy theory to keep under wraps.
To me, the reality of the situation is much less bold and advanced. Is there collaboration with the BIG by the SEC? Of course, those officials chat all the time. That doesn't mean they have settled on a bi-conference expansion plan.
This is fun, with a healthy amount of silliness.

If the B1G is involved I would think Miami is the safe bet (they have near AAU credentials and the alumni now are mostly Big East / Big 10 diaspora). Florida (fan boys aside) really wants FSU on board and I can see UVa, Pitt, Duke and Ga Tech to the B1G.

I see Clemson, FSU, UNC, and Notre Dame (ESPN) would be our preference.

Positives I see is that Duke has a large draw in NYC so the B1G has to love that. The have numerous alums in Atlanta and Miami. Pitt is a great research institution. And UVa with Duke is a plumb for them.

I get that it's a rumor but it makes sense. Both move to 20.

Pet theory...

We've seen the reports of the SEC speaking with Ohio State and Michigan. Not that that story received wide ranging confirmation, but it doesn't seem anyone really debunked it either. I find that interesting.

What if the SEC isn't so much interested in grabbing those schools as they were in working with them?

We can safely assume that Kevin Warren is either asleep at the wheel or has been neutered since nearly killing the football season last year. Perhaps OSU and Michigan are taking a more hands on approach to leadership?

What if parsing out the ACC is a matter of what the SEC(backed by ESPN) is interested in doing and they are simply having discussions with the Big Ten via the power players in the league?

Have any of you considered what would happen if Notre Dame, a school who desires deep south recruiting games and doesn't want to be just another Northern Midwestern school, thought if we are moving to a closed system which renders independence moot we might as well join where it does us the most good, decided to go all in with the SEC?

That opens up anything we might want, if we wanted anything else at all. Maybe FSU to have a 2nd Fla school for scheduling.

There's your monster grand slam!

We offer them the largest area in which Catholics are the leading immigrants, where old Catholic roots exist, the recruiting and exposure they desire, the fattest paycheck and weekly chance to demonstrate that they are not just another Northern Midwestern school. And we could offer them a close division if we picked up a Carolina and Virginia school:
Kentucky, N.C./NCSt, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UVa/VaTech

Revenue wise it's a kill shot. From there we do what we want and if ESPN thought they could lose them to the Big 10 they would help it happen for full rights.

Notre Dame and Florida State make sense.

To me, Clemson also makes sense, but here's my question...Vanderbilt is not going to compete terribly hard even with new money. We all know it. Do we craft a model where they still get to play in the league? It could make room for others in that mold, but are they just going to give up football? The costs of independence in that sport are prohibitive for schools in that sphere, and I don't know if another league would do them any favors if they maintain an SEC connection.

Even if they agreed to take a partial role, are they willingly going to give up a share of the football money?

UNC and Duke could still be a valuable combo if it's more about Duke basketball than what they bring in football. I tend to err on that side because their brand has value. Even without Coach K, if they maintain a connection to the premier league then they will have access to quality coaching candidates and funds that should maintain their edge. Being that the brand is already built, seems like a way to get the best of both worlds.

Notre Dame, Florida State, Clemson, UNC, and Virginia as full members?

Vanderbilt and Duke as non-football members?