SBNation.com - SEC Expansion: League TV Network Coming, Virginia Tech Rumors Return

West Virginia was more SEC-compatible than Missouri, Vol. 324

2013-04-11T17:52:02Z

Tried to tell y'all. Via r/cfb.

UNC-to-SEC rumors return, and we might've found the new Notre Dame

2013-02-22T21:59:05Z

That report from earlier in the week about North Carolina having a Big Ten offer, which came from a source with a track record on the subject? It gets juicier, for those who like juicy things:

The #SEC also remains a viable option for #UNC. Legit mutual interest, per multiple sources. Heels a crown jewel of the realignment picture.
— Jeff Ermann (@insidemdsports) February 21, 2013

Now that Notre Dame's sort of off the conference realignment table, by way of joining-but-not-really-joining the ACC, it would appear that the Tar Heels have taken over as the program with the longest line of suitors, based on reports at least. And it would make sense.

But UNC's a basketball school! Not another Kentucky!

There'd be some selling to do, that's for sure. UNC isn't a true cultural fit, like Virginia Tech would be, and has very few ties to SEC schools. But this is not a new topic; I've thought for a couple years now that UNC in the SEC would work better than we might assume, likely even better than Missouri.

The Heels tend to rank as the second or third biggest non-SEC athletic department in the southeast in revenue terms, offer a national brand name due to basketball success, would add a state's worth of TV markets that the SEC can't currently claim, are usually decent at football and elite at just about everything else, have a recently expanded football stadium with room still to grow, could eventually give South Carolina its first ~~real~~ truly reciprocal in-conference rival since it left the ACC in 1971, and carry significant academic weight despite being scandal-prone as of late. Long sentences!

More: Visit SB Nation's UNC site, Tar Heel Blog

Such a move would also damage the Big Ten, since whether Jim Delany would feel pressured to react or not, he'd be down his best option either way. Pair it with a Hokies pickup and it could knock the ACC out of the South entirely (perhaps by launching Florida State and Clemson to the Big 12, Georgia Tech and Virginia to the Big Ten and others to parts unknown). And then, voila, Notre Dame's back on the market.

But that's realpolitik stuff. The SEC has no need to expand and has yet to figure out how to tastefully absorb the last two schools it brought on, with future scheduling still a sore post-expansion subject. Not that having no need to expand has ever stopped a conference from expanding.

Watch for UNC buzz to pick up as offseason madness takes hold. If either the SEC or the Big Ten decides to expand, I'd be surprised to see anybody but the Heels near the top of either list.

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Virginia Tech AD denies he expressed interest in SEC membership

2012-11-21T02:27:23Z

Update: Weaver says his quote was "misrepresented" and that "there's nothing happening."

In the midst of another round of college conference realignment, Virginia Tech Hokies athletic director Jim Weaver seems to have revealed there could be interest in Blacksburg in joining the SEC some time in the future, which would stand in contrast to his repeated denials in the past. Weaver's comments were first reported by Fox Sports Radio's Kyle Bailey via his Twitter account late Tuesday.

"I really haven't thought about it because the discussion has just come about three or four days ago..." (cont.)
— Kyle Bailey (@TheClubhouseKB) November 21, 2012

"I'd like to defer my comment for right now, but there may potentially be some interest." - Jim Weaver on "Tech Talk Live" @sth_hokie
— Kyle Bailey (@TheClubhouseKB) November 21, 2012

Also, from earlier in the day:

Weaver: "The answer to that is, Dr. Steger and I meet about once a month...and we will be ready for whatever comes in the future" #Hokies
— Ty Hodges (@STH_Hokie) November 21, 2012

The apparent interest comes in the wake of the ACC's loss of the Maryland Terrapins. The Terrapins are leaving the ACC in favor of the Big Ten, which also accepted the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, which are leaving the Big East conference in favor of the now 14-team conference.

Virginia Tech joined the ACC in 2004 after long-time membership in the Big East. The Hokies have won four ACC football championships and five Coastal Division crowns in their time in the conference. The men's basketball team also made the NCAA tournament in 2007.

Look through SB Nation's many excellent college football blogs to find your team's community.

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Bob Bowlsby Lobs Football Bomb

2012-08-24T19:15:02Z

I really like the relationship between the SEC and the Big 12 right now. They're partnered up for what's already one of the two biggest bowl games (despite the game not even existing yet), yet the SEC takes the Big 12's teams and the Big 12 is out here saying it still got the better end of the deal. It's a marriage made strong by stacks and stacks and stacks of dollar bills, the finest solvent yet.

From Dennis Dodd, Big 12 commish Bob Bowlsby comments on the quality of each conference's recent additions [emphasis added]:

"I think it's fair to say that some [conferences] that have gotten larger are now wondering if it's going to be worth it," Bowlsby said Thursday while visiting Kansas on a conference-wide tour. "There are complexities, especially regarding some scheduling issues, that have really caused some problems."

"We're feeling pretty good about 10 [teams]. We're also feeling good we brought in two ranked football teams in exchange for the two that moved out."

This is a pretty good time to be firin' those shots, too, since TCU and West Virginia are coming off fine years and expected to compete right away, while Texas A&M and Missouri went to ehhh bowl games and aren't being picked to do much of anything by anybody. You take your licks when you can, even when it's at a tentative buddy's expense.

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While we’re here, let’s watch some of the many fine college football videos from SB Nation’s YouTube channel:

VIDEO: Texas A&M Really Wants SEC To Like Them, Has No Idea How To Make That Happen

2012-07-03T12:01:16Z

The Texas A&M Aggies are moving to the SEC and they are super happy about it, you guys! They're really nervous about their first day and they want to make sure all the cool upperclassmen like them. They've heard all those horror stories about how those mean Arkansas Razorbacks might pants them in the hall, or that the Georgia Bulldogs might knock their food tray out of their hands in the cafeteria, or that the Florida Gators might all get arrested. Texas A&M's mom always told them that the best way to make friends was to just be nice and try to talk about things the other person might like to talk about. So Texas A&M made a "welcome video" that can only be described as, "Our moms told us to do this."

Yes, the below video appeared on Texas A&M's official YouTube page on Monday and good lord in heaven I would be willing to bet you've never seen anything more lackluster or poorly thought out in all your days.

As of Monday night, the video had 221 "dislikes" against just 36 "likes" and the only thing I can figure is that all of the people that appear in the video and their moms clicked "like" as soon as it was posted.

Texas A&M, perhaps waking up in a cold sweat and realizing, "Oh no! All the cool schools are gonna think we're massive nerds," had the video pulled from their YouTube page at around 1 a.m. ET. But thanks to our good friends at Collegiate Stadiums, it shall live on.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to stick around past the cringe-inducing "meat" of the video to get to the "bloopers," which feature -- among other things -- someone not being able to spell "Mizzou." (In her defense, that isn't a real word.)

For more on Aggies football, visit SEC blog Team Speed Kills and SB Nation Houston.

Watch TCU Fans Celebrate Big 12: Realignment Official Around The Country

2012-07-01T14:16:24Z

TCU was left for dead more than a decade ago by longtime state rivals when the Big 12 formed from the Big 8 and the remains of the SWC. Since then, they've gone 1-10 in the WAC before catching momentum, escaped to Conference USA, battled into the Mountain West and briefly the Big East, won 10 games nine times since 2000 and even won a dadgum Rose Bowl. And as of midnight, they're officially right back at the power table again, officially members of the Big 12.

Here's the rundown of everything that happened at midnight:

TCU and West Virginia to the Big 12.
Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC.
Temple to the Big East.
Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada to the Mountain West.
UMass to the MAC.
Texas-San Antonio and Texas State to the WAC.
VCU and Butler to the A-10, for our hoopsybasket friends.

And here's some reaction!

Frogs O' War kind of still can't believe this.
Rock M Nation is gonna need to step up its trash talk.
The Smoking Musket celebrates WVU's Big East exit via GIF, a specialty of theirs.
Team Speed Kills says hello to the SEC's new guys.
Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine does likewise.
Burnt Orange Nation also welcomes the new guys, and finds time to notice Mizzou leaving, but you can forgive them for being distracted, what with all the attention Horns fans are still paying the departed A&M.

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Big 12 Website Selling SEC Gear, Thanks To Mizzou And Texas A&M

2012-06-22T16:54:15Z

My goodness, the Big 12 is taking this new bowl partnership thing with the SEC pretty seriously. The above is an actual item being sold by the Big 12's official online store, as is the following (ht to Rock M Nation for both):

Does this count as some sort of a digital national championship that'll be hollered about until the next conference's merchandise provider accidentally throws the wrong conference's shirts up? Oh, you bet it does.

And don't think some SEC fan isn't already considering starting up a PURDUE-TO-THE SEC movement just to get some SEC shirts on the Big Ten's site, which has just now become the white whale of Southern football trollery.

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While we’re here, let’s watch some college football videos from SB Nation’s new YouTube channel together:

SEC To Recommend Specific Playoff Plan, Stick With 6-1-1 Scheduling

2012-05-31T18:47:40Z

With the Big 12 looking to be the only conference that supports the SEC's preference to allow non-conference champions into college football's playoff, battle lines have been drawn, and we'll spend the next two weeks hearing about how the whole thing might work out. With the SEC's spring meetings concluding, the conference is set to make their official proposal:

Florida prez Bernie Machen said he believes SEC playoff plan will be top 4, semis in bowls, title game bid out.
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) May 31, 2012

Machen also said he believes the conference will proceed with the 6-1-1 scheduling model, which will keep each member tied with a cross-divisional football rival. Also, on the issue of potential SEC expansion (which would include Virginia Tech, if you're into rumors):

Machen said the league is comfortable where it is at and there are no expansion plans in the immediate future.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) May 31, 2012

And neither of Steve Spurrier's pet projects are going to take off this year (his other being a call to eliminate out-of-division games from the conference standings):

Machen also said Steve Spurrier's crusade to play players is not even on the presidents' agenda at the SEC meetings. So, it's going nowhere
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) May 31, 2012

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