It’s that time of year again. Better late than never. Conference expansion and realignment again at the center of the college football discussion, but this time it isn’t the Pac-12 looking to make the biggest splash, it’s the SEC. No, the SEC isn’t going old school and inviting back former members Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sewanee. According to a report by ESPN, the SEC could be on the brink of extending invitations to Texas A&M, Clemson, Florida State and Missouri. According to the New York Times, 11 of the 12 SEC presidents will meet at a secret location on Sunday to discuss conference expansion. Is the SEC looking to expand? Absolutely. Is Texas A&M being considered? You bet. But will it be those four specific teams? I’m not buying it. This round of conference realignment and expansion is all about capturing the market, which is a factor that takes into account everything from location, prestige, recruiting base and about a million other things. In the case of the SEC, it’s a reason to re-work its once groundbreaking TV contract, which quickly became outdated thanks to subsequent deals in other conferences. With that in mind, it’s hard for me to imagine Florida State and Clemson being included in the SEC’s plan. Tony Barnhart, co-host of Barnhart and Durham on WQXI 790 The Zone in Atlanta, Ga., mentioned on Friday that the SEC didn’t have just one plan, it has five plans. The one mentioned in the ESPN report may be one of them, but I doubt it’s the one that becomes reality. Florida State had the chance to come to the SEC in 1992, and turned it down. That fact hasn’t been lost in the SEC office in Birmingham. Besides, the SEC already has the Florida market thanks to the Gators; who, by the way, won’t take kindly to the Seminoles joining the conference. The same reasoning can be used in the case of Clemson. South Carolina is, by far, the more visible team in the state of South Carolina, and Clemson fans already are tuned in to see what the rivals are up to. The SEC doesn’t need the South Carolina market because it already has it. Texas A&M is probably going to come to the SEC, although according to the New York Times, the SEC hasn’t actually made that decision yet. I understand inviting Missouri as well. It captures two TV markets (St. Louis and Kansas City) and provides more of a midwestern presence for current SEC programs that are looking for more rivalries. I’m more inclined to think that Virginia Tech, despite denials that they’ve been contacted, is still a major player in this. The addition of Virginia Tech would expand visibility into the Washington, D.C. market, while still keeping the conference at the top of the football food chain. If the SEC does that, it would have to add another team to the East in order to preserve most of its current rivalries, which could be accomplished with the addition of UNC, N.C. State or even Florida State, even though the ‘Noles don’t have a market that the SEC covets. All of these conversations - expansion, realignment, full cost of attendance, oversigning legislation, etc. - are all related, and point to a world with four superconferences. If and when that ever happens, a four-team “plus one” playoff would almost certainly come with it. Barrett Sallee covers the SEC for www.CollegeFootballNews.com. He can be reached at barrettsallee@gmail.com, or on Twitter at @BarrettSallee
2010/2011 Off-Season Column Archive: A&M, Clemson, FSU and Missouri? Not Buying It - August 13, 2011 CFN Analysis: Will A&M Secede To The SEC - August 12, 2011 Predicting The SEC - August 6, 2011 CFN Analysis: Butch Davis Gets Canned - July 28, 2011 CFN SEC Bloggers All-SEC Team - July 27, 2011 The SEC’s Most Indispensable Players – July 20, 2011 King’s Absence Is Huge For Georgia – July 8, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC Defensive Backs – July 5, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC LB’s - June 28, 2011 Top 5 SEC Games of 2011 - June 27, 2011 Point/Counterpoint: Richt & UGA Need To Part Ways? - June 26, 2011 CFN Analysis: The NCAA Letter to UNC - June 23, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC DL - June 21, 2011 Top 5 SEC Out-Of-Conference Games - June 18, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC OL - June 13, 2011 CFN Analysis: Pryor Done at OSU - June 7, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC WR’s - June 6, 2011 Ranking The SEC Head Coaches - June 6, 2011 Point/Counterpoint: Oversigning In The SEC II - June 4, 2011 Point/Counterpoint: Oversigning In The SEC - June 2, 2011 CFN Analysis: Tressel Resigns – May 30, 2011 Five Thoughts on SEC RB’s – May 29, 2011 Ohio State & Tressel: The Hits Keep Coming – May 29, 2011 Five Thoughts on the SEC QB’s – May 23, 2011 CFN Thoughts – The Extra Stipend Debate – May 22, 2011 Ealey’s Transfer Leaves UGA In A Bind – May 9, 2011 Russell Wilson to the SEC? – May 5, 2011 SEC Draft Review – May 4, 2011 Five Thoughts on Janoris Jenkins – April 27, 2011 Muschamp Sets New Tone For Florida – April 26, 2011 Spring Lessons Learned – SEC East – April 24, 2011 Spring Lessons Learned – SEC West – April 20, 2011 Five Thoughts On Kentucky’s Spring – April 14, 2011 Five Thoughts On Bama’s Calloway – April 13, 2011 Stephen Garcia, Winning! – April 6, 2011 Stephen Garcia Suspended Indefintely – April 6, 2011 Five Thoughts On Ole Miss’ Spring – April 6, 2011 Five Thoughts On Auburn’s Spring – April 4, 2011 Real Sports Much Ado About… – March 31, 2011 Ainge’s Addictions, And What It Means For UT – March 29, 2011 Five Thoughts On Tennessee’s Spring – March 29, 2011 Tressel-Gate Has Only One Conclusion – March 26, 2011 Five Thoughts on Bama’s Spring – March 25, 2011 Five Thoughts on Vandy’s Spring – March 24, 2011 Five Thoughts on Florida’s Spring – March 23, 2011 Bama Star Arrested – March 20, 2011 Five Thoughts on South Carolina’s Spring – March 16, 2011 Five Thoughts on Arkansas’ Spring – March 15, 2011 Auburn Players Arrested, Dismissed – March 12, 2011 Five Thoughts on LSU’s Spring – March 11, 2011 CFN Analysis – The Too Busy Offseason – March 11, 2011 Five Thoughts on Georgia’s Spring – March 9, 2011 CFN Analysis – Should Jim Tressel Have Been Fired – March 8, 2011 Five Thoughts on Mississippi State’s Spring – March 6, 2011 Wheels On Newton Saga Keep Spinning – February 28, 2011 Six SEC West Spring Storylines – February 24, 2011 Kiffin and the Tennessee Issue – February 23, 2011 Six SEC East Spring Storylines – February 17, 2011 CFN Analysis – The SEC Schedule – February 10, 2011 Ealey Suspension Leaves Georgia In A Bind – February 9, 2011 SEC Signing Day Review – February 3, 2011 CFN Analysis – Signing Day 2011 – February 2, 2011 Dream Team Won’t Save Richt – January 31, 2011 Five Thoughts On Kragthorpe – January 24, 2011 Ridiculously Early SEC West Rankings – January 23, 2011 LSU Hires OC Four Years Too Late – January 20, 2011 Ridiculously Early SEC East Rankings – January 19, 2011 CFN Analysis: Cam Turns Pro – January 14, 2011 BCS National Championship Review – January 11, 2011 CFN Analysis: Cotton Bowl – January 8, 2011 Five Thoughts On Why Auburn Wins – January 7, 2011 Five Thoughts On Dan Quinn – January 5, 2011 Tuesday Question: Should Rich Rod Be Fired – January 4, 2011 Five Thoughts on Charlie Weis – January 4, 2011 CFN Analysis: Charlie Weis as the Florida OC – January 3, 2011 CFN Analysis: Outback Bowl – January 1, 2011 CFN Analysis: Gator Bowl – January 1, 2011 CFN Analysis: Capital One Bowl – January 1, 2011 CFN Analysis: Liberty Bowl – December 31, 2010 CFN Analysis: Music City Bowl – December 30, 2010 End Of The Season Accountability – December 27, 2010 Pryor Can’t Be Compared To Newton – December 23, 2010 Ranking The SEC Bowl Games – December 19, 2010 Malzahn Makes The Right Move – December 14, 2010 Five Thoughts on Muschamp – December 12, 2010 CFN Analysis: Florida Hires Muschamp – December 12, 2010 CFN Analysis: Cam’s Heisman Landslide – December 11, 2010 Five Thoughts On Urban Meyer – December 9, 2010 Meyer Leaves Legacy, Question Marks – December 8, 2010 Click here for the 2010 regular season archive Click here for the 2010 Three & Out archive
