Clemson football fans have been on edge wondering what is going to happen with the college football realignment looming.
It all began with reports that the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners were thinking about moving from the Big 12 conference to the South Eastern Conference (SEC). In less than a 24 hour time span, those rumors have all but been officially substantiated. It is anticipated that they will vacate the Big 12 and file an application to join the SEC in the coming week.
If Texas and Oklahoma come on board joining the SEC, the conference will have 16 teams, but reports say they want to expand even more.
According to Barstool Sports’ Jack McGuire, the SEC has been in ‘serious contact’ with Clemson (ACC), Ohio State (Big 10), Michigan (Big 10) and Florida State (ACC) about leaving their current conferences to join the league. Their end-goal is to have a 20-team mega conference.
There are some that are unsure about McGuire’s reporting. It should be acknowledged that he was one of the first journalists to report about Texas and Oklahoma a few days ago. He stated that he’s hearing it from several credible sources.
There is still some uncertainty whether everything will come together as reported, but there is no escaping the reality that the SEC is all about expansion. It makes sense at this time, to reach out to four perennial powers in college athletics.
So far, nothing has been confirmed from the Clemson point of view about leaving the ACC and joining the SEC, but that all could shift.
Partnering with the SEC mega conference will give the Clemson’s athletic department a stability unlike anything they have ever seen in their history. The SEC will have incredible television ratings. The Tigers will likely make $30M more in one academic year based on viewership alone.
If Clemson decides to stay with the ACC and Florida State parts ways, what would the long-term effect mean for the ACC as a whole and the Tigers in general? That is a question that will have to wait to be answered. Was McGuire right or was he wrong? Stay tuned.
