The SEC will soon welcome in two of the nation’s biggest collegiate athletic brands. Oklahoma and Texas will be departing from the Big 12 and join a conference loaded with national-competitive talent.
News recently broke of another pair of big-time programs looking to leave their respective conference. USC and UCLA are reportedly in talks with the Big Ten to join the conference led by Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and others. The Pac-12 will lose its two SoCal teams.
Though the SEC will grow from 14 to 16 teams when the Sooners and Longhorns join, there’s a chance that the headquarters in Birmingham send out feelers to make the conference.
As you read this, a ‘Super-Conference’ may be in the works.
Assuming every Big Ten team is safe, here are five teams that the SEC should look to bring in if expansion continues.
Miami
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There is a history between Florida and the Hurricanes. Reviving the animosity between those two fan bases would be electric. Miami is a huge brand seeking revival and Mario Cristobal would likely welcome the competition.
Florida State
Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
This would complete the trio. Florida State is not terribly far removed from success. However, it seems like they just keep straying further from glory. Would the Seminoles be an immediate boost to the level of competition? No. Give the program a few years recruiting players to join an SEC super-conference and I’m sure it will be fine.
Oregon
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Geography? Never heard of it! Oregon, welcome to the southeast. It is one of two or three teams anchoring down the Pac-12, but that title probably is not enough to keep them from accepting an opportunity to join a Super-conference? Probably not. The Ducks are another massive brand that would immediately benefit the SEC.
Utah
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The reigning Pac-12 champions deserve a competitive conference where they can compete. The 2022 Rose Bowl game against Ohio State was one of the best games in recent history. The Utes can fight with the heaviest of hitters in the game.
Baylor
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If the SEC has a trio in the state of Florida, might as well grab another in Texas. Baylor has recently become one of the most competitive teams in the Big-12, even with Texas and Oklahoma still in the conference. This one just makes sense.
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