CFB insider claims SEC expansion will target ACC teams over Big Ten expansion in latest wave of conference realignment
The Atlantic Coast Conference could look similar to what the Pac-12 was a few years ago. The Southeastern Conference expanded after adding the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. Now there is some speculation that the teams in the ACC could be split up into the remaining three power conferences.
On Tuesday, college football insider Greg Swaim reported that the SEC expansion will happen because the Big Ten only wants to include AAU-accredited universities.
This will be a major step in conference realignment. The gap between the Florida State Seminoles and Clemson Tigers and the remaining power conferences will widen as the two head to the SEC. It will be interesting to see how things pan out. But for now, the SEC expansion will take precedence over the Big Ten expansion.
What ACC schools are AAU accredited?
The AAU accreditation is something many of the Big Ten presidents want to include, and some ACC schools fit the mold. Eight schools from the ACC are AAU accredited and, in theory, are available for the Big Ten expansion.
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- Miami Hurricanes
- Stanford Cardinal
- Duke Blue Devils
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Is Florida State and Clemson in SEC expansion the best move?
The Florida State Seminoles and Clemson Tigers are arguably the most valuable programs in the ACC right now. If these schools become part of the SEC expansion, that would be great for them.
This would increase their visibility against teams such as the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. They would get to be part of a bigger conference with more eyeballs. No longer will they then be the big fish in the little pond. Instead, they will be able to get significantly more money via media rights and be free of the issues that the ACC has caused them.
All in all, Florida State and Clemson being part of SEC expansion feels like the right move.