"Clemson, to me, quite frankly doesn't bring that much": College football insider belittles the Tigers amid realignment rumors
Paul Finebaum, a television and radio personality specializing in the Southeastern Conference, had some interesting thoughts about potential Atlantic Coast Conference realignment.
Finebaum ripped into Clemson, saying,
"Clemson, to me, quite frankly, doesn't bring that much.I know it brings a national championship program from a couple of years ago. Clemson won twice, but from a geographical standpoint, I don't think they had anything. I think South Carolina already covers the area in that part of the world very well."
Paul Finebaum sounds off on other ACC schools
Finebaum is also not a big fan of the Florida State Seminoles.
"I think Florida State is similar. I don't think they're nearly as attractive as they think they are. Besides, Florida already covers that part of the world."
However, he tends to like Miami a bit more than their rival.
"And so, I think, Miami, to me, it would be next. I think it's an important part of the country. It's a very populated part of the country, too."
The SEC sportscaster isn't sold on Clemson or Florida State, despite those programs winning three national championships in the past 10 seasons. However, he likes Miami more despite them struggling to return to their early 2000s glory.
Realignment rumors around the country
College football realignment has taken center stage over the past few seasons.
USC and UCLA are destined for the Big Ten, leaving the Pac-12 with major uncertainty. Oklahoma and Texas will join the SEC as well. The American Athletic Conference is also going through a complete makeover, with Cincinnati, Houston and UCF heading to the Big 12.
However, leaving a conference early comes with a penalty. For example, if Miami, Florida State or Clemson were to dip from the ACC early, they would need to shell over a reported $120 million to the conference as an exit fee. However, with some major conferences, like the Big Ten, netting over $1 billion in revenue annually, a program can still leave via realignment if the situation is right.
Geography remains a nonissue for some top conferences, evident by California schools joining the Big Ten. So, don't expect any top-tier team to be safe from moving from one conference to another for the right price.