Big Ten and SEC become new contenders for FSU and Clemson amidst a wild chase for ACC expansion: Reports
We are at that point of the college football offseason when Florida State (FSU) and Clemson are looking for a new home.
They're currently part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the two universities are looking at the Big Ten and Southeastern (SEC) Conference as potential new homes.
College football insider Greg Swaim posted about the chances of Florida State and Clemson joining a new conference.
"I'm amazed at the naivete of so many who truly believe that #FSU and #Clemson have not been contacted thru third parties about joining either the #B1G or #SEC. Not only have they had MANY talks, but several #ACC schools are doing the very same with the #B1G."
One of the major reasons FSU and Clemson are looking to leave the ACC is the fact that the media rights deal is not bringing in much money. The conference is in the midst of a 20-year contract and is lagging behind other Power Five conferences in terms of money.
What would FSU and Clemson leaving ACC mean for college football?
Clemson and FSU leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference would make them two of the biggest free-agent teams in college football history. Clemson is the most recent non-SEC team to win the national championship, while Florida State is a major program, too.
They will have no shortage of suitors as they're two of the top college football programs in the country.
Here's what Florida State's Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins said to Wachant.com about a potential move:
"I think today when you think about what we're going to be next year (in the ACC) and what the SEC and the Big Ten are relative to what we make, ... that gap is massive.
"And when the gap gets that large, is it insurmountable? ... We're going to be $30 million, $35 or $40 million behind the other conferences." h/t On3
That would completely open the floodgates in college football, as the SEC and Big Ten are essentially a Power Two right now.
The Big 12 is trying to get to that point, but they are still not there. The conferences are going to be more national than regional, and we seem to be at the start of the national expansion.