King Ward Wrote:For the future of all our sports, and for the academic well-being of the Carolina athletic program, and for the very image of the school, the ACC is where we need to be if the opportunity arises.
I know that you boys expect me to be contrary and against the grain. And I have been a cynical poster. But I love the University, its teams, and our state. I honest-to-goodness believe that this would be the best course we could take.
And I'll venture to say one other thing. The younger fans who have known SEC affiliation but never ACC affiliation would love it in time. I believe that with all my heart.
King Ward, let me start by saying that I am very familiar with the so-called academic reputation of the ACC, and I'm familiar with where the SEC stands in reference to academics as well. However, you cannot say that the SEC is not trying to make progress in trying to change its image of being a renegade conference where academics, for all practical intents and purposes, amount to a hill of beans. Vanderbilt, the one SEC school I have never been too fond of, has been the one school trying to change the SEC's reputation in the academic arena, and it looks like it is working so far. There will always be some schools that never really do value academics that much, like Tennessee and LSU, but there are other schools out there that really do plan on making changes in how they handle academics. I think Alabama really does want to change its academic image. With all the past scandals it has to deal with over the years, UA has begun to realize that athletics aren't everything and they really do need to be constantly raising the bar in academics as well.
The University of Alabama system has the weirdest conglomeration of campuses I have ever seen. UA- Tuscaloosa, the one you're most familiar with, is the one that's trying to improve its mediocre academic standing. UAB, other hand, has excellent academics, and would be a school that you probably wouldn't mind having in the SEC for academics purposes. Athletic purposes would be a verrry different story though.
Auburn has always had great academic program, but they seem to have a double standard for students and athletes. Maybe that is starting to change now. Do not give up hope on seeing the SEC improving in the academic department.
As far as athletics are concerned, the SEC is indeed trying to diversify its athletic portfolio. For example, pre-South Carolina & Arkansas, there was little to zero interest in the men's basketball programs at Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn. That is not the case now, especially in light of what has happened in the college football landscape. Interest in college baseball has definitely grown. Also, you would be surprised to find out that my own UGa Bulldogs have club lacrosse team now. Who says the SEC won't be offering more of the "refined" sports in the future?
Even interest in women's sports are growing.
My whole point is this: I would not give up on the SEC yet. The SEC is catching up to the ACC in academics, basketball, and other sports, while maintaining its status as the best collegiate football conference in America. I do think that South Carolina might need to upgrade its schedule in football and basketball some, and play some old ACC foes, but that's about all I would do as far as the ACC is concerned. South Carolina football has made the most progress it has ever made in the SEC, so I think that, in due time, South Carolina will have more football rivalries that the fans will really get up for besides Tennessee and Georgia, and I also think that South Carolina will also have more basketball rivalries in the SEC as well, over time, but that's just my opinion. If you still want to go to the ACC, that's fine with me, but I wouldn't give up on the SEC just yet.
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Another silly article about USC joining...
