Clemson: ACC or SEC
Let me start by stating that I have no insider information in the Clemson Administration or in their athletic department. The opinions expressed in this thread are mine and I think fairly represent the opinions of those Clemson fans that I normally interact with. I am a Clemson graduate and a die hard Clemson fan.
There has been a heated discussion (started by Hokie Mark and joined by JR and others) about revenue discrepancy and what this may mean to various ACC schools. Here is my take on some of this for Clemson (in no order of importance).
Clemson and the SEC
1. First, as much as some Clemson fans may yearn for the SEC, the simple fact is this is a moot point at this time due to the GOR and no offer from the SEC.
2. From a football perspective, Clemson would be a perfect fit in the SEC.
3. Would it be harder for Clemson to reach it's desired football goals in the SEC - yes. However, I would argue that at least for the past several years (sans Georgia last year) that the SEC East (where Clemson would most likely reside) would have been just as manageable for Clemson as the ACC.
Clemson and the ACC
1. Long term, has the ACC been good for Clemson? Yes.
2. Has Clemson been able to reach it's football goals from within the ACC thus far? Yes. Is this sustainable? That is the question.
3. I believe that all things being equal, the Clemson Administration, Clemson athletic department, and the Clemson football coaching staff would prefer to stay in the ACC while many but certainly not all fans would like to move to the SEC. However, all things are definitely "not equal" in todays athletic landscape!
Now for the fun part ..... as long as the facilities and the coaching salary "war" continues and continues to escalate, then the revenue discrepancy between the ACC and SEC most certainly matters. Clemson has done a very good job of fund raising and getting the best bang for their buck from the revenue that they have generated/received BUT at some point, I believe the discrepancy between SEC and ACC revenues (Clemson vs South Carolina and Georgia in particular) is going to negatively impact Clemson's ability to compete at a national championship level in football. At this point, Clemson will have a very tough decision to make - sacrifice their national championship football aspirations and continue in the ACC where they have a long history and are a charter member OR lobby like hell and pray that the SEC comes calling.
Some points from the HM and JR thread:
- Enrollment affects revenue as it affects the total number of potential donors. Some Fall 2017 enrollment numbers (graduate & undergraduate) for comparison (from individual school websites): Clemson - 20,200 (this has doubled since I was in school in the 70's); South Carolina - 34,700; UGA - 37,600; Alabama - 38,500; and just for kicks Ohio State- 59,800. Clemson is at a decided disadvantage regardless of conference affiliation from this perspective.
- Stadium size and attendance affects revenue due to gate receipts. In the ACC Clemson is tops in attendance and has either the largest or second largest stadium at 81,500. They would rank middle of the road in attendance and stadium size in the SEC. Clemson's administration currently has no plans to expand Memorial Stadium and at this point there is no need to, however, I am a firm believer that should Clemson join the SEC, they could easily expand to 90,000 - 95,000 and would be able to fill the stadium for most SEC games (there would be little to no chance to fill a 90K - 95K stadium against any ACC teams except for FSU and possibly Va Tech). Let's say attendance rose by an additional 10K for 4 games at $75 per ticket - that is a nice little $3 million dollar boost to the annual revenue stream!
So in summary, Clemson is doing fine in the ACC for now - how long this lasts is anyone guess.
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