(07-27-2021 02:53 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  I am fairly close to Charlotte and hear the media from there. One hears all sorts of unsubstantiated new rumors. One is that Dabo Sweeney and Mack Brown were at the Charlotte airport heading to Birmingham to meet with SEC officials. One caller to Paul Feinbaun's show mentioned it yesterday. Never mind that each are closer to other respective airports. Also, why would SEC be talking to two ACC football coaches instead of the schools' ADs, Presidents, or pertinent VPs? Anyway, it fuels the rumor that UNC and Clemson are SEC expansion candidates. I heard other comments, still rumor, that the SEC
seeks to expand with Clemson, UNC, Notre Dame, and FSU (or Miami).
Then some serious speaking caller, and sounding educated, suggested that the SEC is making a deal with the BIG, involving ESPN of course, to collectively extract eight ACC schools to bust the ACC's GoR. The way I heard the commenter, is that along with Kansas from the B12, the BIG seeks UVA, GA Tech, Pitt, FSU (or Miami?) and Duke or NCSU. I don't recall exactly, and wasn't taking notes on what may be largely nonsense.
There are Clemson fans galore around me. Many do think the SEC wants them now. They talk as if Clemson has an immediate decision to make.
If the SEC and the BIG (silently for now), are working together with corporate media to essentially dismantle two other P5 conferences (the B12 and the ACC), that's one hellava conspiracy theory to keep under wraps.
To me, the reality of the situation is much less bold and advanced. Is there collaboration with the BIG by the SEC? Of course, those officials chat all the time. That doesn't mean they have settled on a bi-conference expansion plan.
This is fun, with a healthy amount of silliness.

If the B1G is involved I would think Miami is the safe bet (they have near AAU credentials and the alumni now are mostly Big East / Big 10 diaspora). Florida (fan boys aside) really wants FSU on board and I can see UVa, Pitt, Duke and Ga Tech to the B1G.

I see Clemson, FSU, UNC, and Notre Dame (ESPN) would be our preference.

Positives I see is that Duke has a large draw in NYC so the B1G has to love that. The have numerous alums in Atlanta and Miami. Pitt is a great research institution. And UVa with Duke is a plumb for them.

I get that it's a rumor but it makes sense. Both move to 20.