(07-25-2013 09:35 AM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  Heinous, I agree that when a conference decides to get as big as the SEC, no team can gripe about losing their lower tier rivals. With 14 teams, it is possible for everyone to get their first choice rival year in and year out even in a pod system, but rivals #2, 3, 4, and so on may have to be sacrificed. That is a big reason why I was really hoping to add UNC to the SEC. That would give USC a natural rival so that the following could occur:

USC-UNC
UF-UGA
Bama-Auburn
Ole Miss - Miss. St.
UT-UK
Mizzou - Ark.
TAMU - LSU

Those are perfect, and it leaves Vandy as the odd man out. A package deal with UNC to include Duke would have given Vandy the best natural rival possible. Oh, well... what might have been.

That would have been pretty darned strong. I'm not so sure we can still rule it out. Apparently there is some kind of ruffle in the harmony of the ACC over the support of stipends or full cost of tuition scholarships. Add to that Mack Brown's remarks yesterday and all of the sudden the realignment waters have ripples again. Whether or not those turn into waves we'll see.