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We hear stories of the SEC poaching from the Big10 and ACC. If poaching happens, it causes a bit of a cascading effect. What happens then?

Does the Big12 seek to merge with the Pac-12, or just cherry pick from the Pac-12 and AAC? If that happens, what next?

(07-29-2026 09:51 PM)Dalinar Wrote:  We hear stories of the SEC poaching from the Big10 and ACC. If poaching happens, it causes a bit of a cascading effect. What happens then?

Does the Big12 seek to merge with the Pac-12, or just cherry pick from the Pac-12 and AAC? If that happens, what next?

IF the SEC & Big10 Poaches from the ACC
THEN the ACC poaches from the B12 & AAC
- Depends on:
-- how many schools get poached from ACC
-- what schools get poached from ACC

ACC potential invites:
Cincinnati (B12)
WVU (B12)
UCF (B12)
Memphis (AAC)
Tulane (AAC)
USF (AAC)
UConn (BE) (Non-Football)
- ACC has six (6) schools as backfills

THEN the B12 poaches from the PAC & AAC
- Depends on:
-- how many schools get poached from B12
-- what schools get poached from B12
- PAC/B12 merger unlikely
- B12 can cherry pick who they want from G6 conferences

B12 potential invites:
Memphis (AAC)
Tulane (AAC)
USF (AAC)
SDSU (PAC)
UNLV (MWC)
- B12 has five (5) schools as backfills

THEN the G6 poaches from each other
- Depends on:
-- how many schools get poached from B12
-- what schools get poached from B12

AAC potential invites:
SBC East (SBC)
FIU (CUSA)
Liberty (CUSA)
Delaware (CUSA)

- AAC has potentially up to ten (10) schools as backfills

PAC potential invites:
UNLV (MWC)
UNM (MWC)
UTSA (AAC)
UNT (AAC)
GCU(BE) (Non-Football)

- PAC has five (5) schools as backfills

MWC potential invites:
NMSU (CUSA)
UCD FB (BSC)
- Upgrades to MWC full membership
Sac. St. (MAC/BWC)
Tarleton (UAC | FCS)

- MWC has four (4) schools as backfills

SBC/CUSA potentially seek merger due to poaching from other conferences...
- SBC/CUSA potential merger 2.0
- SBC/CUSA create divisions based on geography
- Same merger as before but w/left-behind schools
- Rebrand as Sun Belt USA Conference

(07-29-2026 09:51 PM)Dalinar Wrote:  We hear stories of the SEC poaching from the Big10 and ACC. If poaching happens, it causes a bit of a cascading effect. What happens then?

Does the Big12 seek to merge with the Pac-12, or just cherry pick from the Pac-12 and AAC? If that happens, what next?

The SEC already stands at 16 members. They stand as the strongest conference in collegiate sports. Why poach from anybody, and further dilute portions of their pie?

Not saying it couldn’t happen ? Just that it makes no sense, at least it on the surface.

For what it’s worth, I expect the ACC gets depleted by the SEC & Big 10. I think they get hit hard enough that no Big 12 school is willing to join and they have to backfill from the AC/UConn.

I think this presents a great opportunity to take another shot at adding teams from the AC — ideally 4.