(02-26-2013 10:33 AM)He1nousOne Wrote: You talk about 3x20 being inevitable here and yet in another thread you talk about a move that would block the Big Ten from expanding. IF you think they will just fall in line and go to the Northeast for all their expansion then you are wrong. They will sit back with 14 and cozy up with the Big 12 and PAC 12 in blocking any future rules and your lovely SEC will be sitting there overweight and underpaid due to not getting those rule changes.
He1nous, if there is a move to 3 x 20 conferences the problems listed above will apply. Blocking the Big 10 from moving too far South is important for the SEC for a variety of reasons. The foremost is that no conference with as much or more money than the SEC has ever competed with us within our footprint. The second is if we move to 20 schools keeping those 20 as close as possible geographically will be important.
Taking two from Virginia, two from North Carolina, F.S.U., and Clemson keeps the whole conference essentially within the Southeast. You can rearrange those six and mix them with others within the Southeast and it would come out alright I just use those because they are more obvious.
I'm not sure the SEC would want to travel to Oklahoma, Kansas, and West Texas. I think Dallas would be about as far West as we would consider going and they have a great television market as a lure. West Virginia would work to the Northeast.
The SEC doesn't have to worry about content and because of that if we acquire three more markets with the next 6 additions (if we move to 20) then we would have enough content additions left within our footprint to make it profitable. I don't think Virginia or Georgia Tech to the Big 10 bothers the SEC. Florida State is another matter. If they are in the Big 12 they don't bother us. If they are in the Big 10 they do. If Delany moves all the way down to Florida with Virginia, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Miami I doubt we would feel the need to block anything.
Virginia Tech is a wash with Virginia as far as carrying the State so the SEC would be fine with that. If the SEC lands U.N.C. they will be happy because that one school carries the state of North Carolina. Duke with N.C. State might carry as much as the Heels. But N.C. State alone doesn't deliver the carriage that U.N.C. does by itself. That's where the war is on the Northern border should the ACC get raided. That's why the two teams that the SEC would get defensive over would be North Carolina and Florida State.
Remember in land grabs neither the SEC nor Big 10 would want to expend two selections on 1 state. But if it was done then the states of North Carolina and Florida are where it would still be profitable to do so. It is why the Heels have the leverage to demand that another North Carolina school go with them if they should ever leave. With the Seminoles the issue is maintaining control of Florida recruiting and Florida carriage (F.S.U. and UF give you the whole state essentially even if a la carte comes into play.)
So in conclusion should the SEC grow larger than 16 the mix will likely include two North Carolina schools, one Virginia school, and Florida State as a core. Then you could look at Clemson, West Virginia, Louisville, or another Texas school if 20 was the end game. The conference would remain compact and essentially Southeastern.