Shockwaves went through the college sports landscape this month when news broke that Southern Cal and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten starting in 2024.
With Oklahoma and Texas already moving to the SEC by 2025 at the latest, the aforementioned Pac-12 rivals bolting to the Big Ten only further fueled the chatter that college football could be headed toward super conferences sooner rather than later. With their most recent additions, the Big Ten and SEC are up to 16 football members apiece.
It’s certainly possible that those conferences could continue to expand, and should they, Clemson would clearly be an appealing potential addition for either considering the big-time brand that the Tigers have built.
Hypothetically, what would life be like for Clemson — and its fans — if the Tigers joined the SEC?
While we’re not saying that is going to happen, TCI thought it would be interesting to think about some of the implications that moving to the Southeastern Conference could have.
Of course, instead of watching ACC Network, Clemson fans might be more inclined to tune in to SEC Network and hear what the network’s analysts have to say about the Tigers.
Paul Finebaum has made taking shots at the Tigers a recurring theme and would surely have plenty more negative commentary about Clemson on SEC Network’s The Paul Finebaum Show in the future if Dabo Swinney’s program was to join the SEC.
Aside from that, a Clemson move to the SEC would figure to only further enhance the dynamics of the rivalry with South Carolina.
There is obviously no love lost between the Tigers, Gamecocks and the two fan bases, and if the two schools shared the same conference, it would certainly bring even more juice to the rivalry.
But the rivalry wouldn’t just be fueled by disdain for one another and Palmetto State bragging rights — the outcomes of games between Clemson and South Carolina would have an impact on the SEC standings as well and add another element in that regard.
Clemson heading to the SEC would intensify the rivalry with Georgia, too. Prior to the two teams’ season-opening meeting in Charlotte last year, the Tigers and Bulldogs had met just four times in the 2000s and four times in the ’90s after playing every year from 1962-87, with the exception of 1966 and 1972.
Bouts between the two teams would once again become a more regular occurrence if Clemson joined the SEC, and you’d expect those games to not only be meaningful in the conference title race but in the bigger, College Football Playoff picture as well.
And while some folks seem to think Clemson wouldn’t fare too well against the competition the SEC has to offer, it’s worth mentioning that in his career as the Tigers’ head coach, Swinney is 19-11 against SEC opponents.
With a 30-0 win over South Carolina this past season, Swinney improved to 8-5 against the Gamecocks. And even with a loss to the eventual National Champions to kick off last year’s regular-season slate in Charlotte, Swinney has compiled an 11-6 record against SEC teams not named South Carolina.
Overall, competing in the SEC would figure to improve Clemson’s strength of schedule, as well, and allow the Tigers to more frequently play teams they battle a lot on the recruiting trail.
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