The Big Ten and Big 12 have just expanded in ways which shatter notions of geographical balance and regional identity. The Big Ten adding Oregon and Washington destroys the map, as does the Big 12’s addition of the Arizona schools to a conference which has West Virginia and Iowa State as members.
While geography becomes less relevant in shaping the conferences, one conference has not expanded beyond its natural footprint. The Southeastern Conference has a membership group which — with the possible sole exception of Texas A&M (being near Houston in what might technically be the Southwest instead of the Southeast) — is truly southern in terms of geography. It’s true that Kentucky to Florida is a relatively long commute, but those two states are both still part of the South. The northern part of the SEC is still Southern in character.
It’s a point of pride in the SEC, as are the national championships the conference keeps winning in college football. When a conference sees the geography-changing moves occurring all around it — and when it sees the ACC considering Stanford and Cal — it is going to have a good chuckle.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wanted everyone to know how stable and strong the SEC is earlier this week, sending a not-so-subtle message to the Big Ten, the Big 12, the ACC, and the Pac-12, as they all try to rearrange themselves in ways which make no coherent geographical sense.
It’s a way for the SEC to remind everyone who’s boss.
See how everyone reacted to Sankey’s comments on social media: