Tag: SEC expansion

According to CBS Sports, Big 12 looking to add as many as 6 Pac-12 teams in realignment

The Big 12 is not sitting back on this one. According to a report from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the Big 12 is in “deep discussions” to add anywhere from four to six Pac-12 teams.

The time to sit back and be patient is beyond the Big 12. A conference that has lost twice in the conference realignments of the last decade can’t afford to sit on its hands while the pieces are moved around the board by the Big Ten and the SEC.

USC and UCLA heading to the Big Ten has set off an expansion arms race in college football where the Big 12, Pac-12, and ACC are looking for a way to maintain whatever foothold they have left.

And the Big 12 is taking a big swing.

According to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, in addition to Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State, the Big 12 is looking at the potential of adding two more schools in realignment talks.

The Big 12 is involved in deep discussions to add multiple Pac-12 programs as a way to shore up its membership in the wake of the USC and UCLA defection to the Big Ten, sources tell CBS Sports. At least four teams are being considered with the potential for the Big 12 to add more as realignment continues to shake out.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah were mentioned specifically as the teams being targeted by the Big 12, sources tell CBS Sports. There is also consideration of adding Oregon and Washington to make the Big 12 an 18-team league, the largest in the FBS. – Dodd, CBS Sports

The four that have been discussed make a ton of sense. If they can land Oregon and Washington, two of the 25 most valuable schools in the country according to a Forbes report in 2019, that would be a huge win for the Big 12.

New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark doesn’t start officially until August 1. If the conference is able to land the six proposed teams mentioned, the Big 12 will reassert their place in the college football power structure.

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Examining how conference realignment could improve college football

Conference expansion could be best for college football.

College football is quickly changing. With UCLA and USC reportedly moving to the Big Ten conference in 2024, the sport will never be the same. Continue reading “Examining how conference realignment could improve college football”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says intra-SEC playoff is on the table

Sankey said the league is considering a wide range of possibilities for the future.

The SEC is set for a major change in the coming years as Texas and Oklahoma are set to join the conference. The exact timetable is undetermined, but the move will happen no later than 2025.

Expansion will certainly bring changes to the structure of the league, and commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] has hinted that a pod format could replace the divisions. But that may not even be the biggest change that will come.

Conference officials will meet in Destin, Florida, next week, and Sankey told ESPN that there are nearly 40 different models that the league has discussed. One of those, per Pete Thamel, is an SEC-exclusive postseason.

“As we think as a conference,” he said on Monday, “it’s vitally important we think about the range of possibilities.

“We need to engage in blue-sky thinking, which is you detach from reality. What are the full range of possibilities?”

Sankey said the league has expanded its thinking since talks of expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams stalled during negotiations with the other leagues.

“Those unknowns are on our mind as we think about decision-making down the road,” Sankey said. “This is a fully dynamic environment. … It’s hard to understand where things will end up if you wait for this to play out.

“We wanted to be good collaborators. We think we gave up a lot … what was viewed as a balanced approach given the up-front demands eventually fell apart. We also have the responsibility to think broadly about different possibilities. The SEC will continue to do so.”

These conversations are purely hypothetical right now, and your guess at how a potential intra-league playoff would be structured is as good as ours. But it goes to show that league officials are thinking outside the box as college football is set for a seismic shift to its landscape in the coming years.

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Auburn among list of SEC rivalries that will flourish with additions of Oklahoma, Texas

With SEC expansion on the horizon, these rivalries would be fun to add to the mix.

Once the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns join the SEC as late as the 2025-26 academic year, the conference has the opportunity for some new rivalries.

The list of rivalries for the Auburn Tigers currently includes the ‘Iron Bowl’ with the Alabama Crimson Tide and the ‘Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry’ with the Georgia Bulldogs. But is there an opportunity for more rivalries when it comes to War Eagle? After all, rivalries are what make college athletics great.

Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports examined eight rivalries that could flourish in the new SEC. For the Tigers, there are two opportunities for new rivalries. One was once an annual event until 2002 and the other could be fueled by a former coach.

We kick it off with an annual gridiron war that slowed 20 years ago.

Auburn-Florida: Orange and Blue War

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

What Toppmeyer Says…

The Florida Panhandle houses plenty of Auburn fans, and this was once a sneaky good rivalry that got somewhat overshadowed by the Iron Bowl and Sunshine Showdown.

Even after the SEC split into divisions in 1992 – Florida went to the East, and Auburn entered the West – these teams continued to meet annually through 2002. However, the SEC eventually decreased from two designated interdivision rivals to one. Annual installments of AU-UF became a casualty.

After the league expanded to 14 teams, the rivalry became mostly a memory.

The fire should be rekindled once the teams meet more often after expansion produces a schedule reconfiguration. Their 2019 game – a sellout at The Swamp – showed an appetite remains for this rivalry.

Auburn-Tennessee: Hardwood Supremacy Showdown

Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

What Toppmeyer Says…

The Vols have no shortage of rivals, a list that includes Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Auburn belonged in the conversation, too, before the SEC’s shift into divisions in 1992 interrupted these teams from playing annually.

Bruce Pearl coaching Auburn basketball makes this a natural hoops rivalry, and the football rivalry would be enhanced by more frequent meetings.

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USA TODAY Sports lists eight SEC rivalries that will benefit from Texas, Oklahoma joining

Blake Toppmeyer recently listed eight rivalries that will flourish in the SEC once Texas, Oklahoma join.

Many college football fans are looking forward to the future SEC expansion that will welcome the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners to the conference. Continue reading “USA TODAY Sports lists eight SEC rivalries that will benefit from Texas, Oklahoma joining”

Current dynamic between Big 12 and SEC commissioners

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey described the current dynamic with Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby via ‘The Paul Finebaum Show.’

The college football landscape has changed. The SEC is gaining two of the Big 12’s most esteemed programs in the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. With the Southeastern Conference’s expansion, it certainly raises the question on the current relationship between Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. With the current climate, it is not out of the question to confer that both sides might feel differently in light of recent events.

Without their most prominent programs, the future of the Big 12 seems underwhelming. In contrast, with the addition of OU and Texas, the SEC is on the cusp of a powerhouse conference in college football. A super conference that will change college athletics moving forward.

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In a recent appearance on the ‘Paul Finebaum Show,’ Sankey discussed his current relationship with Bowlsby. He provided a reminiscent vantage point to previous mergers within college football and previous colleagues casting aside differences to work together in past expansions.

“I’ve had subsequent opportunities to watch colleagues work through those issues with expansion, again at the ACC to the Big East, or the Big Ten adding members from the Big East and ACC, and there are those moments we all have a responsibility to guide forward to work, obviously, to lead our conferences and I’m certain that we will, we will work to do so.”

A rather business approach but to be expected following such an upheaval. Both the Sooners and Longhorns have accepted official invites to join the Southeastern Conference but the official move will not happen for several more years. The two programs are scheduled to enter the SEC on July 1, 2025. This provides time for broadcasting contracts to be made and finalized, along with an adjustment period for all parties involved.

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SEC presidents unanimously voted to have Oklahoma and Texas join the conference and now the aftermath from the move will be sorted through.

Alabama releases statement on OU’s move to SEC

Alabama’s president and athletic director release statements on Oklahoma joining the SEC.

It is official. Oklahoma’s Board of Regents unanimously approved the Sooners move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference. Now, OU will face the likes of Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, ED Orgeron, and Jimbo Fisher. Oklahoma has won the Big 12 title the last five seasons and consistently set atop the conference’s hierarchy. Now Lincoln Riley and Co. will join college football’s elite conference. The stellar competition within the conference will bring out the best and will accelerate the team’s path to the coveted national championship. However, OU will have to contend with tougher competition than in years past. Being the best of the Big 12 is entirely different than being the best of the SEC.

Riley’s innovative coaching and Alex Grinch’s aggressive defensive unit will pave the program’s way to the ultimate victory and put the team in stride with the other elect. The team’s most challenging opponent will be the Alabama Crimson Tide, led by legendary coach Saban. Alabama announced a statement regarding the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.

“The addition of Oklahoma and Texas, two esteemed institutions of higher education with strong academic programs will serve to make the SEC even stronger. We are excited to welcome them to the SEC and believe the addition of these two schools will heighten our student-athletes’ opportunities to compete, enrich the fan experience and bolster the entire conference.”– Dr. Stuart R. Bell, UA President

“We would like to welcome Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference. The SEC has already established itself as the premiere conference in collegiate athletics, and the addition of these two tradition-rich programs will for an even more competitive league inn all sports.” -Greg Bryne, UA Director of Athletics

The college football landscape has changed but a new powerhouse conference emerges. The SEC just became more feared, and Oklahoma is on the cusp of greatness. A new era dawns in college football.

Kirk Herbstreit seems less than excited about SEC expansion with Texas and Oklahoma

What do you think? Do you agree with Herbie on this?

Former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit is one of the most prominent personalities in college football. Not only is he a former Buckeye, but he’s on the A-team of ESPN college football broadcasts and has a presence in the media that many pay attention to.

Of course, we pay attention a little more to Herbie as OSU fans, but generally speaking, when he talks, people listen. He very rarely dives into a pool of controversy, but when he does speak out, you feel like it’s a little more meaningful. Despite the polarizing view many have among Buckeye Nation, he is still well respected in the college football community.

And now, Herbstreit has spoken out about Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and what it might mean for college football. And based on his comments, it appears as though Herbie isn’t exactly excited about the landscape of college football changing again. When appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Herbstreit seemed very much disappointed about the chasing of the almighty dollar in college sports.

It’s a short quote, but a powerful one. Especially considering the balancing act Herbstreit often has to do with his Ohio State ties, his employment at the media giant ESPN and all the interests it has, and his fandom. It’s not easy to toe the company line, be an interested unbiased observer when covering Ohio State, and still speak the truth into situations.

I know many like to hate on Herbstreit because he refuses to be an OSU fanboy and even sometimes over-corrects when discussing the Buckeyes, but his views are more often than not spot-on.

This is yet another case where he is right.

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Oklahoma officially accepts invitation to join the SEC in 2025

Oklahoma officially accepts the invitation to the SEC for the 2025 season.

On Friday morning the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents met for over an hour and a half. The topic of the meeting revolved around the invitation that the SEC extended on Thursday.

It should come as a surprise to no one that they voted to accept the invitation and join the SEC. The soft deadline being the 2025 season. Most feel it will happen long before that, but there are obstacles that must be cleared before that happens. There is a huge exit fee that both Oklahoma and Texas will have to pay to bounce from the Big 12 Conference.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby stated that he believes that both schools will attempt to leave before 2025 and try to avoid paying the exit fee. In a span of nine days, it went from a report to the school accepting the invitation. Now the focus shifts to when the Sooners will join officially.

There is a report that the Longhorns Network could provide the exit fee for both Oklahoma and Texas. ESPN still owes roughly $160 million to the University of Texas due to their contract. A bit of irony that both schools could exit using that payout considering they are rivals on the field. That rivalry doesn’t seem to extend to the presidents of both schools, Joseph Harroz Jr and Jay Hartzell.

This is not a decision that any of us made lightly, but we are charged with making choices that are in the best interest of our institution.- Joe Castiglione to the Athletic

Ranking future SEC opponents by most intriguing matchups

Ranking the most intriguing SEC matchups now that the Oklahoma Sooners have formally been invited to the conference.

On Thursday it all came to a head as expected, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns were both given an invitation. The SEC presidents voted 14-0 in favor of the top two schools in the Big 12 coming over in 2025.

While no one expects it to take that long, the worst-case scenario would be for OU to join in time for the 2025 season. On Friday, they are expected to officially accept the invitation. The Oklahoma Board of Regents will make that decision during their meeting.

With that much behind us, there is the subject of SEC football to discuss. Thoughts of future matchups are already on the mind of many. What games will stand out? The return of Missouri-Oklahoma is on that list. Perhaps a return series for Oklahoma against Texas A&M?

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John Williams ranks the most intriguing matchups in the SEC for the Oklahoma Sooners.