Was thinking the other day about how good of a position the SEC is in right now. It is the undisputed king of NCAA athletics, and its schools are similar from geographical and cultural standpoints, by and large. Of the 14 SEC schools, 9 are "flagship" universities, 4 are "land-grant/agricultural" colleges, and 1 is the private "academic" member (Vandy). Plus, the divisions make sense when you consider not only geography, but also the distribution (i.e. land-grants and their rivals in West; 6 flagships and Vandy in East).
I bring this up because I feel that other conferences (specifically the ACC) are not looking at the big picture in the expansion process. They are adding teams for the sake of growth and aren't considering how the new additions will fit 20-25 years from now (i.e. once TV revenues level off). The ACC is a perfect example of this. With the Big East additions, they now stretch from New England, to the Midwest, and down to South Beach, FL. And the types of schools vary extensively ... Tech schools, private schools, land-grants, flagships, big metros, etc. In other words, there's not much in common across the board.
Just happy that we're in the SEC. Leaving the ACC took its toll for awhile, but its paid huge dividends in the long run. Go Cocks!
I bring this up because I feel that other conferences (specifically the ACC) are not looking at the big picture in the expansion process. They are adding teams for the sake of growth and aren't considering how the new additions will fit 20-25 years from now (i.e. once TV revenues level off). The ACC is a perfect example of this. With the Big East additions, they now stretch from New England, to the Midwest, and down to South Beach, FL. And the types of schools vary extensively ... Tech schools, private schools, land-grants, flagships, big metros, etc. In other words, there's not much in common across the board.
Just happy that we're in the SEC. Leaving the ACC took its toll for awhile, but its paid huge dividends in the long run. Go Cocks!
