Opinion: Regarding UCF Joining the SEC
Beginning on July 1, 2023, the UCF Knights will be a full-time member of the Big XII. It’s a move from the Group of 5 to the Power 5. A rare achievement. Still, there’s rumor that another conference could come calling.
Does UCF have a shot to join the SEC? A source from radio personality and former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick has a source that says yes. Give the following video clip a listen.
It’s intriguing, isn’t it?
Patrick is smart enough not to just throw out each rumor that comes through his earpiece. He checks what is going to be published before going on air. That’s true journalism. That stated, there are many moving parts to consider. Here’s my take.
To begin, the point Patrick made about the SEC wanting to dominate each state should be taken seriously. That’s power and money wrapped into one.
For instance, adding Clemson secures both traditional schools in the state of South Carolina for the SEC, with the University of South Carolina already being a member. At that point, Coastal Carolina would be the only institution within the state of South Carolina borders to even think about, and that’s not all that likely.
Adding Louisville does the same for the SEC in the state of Kentucky, with the University of Kentucky a long-time member. We could go on and on about the SEC taking over many states. More importantly for this discussion, the point about UCF to the SEC has a few pitfalls to discuss.
What’s the order of preference? There are only going to be so many schools in the SEC (or any other league). Thus, there needs to be a pecking order for school choices to join the SEC; there also needs to be a timeframe from which to work from.
That’s where the squabbling will begin and personal interests will cause issues. It’s opinion-based, which is truly hard to sort out. In short, bias.
That’s inevitable. People have ties to certain states, as well as the schools that reside within them. Further, a power broker in all of these dealings might even have a relative working at school like Louisville or Georgia Tech, etc.
How does that pecking order play out? It’s all but impossible to project with so many opinions in the room.
Next, the Big XII. That’s a potential legal mess to leave a conference while under contract and join another. Considering the Big XII and SEC are in direct competition, well, that’s also a vital component of the UCF to SEC discussion.
Lawyers will battle if the UCF brass wanted to accept any offer to another conference, with joining the SEC being met with the harshest of restrictions. Hey, who can blame the Big XII (or any other league in a similar situation) if they protect their brand?
Is it out of the question that UCF could one day be in the SEC? No. Unusual conference shifts do take place.
Raise your hand if you thought Southern California and UCLA would leave the Pac 12 and join the B10.
Yeah, I did not raise my hand either. So, back to Patrick.
He should absolutely be considered a person with excellent sources, but there’s just a lot of red tape to go through to see that situation come to fruition. Perhaps I’m wrong, and just maybe things will change. Doubtful for the foreseeable future, however.
Maybe in 15 years? Okay. I can buy that.
At the end of the day, UCF is heading to the Big XII. Both sides are happy with the decision and the two sides will merge in 2023. Let’s wait a while before worrying about the Knights joining yet another conference, the SEC included.
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