Big 12 projected to add college football power in next conference realignment move
The ACC's days appear to be numbered, as their two top brands in Florida State and Clemson are suing the conference with hopes of leaving.
While they are both still in the early stages of this process and the conference will be doing everything in its power to keep them there, it seems as more of a "when" they will leave rather than an "if". Assuming those teams do leave the ACC, it will lead to a mass exodous from the conference, and eventually its demise. Its death would mean the Big 12 would be inheriting some new programs, and will be able to remain as a Power conference as long as possible.
247Sports' Brad Crawford recently projected where nine of the ACC members would end up if the conference collapses, and had the Big 12 landing one of the biggest brands in all of college football.
Big 12
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Crawford has the Big 12 slated to add more real estate in Florida, with the Miami Hurricanes joining the fold. Crawford revealed that the Big Ten is viewed as Miaimi's first choice, but the conference may choose to just add Florida State which is the bigger brand, which could be the only program in Florida they want.
We also recently learned that North Carolina is the biggest target for both the Big Ten and SEC, so Miami again gets bumped down the list. This would give the Big 12 a major brand, which at the moment, they don't really have a traditional household brand in the conference. Instead, it is a group of programs that have potential to assert themselves, but aren't widely viewed as being one of the preeminent powers.
On top of adding Miami, Crawford also foresees the Big 12 adding North Carolina State, which gets them in another flourishing market and also adds very competitive basketball and football programs.
The Big 12 may be able to reap the rewards of a failing conference again, like they did when the Pac-12 collapsed. It is just a delicate waiting game, and being there at the right time for these programs. The conference expanded to 16 this past year, adding Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, and Colorado from the Pac-12, after previously adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF.
The race to the super conferences continue, and there is no one who can stop it.
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