College football realignment rumors: Which teams the SEC could add, per Paul Finebaum

College football realignment appears to have hit pause with the season coming up, but that doesn't mean conferences aren't planning their next moves right now.

That includes the SEC, which kicked off the most recent expansion phase by voting to add Texas and Oklahoma in a bombshell move last offseason.

Which schools are still on the table and where could the SEC go next?

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum believes power brokers in the SEC could have their sights set on one program, in particular.

Where college football realignment goes (or doesn't go) next

“Aside from Notre Dame, I think Clemson today is the most attractive,” Finebaum said on Always College Football.

“But I was on a show earlier, and [the host] was arguing that USC, because of Lincoln Riley, and Miami because of Mario Cristobal, are so valuable. You’re thinking, neither one may be there in 10 years.

"You can’t just hire a team based on the coach that you have. You have to look a little bit farther down the road. Look how difficult it's been to digest Oklahoma and Texas over the last 52 weeks. We’re still not even there yet.

“So you try adding Clemson or North Carolina, or someone like that. What you almost need is a big bang effect, where the whole thing just blows up, and it’s easier to grab than trying to go through the nuances of torturous interference.”

But trying to break out of the ACC is easier said than done thanks to that league's grant of rights agreement.

The deal locks in ACC members until 2036, unless a school wants to put down a huge exit fee around a reported $100 million or more.

That might be too great an investment for any school, even if membership in the SEC awaits them on the other side.

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