College football realignment: SEC makes decision on its next move, per report
College football realignment has been the story of the offseason after USC and UCLA decided to join the Big Ten, shifting all eyes towards the SEC's next move.
Now it appears the SEC has made its decision: the conference has decided to stay put and not expand further right now, according to reporting from insider Matt Hayes.
“We’re positioned at 16 (teams) for a robust future,” an SEC athletic director told Hayes. “The need just isn’t there.”
The operative word here is "need." Should the SEC decide it does have a need - which is to say, if another high-value property becomes available - the conference is open to further realignment.
But there aren't many pieces left on the chessboard for the SEC to take interest in: only ACC members Clemson, Florida State, and Miami come to mind.
Economics could prevent those additions thanks to the ACC grants of rights agreement, which doesn't expire until 2036, and makes leaving the league difficult, unless schools are willing to pay a reported $100 million exit fee.
Reports suggested the SEC was ready to make another move after the Big Ten upped the ante with its decision to add the two California-based programs, but the SEC decided to consolidate its holdings and see where things go from here.
Those holdings now include college football powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma after the two schools reached out to the SEC last offseason.
SEC members then voted to extend invitations to both schools, looking ahead to membership likely in time for the 2025 football season, if not sooner.
That decision could push the SEC ahead of the Big Ten in revenue when the leagues agree to their upcoming media rights deals with TV networks.
Currently, the Big Ten leads the way in revenue, but the SEC remains the best conference on the field, winning 12 of college football's last 16 national championships.
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