My latest article at Gator Country was about how the ACC’s settlement with FSU and Clemson puts an expiration date on the league of approximately 2030. I’m not going to rehash it here, but that’s about when we can expect some more conference realignment fireworks.
The SEC can’t expand right then without ESPN’s help, as the Big Ten’s media rights contracts expire in 2030 while the SEC’s don’t until in 2034. However, since the Big Ten shut out ESPN/ABC in its last round of deals, you can bet the Mouse will be fine with pitching in to avoid losing any marquee names to some mix of Fox, CBS, and NBC, not to mention potentially some pure streamers like Amazon, Netflix, and Apple.
Anyway, I would rather not see more expansion and just have the ACC go on indefinitely. I doubt it will, which means the B1G and SEC will pick off its top schools eventually. Probably around 2030, to be specific, with announcements coming in the 2028 or 2029 time frame.
I discussed how my not-gonna-happen dream is that if we have to see the SEC expand, then it should go get Clemson, FSU, Miami, and North Carolina to get to 20. Then, the league should break back into two divisions where one of them is the original ten SEC schools that didn’t leave (sorry Georgia Tech, Tulane, and Sewanee). If we have to go to a superleague-like structure that bears no resemblance to traditional college football, then maybe we can get a pocket of the old times somewhere.
I mentioned that two divisions may require 11 league games: nine round robin games within each division, a permanent cross-division rival, and a rotating cross-division spot that’ll see everyone play everyone else once every nine years. The permanent opponent is mainly to keep Florida-FSU a going concern, but one could have fun with the rest.
And so I did.
It’s the offseason and spring ball hasn’t really heated up yet, so we have time to indulge in a bit of what-if making. Under the scenario I outline above, what should the permanent cross-division rivals be?
The no-brainer is Florida-FSU. It’s why this exercise exists. The next most obvious matchup is Kentucky-North Carolina. They have no football history to speak of, but it quarantines the basketball crazies with each other. That’s two down, eight to go.
Thematically, Auburn and Clemson should go together. It’s long been said that Clemson is Auburn with a lake, so why not put them together? To finish up the Palmetto State, I’m putting South Carolina with Georgia.
Is this giving the Bulldogs a break? Yes and no. Yes, because the Gamecocks are quite volatile and can fall way off at any time.
But also no, because bad Carolina teams still scare and even beat UGA from time to time. Just because they’re struggling to make a bowl, it doesn’t mean they can’t put the fear of God into those wearing silver britches. Plus it’s being nice to South Carolina for once. The league has previously paired them up with Arkansas and Texas A&M for permanent rivalries, so it’d be good to give them something that makes sense for once.
Let’s move to the Lone Star State and make the Saban Bowl with Alabama and Texas. One program got the Nicktator, while the other spread rumors about landing him every couple of years for a decade. It’s arguably the biggest helmet matchup possible in this league, and the teams actually do have some modest history between them. Meanwhile, the SEC has been spending time trying to make something out of LSU-Texas A&M, so I’m good with continuing to try to wring some blood from that stone. All of the Aggies’ former Big 12 and SWC foes are in their post-1991 expansion division, so there isn’t any compelling alternative for them.
That’s six. There is only one traditional heavyweight in each division left, so they get each other. Congrats, Tennessee and Oklahoma! Let’s also pair up Vanderbilt and Missouri, because everyone would complain if anyone but Mizzou or maybe South Carolina got the Commodores.
That leaves the Mississippi schools with Miami and Arkansas. As much fun as it would be to send the 12 Hurricane fans who attend road games to Starkville every other year for the cowbell assault, the ‘Canes get Ole Miss. The Rebels don’t have the trophy case that Miami does, but these days they’re on a similar level. And finally, that means former SEC West foes Arkansas and Mississippi State get paired up. It’s not exciting and doesn’t have a lot of history, but not everything can work that way. And at least they’re plenty familiar with each other.
To put it all in one place, here are the matchups:
- Alabama-Texas
- Auburn-Clemson
- Florida-FSU
- Georgia-South Carolina
- Kentucky-North Carolina
- LSU-Texas A&M
- Ole Miss-Miami
- Mississippi State-Arkansas
- Tennessee-Oklahoma
- Vanderbilt-Missouri
It may not jump out to you as thoroughly exciting, but give it time. Sit with it, and consider. You’ll find that this does make a lot of sense and very well could be the best set of pairings possible.