"To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle."
-- Mark "Ice" Richt
The Birmingham News writes a long, windy article called "The Great Divide" in which they talk about how and why the SEC was originally aligned and the power cycles the divisions have created and endured. Good read.
The article doesn't talk about it, but I sometimes wonder what would happen if Vandy or Arkansas ever left the SEC. If we ever lost 1 member, I think we'd look to replace them with these teams (in this order):
1. Georgia Tech - traditional and geographic fitThe Texas schools would never come over, and West Virginia brings nothing in terms of TV or anything else.
2. Florida State - beef up Florida TV market
3. Clemson - cultural and geographic fit
4. Louisville - would improve hoops and might beef up interest in Ohio TV markets
5. Miami - Logistical issues and AD fear keeps me from thinking they would be listed higher
AP article on UGA's losses from 2005 called "Bulldogs Still Confident After Losses." It seems like this article appears every year.
And the Huntsville Times talks about QB problems across the SEC, and it focuses on UGA's issues.
PWD
top image: georgiadogs.com
3 comments:
I think Clemson would be my first pick as they are a natural fit for our conference (they fit the SEC Profile). I also think WV would fit in nicely, albeit they are a little further geographically.
I think Louisville would actually be a better fit for the ACC. Smaller school, good hoops, instant ACC/SEC rival with UK.
Before Vatech joined the ACC I thought they would have been a good fit for the SEC as well.
Clemson? It's a fit alright, in that it's more of the same --another Auburn or Mississippi State.
The 'Ville is an interesting possibility, at least as long as they continue their football ascendancy. I'm not sure they get the conference more Ohio mojo, though. Lexington, being close to Cincinnati is much more Ohio-oriented than Louisville, which has southern Indiana (Kentuckiana is the goofy name they have for the metro area) as its hinterland.
I've always thought Lousiville would make an excellent pick to join the SEC. Although the reader saying UofL would make a good ACC has great points, and I do agree, I think they would be just as a good edition, if not better edition, to the SEC. Not only would it improve the SEC basketball wise, but would be an improvement over Vanderbilt in football as well and currently would be more competitive in football than multiple SEC schools. Other positives include a huge rivalry in basketball between UK/UofL which would/should rival Duke/UNC proportions, its geographic, and brings in a decent television market.
The only negatives to UofL being included in the SEC are that they're not a traditional state college, its a city college. That, and while they've put a lot into their athletics recently, the facilities and fan support are just not at SEC levels (save Vanderbilt, which is why I think UofL is a better fit than Vandy).
I agree Clemson or GT would be a great fit. GT moreso in that it would raise the academic standing of the SEC while bringing in many solid athletic programs, namely basketball.
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