SEC Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference

It took a case of political intrigue to get Virginia Tech into the ACC. The Hokies did not offer a geographic expansion for the conference, nor did its academic profile fit the traditional model for ACC schools. But the Virginia governor pulled strings, and the Hokies made the jump from the Big East at an earlier point of realignment.

Since coming over to the ACC, Virginia Tech maintained its level of play in its new home. The Hokies won four conference championships in their first seven years after realignment. But it has now been seven years since Virginia Tech last claimed the ACC crown.

Unlike their uneasy fit in the ACC, the SEC would provide a more comfortable fit for the Hokies. The academic programs at Virginia Tech are more in line with SEC programs than their ACC counterparts. An emphasis on football in Blacksburg mirrors the SEC profile far more than the basketball-focused programs in the ACC as well.

The Hokies offer entry into the Virginia market for the Southeast Conference. Like North Carolina, Virginia is one of the last markets uncovered in the traditional footprint of the conference. The Hokies would bring a successful brand into the fold and fortify the SEC’s geographic grip on the south.