ACC Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference
By Zach Bigalke
In a future realignment situation, the ACC will simultaneously be the hunter and the hunted. It would be wise for the league to get ahead of the curve and look to poach several strong teams from other Power Five leagues. Could the ACC potentially pull off a coup and snag away an SEC stalwart to join its side?
If the ACC chose to take such a bold gambit, perhaps the most intriguing target would be Auburn. Like Texas A&M back when they played in the same league as Texas, Auburn would have to break a longstanding rivalry in order to make the move. Separating from their historic rival would be difficult, but it could allow Auburn to fully grow to its potential.
It feels odd to say about a recent national champion, but Auburn will always exist in the shadow of the Crimson Tide as long as they remain in the same division. Moving to the ACC would allow the Tigers to turn its intermittent rivalry with Clemson into an annual affair, and allow the school to grow a more regional footprint for itself independent from its geographic location within the Yellowhammer State.
The SEC has no escape clause or penalty. If Auburn wanted to walk away from the conference it helped found back in 1932, it could do so free and clear.