If Clemson and FSU join the SEC, here’s where the 14 other ACC teams should go
By Sam Fariss
Rumors are raging through the college football world as speculations of Clemson and Florida State heading to the SEC gain momentum.
The Tigers and the Seminoles have repeatedly stood atop the ACC in multiple sports, most importantly football.
The nation is just now settling down after a tumultuous offseason filled with shocking transfer portal announcements, head coach departures, and the biggest conference realignment in history.
BREAKING: As we've said for a year, #FSU and #Clemson will not get a #B1G offer, due to neither being AAU accredited. But from Vegas the talk is the #SEC has now turned the pair down. With new sponsorship the B12 p4obably won't pay quite what the other two do, but with those two… pic.twitter.com/JjKccxisqP
— GREG SWAIM SHOW (@GSwaim) July 10, 2024
So, if another cosmic shift occurred amongst the now-Power 4 conferences, caused by Clemson and FSU leaving for the SEC, where would everyone else in the ACC go?
The SEC also gains Miami and NC State
Athletically, these four programs can compete with the 16 teams currently in the Southeastern Conference.
In both basketball and football, talent is matched by the current ACC teams. Not to mention, this realignment would make the most sense geographically.
If Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and NC State joined the SEC, the conference would have 20 teams in total.
The B1G gains BC, Duke, Syracuse, Pitt and UNC
Academically and athletically, these four current ACC programs can easily align with the Big Ten.
The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels have to remain in the same conference for the sake of everyone's sanity. On the other hand, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse could compete with some of the Big Ten football teams.
If Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse were to join the Big Ten, the Power-3 conference would be up to 23 teams.
The Big 12 games Cal, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, and VT
While the California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal have repeatedly stuck their noses up at the Big 12 due to a supposed lack of academic prowess, it may be time to tuck their tails and digress.
If the two California based teams could bring the SMU Mustangs, Virginia Cavaliers, and Virginia Tech Hokies with them to the conference, it would even give it an academic boost.
If these five programs joined the Big 12, the conference would also have 23 teams to its name.
Wake Forest and Georgia Tech drop to the AAC
Sadly for Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, they would most likely be left out of the newly-developed Power 3 conferences.
The two programs have struggled in the big money-making sports over the past few decades, knocking them down a peg in comparison to their current ACC opponents.
If GT and WF joined the American Athletic Conference (ACC), they would be joining the likes of UAB, East Carolina, FAU, Memphis, NC Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, USF, Temple, UTSA, Tulane, Tulsa, and Wichita State – taking the conference to 15 total teams.
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