IS the SEC is actually preparing for a 20 team league in 2030?

[gamalielkid]

The new schedule of playing 9 games IMO is getting everyone ready for the really big one! 2030 will be a year of huge changes in power football conferences. The ACC has prepared itself to let go of its Football schools with huge but reasonable buyouts to the teams who remain. The major TV networks will be licking their chops for the huge TV rights for the new expanded leagues.

I see a plan where the SEC will add 4 more teams. Then create even more rival games by bracketing teams into 5 team pods. The difference will be that the all the teams in the pods that you are not in will then be rotated off and on the schedule every 6 years with a home and an away game with each. This still provides a 9 game conference schedule but creates more rivalry and games of interest. In four years you will see teams be welcomed into the SEC that may not have been welcomed in the last decade also. I think you will see North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech and Clemson joining the SEC. These teams will benefit both football and basketball for the SEC and truly fit the description of the Southeastern Conference footprint as well. Louisville, NC State and Miami will probably go to the Big 12 as they also seem to fit that league in reality. Virginia will join the Big 10 as well as Notre Dame. Thus - you have 3 team mega power leagues! It also works well to create new and keep some good power conference rivalry games.

I hope I get to see this - but 4 years is a long time for us older folk - lol!

Go Big Blue!

One wild card school that no one has mentioned in the past is Georgia Tech. Once a member of the SEC - I'm sure they wish they never made that mistake to leave - and it might still keep them from getting back in - but it would certainly work in many other ways. I'm sure Vanderbilt would love to see Duke and Georgia Tech be in the SEC!

 

[Anon1754542884]

The new schedule of playing 9 games IMO is getting everyone ready for the really big one! 2030 will be a year of huge changes in power football conferences. The ACC has prepared itself to let go of its Football schools with huge but reasonable buyouts to the teams who remain. The major TV networks will be licking their chops for the huge TV rights for the new expanded leagues.

I see a plan where the SEC will add 4 more teams. Then create even more rival games by bracketing teams into 5 team pods. The difference will be that the all the teams in the pods that you are not in will then be rotated off and on the schedule every 6 years with a home and an away game with each. This still provides a 9 game conference schedule but creates more rivalry and games of interest. In four years you will see teams be welcomed into the SEC that may not have been welcomed in the last decade also. I think you will see North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech and Clemson joining the SEC. These teams will benefit both football and basketball for the SEC and truly fit the description of the Southeastern Conference footprint as well. Louisville, NC State and Miami will probably go to the Big 12 as they also seem to fit that league in reality. Virginia will join the Big 10 as well as Notre Dame. Thus - you have 3 team mega power leagues! It also works well to create new and keep some good power conference rivalry games.

I hope I get to see this - but 4 years is a long time for us older folk - lol!

Go Big Blue!

One wild card school that no one has mentioned in the past is Georgia Tech. Once a member of the SEC - I'm sure they wish they never made that mistake to leave - and it might still keep them from getting back in - but it would certainly work in many other ways. I'm sure Vanderbilt would love to see Duke and Georgia Tech be in the SEC!

Your thesis makes good sense …

 

[BigBlue8]

The new schedule of playing 9 games IMO is getting everyone ready for the really big one! 2030 will be a year of huge changes in power football conferences. The ACC has prepared itself to let go of its Football schools with huge but reasonable buyouts to the teams who remain. The major TV networks will be licking their chops for the huge TV rights for the new expanded leagues.

I see a plan where the SEC will add 4 more teams. Then create even more rival games by bracketing teams into 5 team pods. The difference will be that the all the teams in the pods that you are not in will then be rotated off and on the schedule every 6 years with a home and an away game with each. This still provides a 9 game conference schedule but creates more rivalry and games of interest. In four years you will see teams be welcomed into the SEC that may not have been welcomed in the last decade also. I think you will see North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech and Clemson joining the SEC. These teams will benefit both football and basketball for the SEC and truly fit the description of the Southeastern Conference footprint as well. Louisville, NC State and Miami will probably go to the Big 12 as they also seem to fit that league in reality. Virginia will join the Big 10 as well as Notre Dame. Thus - you have 3 team mega power leagues! It also works well to create new and keep some good power conference rivalry games.

I hope I get to see this - but 4 years is a long time for us older folk - lol!

Go Big Blue!

One wild card school that no one has mentioned in the past is Georgia Tech. Once a member of the SEC - I'm sure they wish they never made that mistake to leave - and it might still keep them from getting back in - but it would certainly work in many other ways. I'm sure Vanderbilt would love to see Duke and Georgia Tech be in the SEC!

I have been thinking exactly everything you just said and I am more confident now than I was before. I believe this will happen sooner than 2030. There is a reason that UNC let it be known that they are targeting the SEC. UNC could have waited closer to 2030 to announce that. I watched a video of a guy with a finance background estimate the annual income deficit each year of an ACC team vs being in the SEC over the next ten years. I took his data and put it in a spreadsheet and compared that to the buyout over the next ten years. I will try and post that when I get on my computer. The bottom line is it would be a huge finacial advantage for a team like UNC to join the SEC as soon as possible.

 

[DelkBowl]

I see 4 pods of 5 with a possible final four for the SEC championship.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I posted something along these lines 3-4 years ago. I am not sure 2 will be the number bit I think it will be 2 super conferences with 15-25 teams that are serious about football and able to spend big NIL. Done with an NFL model in mind. I dont think UGA will be one of those teams, we dont have the NIL to go all in. But if it's that far away I likely won't see it.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I agree with the OP.

Duke is a garbage program and don't see the appeal for football purposes. Sec allowing the big 10 to get fsu, or Miami and get into the south more would not be wise IMO.

 

[BurgLife]

Other possibilities that could be of interest would be FSU, and OK State. I could see both of them wanting in the SEC.

 

[vhcat1970]

I agree with the OP.

Duke is a garbage program and don't see the appeal for football purposes. Sec allowing the big 10 to get fsu, or Miami and get into the south more would not be wise IMO.

Agree. Duke will not bring FB $$. Strengthening SEC hoops is a distraction to improved SEC finances. I'd want VA & FSU & NC St. over VT or Puke.

 

[gamalielkid]

Agree. Duke will not bring FB $$. Strengthening SEC hoops is a distraction to improved SEC finances. I'd want VA & FSU & NC St. over VT or Puke.

Virginia has Big 10 written all over it. Plus they want a closer program to play Maryland. Va. Tech is THE football program in Virginia - so I fully expect SEC will want them to give them an SEC team in Virginia and totally keep the SEC geographical - probably the only conference to really live up to its name - lol!

Several other good possibilities for sure. Its pick your poison I guess. FSU, Miami, NC State and Okie State all make geographical sense and all would work somehow in the schedule. As Grumpy said could get it even larger than 20. If that happens - then 10 game conference OR more would be in the future for sure! 24 teams work well for a 11 game conference schedule too!

Go Big Blue!

 

[BigBlue8]

I based the table below on the gap information in this guy's video.

He is a finance guy, so I figure he knows what he is talking about. Assuming he is correct, any team that will have a landing spot in the SEC or BIG10 should leave as soon as possible.

Here is my preference for adding teams to the SEC.
1. UNC
2. Clemson
3. FSU
4. One of the following: UVA. Miami, Virginia Tech, Duke. I can't stand Duke, but I will concede because it would make for one hell of a basketball conference. The SEC has become a dominant force in basketball. Imagine how crazy it would be by adding UNC and Duke to the mix.

I took his data and put it in a spreadsheet and compared that to the buyout over the next ten years.
The bottom line is it would be a huge financial advantage for a team like UNC to join the SEC as soon as possible.

All figures are in millions. I may have made a mistake somewhere in my spreadsheet, but it proves my point that waiting until 2030 costs ACC teams a lot of money over the long hall. Also, the earliest an ACC team can leave now is 2027. ACC teams are required to notify the ACC that they intend to leave after the upcoming season, has to be done by August 15th. So, all ACC teams are locked in for the 2026 season.

Year	Revenue gap in millions between SEC & ACC	Buyout	Additional revenue to be made by joining the SEC in year indicated until 2035	Money lost by not joining the SEC in 2026
2026	-28.8	165	221.89	0
2027	-30.9	147	211.09	10.8
2028	-33.1	129	198.19	23.7
2029	-35.3	111	183.09	38.8
2030	-37.4	93	165.79	56.1
2031	-39.6	75	146.39	75.5
2032	-41.9	75	106.79	115.1
2033	-44.2	75	64.89	157
2034	-46.69	75	20.69	201.2
2035	-49	75	-26	237.09
Totals	-386.89

6.89​

 

[gamalielkid]

I based the table below on the gap information in this guy's video.

He is a finance guy, so I figure he knows what he is talking about. Assuming he is correct, any team that will have a landing spot in the SEC or BIG10 should leave as soon as possible.

Here is my preference for adding teams to the SEC.
1. UNC
2. Clemson
3. FSU
4. One of the following: UVA. Miami, Virginia Tech, Duke. I can't stand Duke, but I will concede because it would make for one hell of a basketball conference. The SEC has become a dominant force in basketball. Imagine how crazy it would be by adding UNC and Duke to the mix.

I took his data and put it in a spreadsheet and compared that to the buyout over the next ten years.
The bottom line is it would be a huge financial advantage for a team like UNC to join the SEC as soon as possible.

All figures are in millions. I may have made a mistake somewhere in my spreadsheet, but it proves my point that waiting until 2030 costs ACC teams a lot of money over the long hall. Also, the earliest an ACC team can leave now is 2027. ACC teams are required to notify the ACC that they intend to leave after the upcoming season, has to be done by August 15th. So, all ACC teams are locked in for the 2026 season.

Year	Revenue gap in millions between SEC & ACC	Buyout	Additional revenue to be made by joining the SEC in year indicated until 2035	Money lost by not joining the SEC in 2026
2026	-28.8	165	221.89	0
2027	-30.9	147	211.09	10.8
2028	-33.1	129	198.19	23.7
2029	-35.3	111	183.09	38.8
2030	-37.4	93	165.79	56.1
2031	-39.6	75	146.39	75.5
2032	-41.9	75	106.79	115.1
2033	-44.2	75	64.89	157
2034	-46.69	75	20.69	201.2
2035	-49	75	-26	237.09
Totals	-386.89

6.89​

I agree about "not standing" Duke. But that is what makes them an interesting addition. We would get to give them a bloody nose every year and enjoy doing it! I'm not a FSU fan at all - I live in Florida. But I don't care for Florida fans as a group either - lol! Virginia Tech seems to be a good pick - much better than Virginia. If you look at football program only - Virginia Tech is the pick. Virginia is a lot like Duke - but their overall basketball program is not that great in reality compared to NC or Duke for sure. I know many people probably wouldn't want it - but I think Georgia Tech should have never left and they would be a good choice - but I know they made a lot of the old timers really mad when they left - so they may never get a chance to be part of the premeire sports league of the South again!

Go Big Blue!

P.S. Hey Grumpy - what are your thoughts about Georgia Tech?

 

[jedwar]

I would love UVA, UNC, Duke and Clemson. But I think it will be UNC, NCST, Clemson and VT. Could also see FSU making a strong push.

 

[OGtruebluewildcat]

I think we're seeing things move toward the establishment of a near peer to the NFL.

BIG and SEC will expand, and I think it's inevitable more games between the two become mandated by the TV money.

Thus, you will have a mega multi-billion-dollar professional sports organization comprised of 2 conferences that play one another.

BCS -> BIG v SEC

NFL -> AFC v NFC