College football insider reveals SEC may counter Big Ten, chances they add Notre Dame

A seismic change happened in college sports this week when USC and UCLA announced they’re leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. But conference realignment rumors are swirling about more big moves to follow, notably from the SEC and maybe even Notre Dame.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel joined The Paul Finebaum Show on Friday to discuss a few possibilities — specifically Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have largely remained independent throughout their history, only playing football in the ACC during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season. Now, with conference realignment moving along in full force, the question is whether or not Notre Dame will end up joining a league.

One potential option could be the SEC, as Finebaum suggested earlier this week. Mandel threw some cold water on that idea, though.

“I think it’s a nonstarter just because Notre Dame has a lot more in common with a lot of the schools in the Big Ten than they do with most of the schools in the SEC save for Vanderbilt,” Mandel said. “And also if being in the south was so important for them, having that anchor. Obviously, they are in the ACC and they have the opportunity to join them at any time. Now, does that mean the SEC kind of just sits back and doesn’t do anything more to respond to what the Big Ten just did? Not necessarily.”

Stewart Mandel on possible options for the SEC in conference realignment

Some other ACC programs — notably Clemson, Florida State and Miami — have also been thrown around as potential SEC targets. Mandel said the rumors are usually out there, but they’re especially out there now.

However, the big hangup is the ACC’s grant of rights, which runs through 2036.

“You always hear rumblings about, ‘Can Clemson and maybe Florida State get out of their ACC deal and possibly come over to the SEC?'” Mandel said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of lawyers making a lot of money in the coming weeks and months, searching through those contracts, looking for any possible loophole to get out of that grant of rights. Because otherwise, they’re stuck in that league until 2036 — by which point, they won’t even be playing in the same universe as the SEC and Big Ten.”