Roundtable: How would UNC to the SEC impact Kentucky?

This week Inside Carolina reported that the university would begin discussions about leaving the ACC for the Southeastern Conference.

So the realignment conversation will rage on for the foreseeable future.

Given the history between Kentucky and North Carolina in basketball, and the stature of both programs in the sport, the news could have particular interest to the Big Blue Nation.

Staff writers Jeff Drummond, David Sisk and Justin Rowland share takes on what UNC to the SEC could mean for the Wildcats, or simply offer thoughts on the move.

David Sisk: North Carolina would bring some obvious strengths. The basketball reputation speaks for itself and the athletic program is good across the board in many sports. It might be fair to say there is some of the Stanford approach in play. But those things don’t pay the bills when it comes to being coveted by the Southeastern Conference. Brand, media markets, and football are what turn the wheel. UNC has two of those boxes checked and is working on a third. The Tar Heel logo is a powerful one that is well recognized as well as any in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The SEC Network is in Charlotte, so bringing that major league market into the fold makes total sense. The Research Triangle also includes several million people. I believe the powers that be in Chapel Hill realize the strides that have to be made to make the football program attractive. That explains the hiring of Bill Belichick and the recent major financial dedication to that sport. The honest truth is that Carolina has lost a big chunk of the younger in-state fan base to Duke in the recent years and they need something to differentiate themselves. Membership in the Southeastern Conference would give the jolt that is needed, and the addition of a new school that does check all three boxes would do nothing but further strengthen the league.

Jeff Drummond: From UK’s perspective, I think bringing North Carolina into the SEC would mean adding a program with a similar mindset in a football-dominated league. The Tar Heels have a great basketball tradition, and while they’ve never been able to consistently match that in football, the desire is there. That’s obvious after wooing Bill Belichick out of retirement. They’ve had a lot of success in baseball and some of the other non-revenue sports, so UNC is kind of an “all sports” kindred spirit for Kentucky. It would mean SEC basketball continues to get stronger, provided the Tar Heels get back closer to their traditional status. As hard as it would have been to believe 10 years ago, they would not currently be one of the SEC’s top five programs as we speak. Either way, I think fans on both sides would embrace the opportunity to have an annual home-and-home series between Kentucky and North Carolina, two of the main three historical blue bloods. Some of the most memorable basketball games in recent UK basketball history have involved the Tar Heels. It would also bring some more juice to the SEC Tournament.

Justin Rowland: Had something like this happened earlier in the 2000s or before it would have felt like UNC was coming into the league to be the direct head to head competition for basketball dominance. But with how SEC basketball has risen, UNC would be one of several schools in regular contention for the league crown on a regular basis. Seeing that game more often would be great because I have always said those two bring out the best in one another when they go head to head. On the football side it’s a good thing for Kentucky because it’s a program that you don’t write down as a likely loss most years. I’m sure moving to the SEC would elevate UNC’s potential in the sport – which people have always written about – but the best indicator of future performance is past performance and that’s a game that should be competitive for UK more often than not. The problem they have often had, historically, is it’s difficult to lock down a majority of the top players from that state for extended periods of time. It would be fun to see the SEC strengthen its basketball profile with one of the top three or four basketball programs of all time, arguably top two. UNC adds a lot. They’re a great all sports program and the well-covered class scandal aside, still is one of the top public schools in the country. I don’t how much they move the needle financially for the SEC when the league is already so rich and cutting the pie so many ways. Bringing eyeballs to football games has not been a strength for them. But otherwise it’s the best addition that a league can now make other than Notre Dame. If you pair them with Clemson, that’s the 1-2 that I would have most expected since the last round of realignment. UNC has always made the most sense with the only fear being they would opt for the Big Ten instead. Then it’s Clemson. Florida State doesn’t bring as much as most people probably assume and Virginia does not move the needle at all on football or television.