AthlonSports proposed 13 Bold Predictions About College Football Realignmentand one of the boldest of them was that FSU, Clemson, GA Tech and Miami would all leave the ACC and join the Big Ten.
“After Florida State and Clemson got clarity on their lawsuit against the ACC, the Big Ten moved quickly and added those two programs to the conference,” the prediction reads. “But that’s not all: The conference is also inviting Georgia Tech and Miami to become a 22-team league.”
Miami and GA Tech have AAU accreditation, which is a prerequisites to join the B1GUnfortunately, the value of these athletic programs does not match that of FSU and Clemson.
FSU and Clemson likely won’t make a lateral move to the Big 12 if they leave the ACC, and there’s a slim chance they’ll take a step back in their next realignment destination.
That leaves the Big Ten and SEC as the only realistic options for the Noles and Tigers. According to college football expert Brett McMurphy, the SEC may not be interested in FSU and Clemson, with Florida and South Carolina already in their TV markets.
“North Carolina schools, Virginia schools,” McMurphy said on The Paul Finebaum Show“The SEC would definitely be interested. I don’t think they’re interested in Florida State or Clemson because they already have Florida and South Carolina.”
That means the B1G has to be where FSU and Clemson land. And the Big Ten will have to look beyond its AAU accreditation rules — as it has with Nebraska since the Cornhuskers lost that status — to facilitate that.
The revenues awaiting the B1G in the Deep South will likely offset any discomfort associated with violating these rules.
