The best part of expansion is almost over. The best part is the speculation.
Anything is possible. This is Fantasy Football.
So why not play Fantasy Basketball while there's still time?
If the SEC can't land Texas or Oklahoma, it won't significantly improve what is already the best football conference in the country. But what about basketball? And what about Kansas?
I'll pause until you stop laughing.
You could give me a handful of reasons why Kansas wouldn't fit in the SEC. Go ahead. Be logical. But you're not spoiling my fun.
Suppose half the Big 12 goes to the Pac-10, as so many source-driven reports have indicated. And suppose Kansas is left behind to either rebuild what's left of a BCS conference or to swallow its pride and join the Mountain West's quest for the BCS.
Wouldn't it rather be in the SEC?
Forget the distance. Think about all the football money.
As for the SEC, forget football. Think about basketball.
You don't stop with Kansas. You try to entice Texas A&M to stand on its own and stop leaning on Texas, its more famous stepbrother.
Put Kansas and Texas A&M in the West, and here's the best part (it's Fantasy Basketball, remember?): take North Carolina and Duke from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Why would they leave the ACC?
Answer: Even basketball schools love football money.
Don't bother arguing on behalf of the ACC's great basketball tradition. That was in the old days before the ACC expanded to include the likes of Boston College, Miami and Florida State.
The ACC's basketball tradition is now Duke vs. North Carolina. As long as they've got each other, why should they care what conference they're in?
Put them in the SEC East with Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida and you would have a division with more clout than any conference. You also would have a super basketball conference with Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke.
No one else could come close to matching that. And no other conference could come close to matching the SEC's TV deal for basketball.
Every other team in the conference would benefit competitively as well as financially. The best players want to play against the best players And the best players - even if they don't stay long -are going to North Carolina, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky.
The addition of those powerhouse teams also would work wonders for everybody's RPI (ratings percentage index), on which the NCAA tournament selection committee relies so heavily. That expanded SEC would qualify nine teams for the tournament.
It wouldn't hurt football, either. Texas A&M and North Carolina are on the rise. Kansas football would benefit from being in the SEC, just as SEC basketball would benefit from having Kansas. So what if Duke wouldn't be competitive in football? It would be as competitive as Vanderbilt.
Overall, look what it would do for the SEC's TV market. The conference would have a presence in North Carolina, Texas, Kansas and Missouri (with Kansas City).
The core rivalries that have built the conference's illustrious tradition in football wouldn't be affected. And basketball rivalries would develop immediately. ESPN would make sure of that.
As for the logistical and travel problems in a league that would stretch from the Southeast to the Midwest and Southwest, administrators could worry about that on their way to the bank.
John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 30
Govolsps writes:
Unlikely, but it is true that that no conference could match the basketball TV deal that would occur....even the big east. And money is the driving force. However: football money > basketball money.
bugman (Inactive) writes:
John Adams must have been in Amsterdams coffee shop when he wrote this article. there's no way the ncaa lets the big four join the same conference. adams is about tarted for even bringing it up.
FWBVol writes:
John admitted this was "fantasy basketball," and that it probably won't happen. He does bring some interesting, if not far-fetched ideas though.
As for the NCAA not letting it happen, they don't care as long as they get their membership dues. The NCAA has already said it was staying out of the conference expansion deals.
kdaff51 writes:
Sign em up!!
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
This expansion talk thing has gotten crazy and out of hand.
LEXKYVOLS writes:
Then let's wait 10 years and see who has the most wins - Kansas, North Carolina, Duke or Kentucky who has been in the weak basketball conference which has allowed them to get to 2000 before anyone else.
orangecountyvols writes:
Getting Duke and UNC out of the ACC is wild thinking.
Let's see John, talking about getting them and getting them are 2 different things. Again, speculating is just that...........an Adams shot in the dark. Basketball does NOT drive the SEC. It's the ball that bounces funny when kicked, thrown, or fumbled.
dvhill100 writes:
Interesting thoughts. I really hadn't even considered the basketball aspect at all. Certainly Kansas looks to be one of the odd schools out in the reorg. It should be a very interesting week.
reelvol writes:
Why not be the dominant conference in both the major revenue sports?
I like this idea better than any other I've heard. We keep the traditions of a strong football conference - regardless of how many other teams the other conferences have - the SEC will ALWAYS be neat the top or at the top of the respect pole in football. It also doesn't kill those that have been at the top and trying to get back - ie UT Vols with serious competition from the likes of Texas and Oklahoma.
This addition makes us easily the top in respect for basketball - KY, Duke, NC, and Kansas - come on - unreal and will help the up and commers - again meaning UT.
This is the best case scenario for Tennessee - and probably a lot of others (KY, Miss, SC, LSU, etc.)
I hope Slive and the other decision makers read this article and give it much thought!
arkyvol writes:
i wonder how gary blair (a & m women's coach) feels about being back in the same conference with pat summitt.
Weatherman writes:
Would be interesting to see...hoping we pick up 2-4 good teams this week!
cwbytruckers writes:
I was thinking more of bringing back a revised version of the SWC with a north and a south division. In the north. Arkansas,Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis,and Missouri and And in the south. Baylor, Houston, Rice, SMU, Texas A & M, and UTEP. And with Arkansas going to the SWC we could bring Louisville to the SEC.
JBVols1698 writes:
This expansion talk has nothing to do with basketball... and its pretty funny. #1 thing is Football... #2-4... football
#5 Academics
Basketball plays 0 role in any of this, the basketball teams are just going to have to deal with which conference the football teams take them too.
JBVols1698 writes:
Maybe you are talking about some Basketball deal... but the ESPN deal with the SEC is for $2billion http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/s...
not to mention the $8+bil deal with CBS.
VOLume27 writes:
Nice article John Adams.
And you did emphasize "fantasy."
Chapel Hill would NEVER join the SEC unless the ACC blew up. Which really means that UNC decided to blow it up. I cannot see that happening.
And no scenario I could imagine would have those Puke Blowdevils SEC-bound. SEC wouldn't offer, and Duke wouldn't accept.
Decades ago, NCST used to co-own the ACC (especially in BB). Not anymore. There would be serious N.C. infighting, but I'd bet that, with the right scenario, NCST would join the SEC (along with Va. Tech). And there's your TV sets and revenue.
BTW, I have no connections with either NCST or VPI&SU. But in a scenario where eastern expansion is required/desired, NCST/VATeck are the logical choices.
It's not personal, just business.
sol_way writes:
one word for why this will never happen Adams"academics" why does the paper print this bull chit
golfballs03 writes:
Right on John. I would love this
TommyJack writes:
An interesting take.
tmartin writes:
There are some errors in your facts and your logic. But hey, everyone is gullibe or full of it on some subject(s).
sol_way writes:
putting the tar heels in the S E C might be dangerous,there is considerably more high school talent in the state of North Carolina.These kids would probably jump at the idea of playing football in the S E C.thus creating a beefed up tar heel football team. J M O
brentrod writes:
this is all crazy. hell at the rate it's going, we'll just have one huge conference of the bcs schools, with everybody playing teams in other divisions about once every 6 or 8 years. football is driving this mess, and football's sucky postseason system is the root cause. does everyone realize the attendance at football games is dwindling, and with longer road trips it will dwindle even more.
Lizardgrad89 writes:
I'm still trying to adjust to Arkansas and South Carolina joining the league.
I know why we brought them in (SECCG), but don't want to bring anybody else in unless they have something to add.
Anyone coming in today would have to bring something to the table other than an appetite.
JohnnyU writes:
Has anybody heard any speculation at all about the SEC getting Maryland? I think they would be a great addition with the possible addition of Texas A&M. DC market, south of the Mason-Dixon Line, reportedly an AD that wants to get in a football conference. I just wonder why I have heard nothing about this.
VolunteerLifer writes:
With the conference tectonic plates moving around so much these days, why not fantasize about all possible scenarios? I like the way Adams is thinking, but I also agree with those who say that football is the big driver. But if the SEC did want to pick up its basketball image, it might consider Maryland, who is in play with talk about the Big 10, has a big DC/Baltimore TV market, and would develop a big football program if it could recruit players in their area to play in the SEC. It's basketball rep speaks for itself.
If the SEC takes Texas A&M, which has a decent basketball program, for the SEC west, and doesn't get Oklahoma, which also has a decent basketball program, then why not ask Maryland to round out the SEC east? That move makes more sense than any other ACC school I've heard talk of.
murrayvol writes:
The NCAA is staying out of the deal because they're not relevant to the deal (and I'm not saying that's a good thing).
When this is over, the 3 Super Conferences will be calling most of the shots in college athletics. Good luck with that.
murrayvol writes:
Interesting, yes. Plausible, no.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Yes, you are correct. They already have an established football heritage and would be a good rival. But they are nowhere in basketball or, if memory serves me well, any other sport. having Maryland in the SEC would open the DC/Baltimore tv markets more than VT, and would open those areas to SEC recruiters more than VT inclusion would do. And there are alot of basketball players in those markets, not to mention football players.
jesusvol4 writes:
I say start seeing who would be interested in serious talks and get it on the table. Missouri is another possible fit. Kansas, Missouri,Duke, and North Carolina? Texas A&M and Florida State could make 18 teams in the SEC! ?
marinevol writes:
Kansas??? If the SEC waters down its football strength for the sake of TV markets or any other sport, it will become just another conference. IMO, only schools with powerful football reputations should be considered. The SEC is the dominant FOOTBALL conference. Let's keep it that way. Please, no more talk about Kansas, Duke or any other mediocre football program.
marinevol writes:
For the SEC to expand that much, we'll have to gobble up the OVC, Sun Belt and Conference USA, along with any Big 12 leftovers.
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