The conference realignment carousel is back up and running, and the ACC could see some defections.
During and appearance on First Take Thursday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum stated his case that the two best fits for the SEC, should it expand, would be a pair of big-name ACC programs: Clemson and Florida State.
“If you look at Clemson and Florida State, there are no two better fits in the world to the SEC than those two,” Finebaum said. “I mean they’ve won national championships in the last 10 years. They recruit at the highest level. They have good coaches. They have phenomenal traditions. And they’re both in states with SEC schools.”
Florida State has been blatant in its desire to leave the ACC, should the conference not make some changes, while Finebaum thinks Clemson has been quietly working on its possible exit strategy.
“I believe Clemson does want out of the ACC,” Finebaum said. “It has become problematic for Dabo Swinney and Florida State and Miami and others to compete against the SEC. I know some people are saying, ‘well you’re the SEC mouthpiece.’ I’m not saying it. The ACC coaches are saying that to people.”
Asked this week by ESPN’s Heather Dinich about his league’s potential interest in Florida State, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was coy in his response.
“I have been clear that we are focused on our growth to 16 as we transition Oklahoma and Texas into the conference,” Sankey said. “Further expansion has not been a central topic in the SEC other than regularly updating our campus leadership on national developments. We are proud of the stability the SEC provides our membership and incredibly excited about our future.”
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