History hasn't been kind to Auburn since the SEC expanded in 2024 to add Texas and Oklahoma. And yet, the Tigers would be in even deeper trouble if teams from the ACC started joining the conference.
That's technically possible right now in light of Florida Senator Ashley Moody creating an 180-day grace period in an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act. The amendment allows Power 4 schools to switch conferences immediately without triggering a five-year probationary period.
Auburn doesn't need more in-conference recruiting in the region. There are already enough deep-pocketed Big Ten teams that are encroaching in the South and stealing elite talent. The Tigers definitely don't need the chance of playing programs like Miami every year, either.
There is practically nothing that would give Auburn a competitive advantage in such a bold new world.
Auburn struggling to stay afloat in the SEC as is
The Tigers did a bunch of spending in the last few years to remain competitive in the post-Longhorns/Sooners SEC world. Through the fault of coaching, the talent never did anything of note. There has not been a single winning season since salaries started being dished out.
Auburn fans have heard that all offseason. There's a hope for change under Alex Golesh, but it may not come overnight. If there were even more programs than there already are that could regularly outspend the Tigers year in and year out, the process is naturally prolonged.
We're just talking about football, too. Imagine North Carolina joining the conference and establishing a pipeline from the Deep South in basketball? Imagine if Duke joined them? Steven Pearl has been given the green light to spend, but you're not outspending the wealthy Tobacco Road rivals on a yearly basis.
What is the best outcome for Auburn?
If keeping the status quo isn't possible, the best outcome for the Tigers would be for the SEC to break away from the rest of the NCAA. It's a drastic outcome, but if there's any conference that's best prepared to operate like that, it's the "It Just Means More" conference.
That, of course, would be bad for the sport's business overall. Auburn would at least have a better chance to compete for championships, though.
Greg Sankey threatened to withdraw his conference from the rest of the sport at 2026 SEC Football Media Days, so it's not a complete pipedream.
"People have talked about that," Sankey said. "The frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different. I do not believe that is a leverage point. I think that's honest communication."
It doesn't sound like Sankey would budge if things move forward in a way disadvantageous to his conference. Adding more teams would benefit his conference, even if it'd come at the expense of schools like Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, in particular.
The Tigers' fate is intertwined with whatever is eventually codified into law in the Protect College Sports Act. We'll see if the SEC makes it easier or harder for Auburn to win.
Add us as a preferred source on Google