Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, the star of the college football world after breaking Boise State, CSU, Fresno State, and San Diego State joining the Pac-12, believes two teams in SEC territory, Tulane and Memphis, are potential targets for the rebuilt west coast conference.
"The AAC has the most attractive members from a TV market, brand value and on-field success perspective, including Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, North Texas, Rice and even one in Florida (South Florida)," Dellenger wrote. "The Texas schools would make strong travel partners with one another. Same goes with Tulane and Rice, two high academic institutions that are in close proximity (though Rice is a hard sell)."
Dellenger pondered if the schools would consider moving operations to the mountains and west coast for the allure of the Pac-12 brand and the millions more they'd make in the former Power 5 conference.
"If given the chance — not all will get interest from the Pac-12 (this is speculative) — these schools must decide if moving to a conference across the country, in a completely different region and cultural fit, is off-set by the Pac-12’s brand and television value," Dellenger wrote.
Tulane, Memphis potential ACC expansion candidates too
Tulane and Memphis need to upgrade their current facilities to be in the SEC. Only Vanderbilt has a comparable stadium. Every other SEC stadium is miles ahead of where Yulman Stadium and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The latter isn't that far off from the "It Just Means More" conference but the former is.
If not the SEC or Pac-12, Tulane and Memphis could be potential ACC expansion candidates. Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn, and USF were listed by PressBox DC's Jim Williams too, but the former two programs are obviously out of the mix. UConn recently didn't receive a Big 12 invite despite rumored interest.