There's "a fear" that the Big Ten will only want FSU and Notre Dame during the next round of conference realignment -- leaving Miami to land with either the SEC or the Big 12 -- according to 247Sports' Brad Crawford.
"With the conference already widening its reach last year to California with the USC and UCLA additions, stretching deep into Florida seems like a no-brainer," Crawford prefaced before saying, "Miami just wants out of the ACC, period, one source said previously. There is a fear, however, among those close to the Miami program, that the Big Ten is only going to seek out FSU and Notre Dame during its next round of expansion, which would leave Miami without its top choice."
The SEC doesn't have any roots in south Florida, certainly not in the Miami metro, but adding the Canes and not the Seminoles also, to bring the full Florida triangle rivalry with UF to the conference, would feel a bit empty.
SEC can add North Carolina market during next round of conference realignment
Expanding further into Florida is on the table for the SEC, but according to Gig Em Gazette's Graham Harmon, so is bringing the Tobacco Road rivalry schools, UNC, NC State, and Duke, to the "It Just Means More" conference as well because it makes "
he most geographical and logistical sense."
"There will be issues for either conference with the Tobacco Road trio: can you take all three? Would you take all three? I'm not sure either conference is better equipped to handle that question than the other, but the fact is clear that what makes the most geographical and logistical sense for any one of these schools—and therefore for UNC individually—is to head to the SEC," Harmon wrote.
The SEC adding the three North Carolina schools, FSU, and Miami would be the most ideal outcome, with perhaps Virginia as well to expand into that market.
If Notre Dame does join a conference, they will most certainly be B1G-bound, though.