CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd sees the SEC adding Notre Dame or UNC for the "It Just Means More" conference's next realignment poach. He also sees the ACC being in no immediate danger of disbanding.
"SEC is done for now," Dodd said on his Inside ND Sports: Notre Dame football podcast. "If the SEC does anything, it will be ND or UNC is what I'm told."
"ACC is not in danger of breaking up right now," he'd later add.
That certainly flies in the face of many previously-established narratives...
FSU and Clemson may not be SEC-bound as has been rumored -- especially if UNC or Notre Dame is coming
Nothing in the next round of realignment in the Power 4 felt more set in stone than FSU and Clemson making their way to the SEC. Between the geographical and cultural fits for both and the existing rivalries, the Noles and Tigers felt natural for the SEC; and not just because there's already an odd number (3) of Tigers in the conference and Clemson would make it symmetrical.
If the SEC instead has an interest in UNC or, far more surprisingly, Notre Dame, perhaps the Big Ten would consider loosening its AAU accreditation requirements to add the massive college football brands.
The ACC surviving losses of FSU, Clemson, and UNC would be a shocker
It'd be a true miracle for the ACC to survive the losses of FSU, Clemson, and UNC. While a contingency plan that'd see Tulane, Memphis, Oregon State, Wazzu, UConn, and USF has been floated, the conference would be in danger of losing Power Conference status.
Perhaps the Utah rumor has breathed life into the ACC, with more Big 12 schools seeing a viable landing spot out east considering that their TV contract is superior to the Big 12's as things currently stand.
Either way, the conference realignment rumor mill just went in a much different direction if Dodd is to be believed.