If the Protect College Sports Act allows conferences to have 19 schools, UNC and Duke are perhaps the two strongest contenders to join the SEC. Both USA Today's Blake Toppemeyer and John Adams pegged Miami as potential jumpers, but the Canes are a stronger candidate for the Big Ten to expand that conference's television market into Florida. The Gators already have the SEC covered in the Sunshine State.
As Toppmeyer notes, the two historic Tobacco Road Rivals would get the SEC into a wealthy North Carolina market, but also further strengthen a conference that's been making serious strides in basketball.
"Just how serious is the SEC about being the nation’s best basketball conference? Add North Carolina plus Duke, and a conference that’s already emerging as a hoops dynamo would have basketball on lock, and it would own the North Carolina TV market," Toppmeyer wrote.
Duke, UNC, and Kentucky would make for the strongest historical hoops trio of any conference. Cameron Indoor would immediately add nearly 90 years of important history to the SEC and give it another landmark venue. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels could perhaps even inspire a lacrosse revolution in the "It Just Means More" conference for both men and women. UNC, in particular, is a Learfield Directors’ Cup contender, as Toppmeyer notes. All sports would benefit from their arrivals.
The SEC has leverage for UNC and Duke if conferences can have 19 teams
The difference between 19 and 20 teams being allowed for Power 4 conferences is major. It's the difference between the 18-team Big Ten being able to add UNC and Duke as a package deal and not. The Big Ten would also like to expand into North Carolina.
If the B1G could only add one team, Miami makes a lot of sense there. The SEC could then add the Heels and Devils, plus a third team like Texas Tech or Oklahoma State, as Adams suggested, to give current members in existing markets more rivals.
Virginia is a more intriguing option than the Red Raiders or Pokes in the 19-team conference scenario, in my book. The Cavaliers would expand the SEC into the Commonwealth market and give the conference more basketball history and hardwood potential moving forward.
The numbers game is massive when it comes to which teams will end up where. For the SEC, 19 is the magic number to add Duke and UNC.
180-day realignment grace period hasn't begun, but discussions have
As part of the Protect College Sports Act, schools will have an 180-day grace period to make the jump before college realignment is locked. That grace period hasn't begun, but we're all aware of it. That means discussions have begun for high-ranking officials at the conference and universities.
These are not the kinds of talks that'd be leaked or reported on. At least, not until there are significant developments and momentum toward a resolution.
We'll see how the Protect College Sports Act shakes out. It's clear what the SEC needs for its greatest chance of winning the next round of conference realignment.
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