Conference realignment 2.0 technically hasn’t happened yet, but one thing has become abundantly clear in story fueled by the college football rumor mill: Texas A&M wants to go to the SEC.
Everything else? Well, let’s just say it’s a little less than solid.
But the general consensus seems to be that the SEC -- if it is indeed expanding -- would take A&M and potentially a team from the ACC. Whether or not that’s Slive’s plan is unknown. Still, the ACC has to be sweating bullets over a potential raid that could include one, or a combination, of the following teams: Florida State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Clemson.
FSU and Va Tech have already vehemently denied the rumors, with ‘Noles president Eric Barron going so far as to personally assure ACC commissioner John Swofford that the school has had no contact with the SEC.
Next up to retort the SEC connection would be Clemson’s president James Barker. Speaking to the Charleston Post and Courier, Barker echoed Barron’s public sentiment that the Tigers have not had any contact with the SEC regarding conference expansion plans.
“We have had no contact at all (with the SEC),” Barker said. “We are committed to the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
Earlier today, Missouri’s athletic director Mike Alden also denied rumors linking the (Midwest) Tigers to the SEC -- a story started by ESPN"s Doug Gottlieb.
Point being, everybody outside of A&M is acting like they wouldn’t touch the SEC -- one of the two most powerful conferences in the country -- with a 40-foot pole.
Maybe they wouldn’t; we’re just sayin’.
But as we saw last summer, and could likely see in the immediate future, every individual program is looking out for their best interest as the college football landscape, once again, appears on the verge of changing.
Lesson: trust no one.