Paul Finebaum reacts to report of SEC interest in adding multiple ACC teams
Like most, Paul Finebaum has heard the rumors that the SEC is looking to expand its conference even further by adding teams from the ACC. Those rumors gained more traction Thursday when a tweet claimed that Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia were in negotiations to join the conference.
But as Finebaum pointed out, conference realignment reports have been commonplace of late with so much movement already happening in the college sports landscape. That can make it hard to discern between fact and fiction, which he believes could have been the case here. After all, the SEC did come out Monday morning to say it was content at 16 teams.
“I’ve heard the same thing,” the ESPN analyst said Monday on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. “I’m willing to bet both of you guys have heard the same thing. It’s just a matter of hearing that (versus) putting it out in a tweet as fact. I laughed at it because it was fun to watch the reaction. I think it’s possible. I don’t have those sources, but I’ve seen things in my timeline and texts from friends. We all know somebody who knows somebody else, don’t we?”
With that out of the way, Finebaum began to speculate on whether those four teams would be the right additions for the conference. Although he feels confidently about Clemson, FSU and UNC based on their track records, he isn’t sure about Virginia. He mentioned Virginia Tech and Miami as other potential options for the conference that could add more in athletics.
“I would start with Clemson,” Finebaum said. “If North Carolina is willing, then I would want them. We both know what they offer. There’s a lot there that I think the average fan driving to work this morning in Birmingham may not see. Then I am not sure. Florida State, you have to put out of your mind what’s happened since Jimbo Fisher ran that program into the ground. You just have to say, ‘This is a program that has a tremendous fanbase.’ Then I don’t know what happens next.
“I think there’s a debate between Virginia and Virginia Tech. I’m a little worried about Virginia and I say that with great respect. I would be more than happy to have a degree from Virginia, but I don’t. I don’t know if the SEC should be chasing degrees right now. Which one sounds better: Virginia Tech or Virginia? I know which one sounds better if you’re wearing a bow tie in a board meeting. Then there’s Miami. So yeah, I’m pretty sold on three, but I don’t know about the fourth.”
The SEC already made waves in conference realignment last offseason with its addition of Oklahoma and Texas. Adding those schools to a league that has already won four of the past five College Football Playoffs already sets the SEC up to dominate the sport for many more years to come. Even with the Big Ten recently adding USC and UCLA, commissioner Greg Sankey and other conference leaders don’t feel an urgent need to expand.
With that being the case, it could be a while before we see the ACC and SEC team up — if they ever do.