Pete Thamel explains how North Carolina, Virginia would make sense for SEC expansion

Pete Thamel appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show Monday. Among the things that he talked about were conference realignment and his belief that North Carolina and Virginia would make sense if the SEC chooses to expand once again.

Conference realignment has been on the top of everyone’s minds since news broke that USC and UCLA would be leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten. In particular, there has been conversation about how the SEC and Big Ten are building power conferences and questioning what the next move is going to be.

The conversation about SEC expansion has centered around Clemson, Florida State, and Miami. That’s largely because those schools have large fanbases, fit the current SEC footprint, and have historic or modern success to lean on. The Tar Heels and Cavaliers, while Southern, don’t have those same qualifiers.

“There’s a school of thought where the SEC would want to go north into North Carolina,” Thamel said of the SEC’s desire to add the Tar Heels.

He also pointed out that a growing population meant that the market was going to expand, as would North Carolina’s brand. He, however, admitted that Virginia doesn’t make as much sense for the SEC

“The great moments in Virginia football history is a pretty short compilation.”

Thamel stated that Virginia Tech would actually make more sense from a competitive standpoint, but not necessarily from a market standpoint. On top of that, university presidents in the SEC tend to favor larger state schools.

The North Carolina-Virginia rivalry

Auburn and Georgia may play in the ‘Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry,’ but North Carolina and Virginia play in the ‘South’s Oldest Rivalry.’ The pair first met in 1892 and have played 126 times in their history.

It may seem strange to a lot of fans who think of Duke as North Carolina’s primary rival, but their rivalry with Virginia is also incredibly important. It’s one of the most historic games in college football, often overshadowed by more premier matchups.

This game could continue if they were in separate conferences, but it would be easier if they stayed attached in some way.

What’s next for expansion?

The question remains, what’s next for expansion?

The PAC-12 schools are all considering what’s next, and if they want to jump ship or not. The ACC is hoping that its grant of rights deal prevents anyone from jumping ship. Meanwhile, the SEC and Big Ten seem to be in total control.

“Will there be more? I don’t have a crystal ball,” Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said. “But at this point, I can tell you the Big Ten is still not seeking members. I know the Big Ten is taking calls, and they inform us when they take calls just so we have a general idea. But again, I don’t envision (expansion).”

Reports also indicate that the SEC is content at 16 teams, for now. However, that could change as their needs and plans change.

So, for now, it appears all expansion talk is just speculative. That doesn’t mean things won’t change rapidly or shift if another domino falls.