Florida State is the new smelly kid in conference realignment

If conference realignment was the school bus in Forrest Gump, the SEC and Big Ten are ready to tell Florida State, “You can’t sit here.” Brett McMurphy is reporting that should the Seminoles leave the ACC, the SEC and Big Ten are not interested in adding them as a new member.

If you’re just catching up on the latest realignment news, Florida State and Clemson are suing the ACC over its grant of rights agreement, which makes it outrageously expensive to leave the conference until 2036. Both schools want more money through a new television contract (like the ones the SEC and Big Ten have). Even if Florida State and/or Clemson settle with the ACC to exit the league, they may be searching for a suitor, as neither the SEC nor Big Ten want that drama.

There are multiple concerns about adding Florida State, sources said. Those reasons include the fact that it doesn’t make financial sense for either league, “there’s no appetite for more expansion” and FSU has shown “it’s not a good partner.”

…Three SEC presidents recently told Action Network they had “no interest” in adding Florida State. It takes 12 of the 16 SEC presidents to favor adding another school.

Brett McMurphy, Action Network

On Monday, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey made it clear that the league is happy with the 16 schools it currently has.

“16 is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow,” Sankey said in his opening remarks, adding later when asked multiple times about expansion, “Our focus is on our 16 members. I have a responsibility to pay attention, and I’m certainly not going to fuel speculation on what happens next. We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”

McMurphy’s sources said the only way the SEC’s feelings toward Florida State could change is if the ACC dissolved and its schools were up for grabs; however, the Seminoles wouldn’t be at the top of the SEC’s list. McMurphy reports that the SEC and Big Ten would be most interested in adding North Carolina and/or Virginia should the ACC fall apart. Paul Finebaum says the SEC would go after the Tar Heels first.

“It’s North Carolina at the top,” Finebaum said on ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’ on Monday. “I think, after that, it’s a little bit unknown. There are a million different theories. Would North Carolina take someone with them? Or would they just sit around?”

Sankey may insist the SEC is satisfied with 16 teams, but if we’ve learned anything in college sports over the last few years, it’s that things can change very quickly. Also, apparently, nobody likes Florida State.