Expansion Rumors…

[Supersize that order mutt]

There will be some crossover pros and cons, sure. But in totality, away game toad trips would be much cheaper and better and drivable for the most part sans 2 or 3 maybe? In any given season we would play Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Bama, LSU, SC, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Miss State, Vandy (who doesn't love Nashvegas) which are all drivable & fun road trips. The only outliers are Aggy, Texas, OU & Mizzou.

Compare those to road trips such as Rutgers, Illinois (cost of a weekend trip to Chicago is far more $$$) Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Mich State & Minnesota. The only schools that would be fun trips are Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State & Wisconsin, the latter being very far. I've been to Ann Arbor, not much going on there and it's the quietest 110,000 people you'll ever be around lol.

The tailgating and energy is just different in the south and we are used to the dog days of summer. Not so much freezing temps with rain or snow.

You are assuming that the SEC would place us in a division that restores old rivalries and relatively easy trips. There is no guarantee that, since they really don't want us anyway, they would do us any favors at all.

 

[TampaBayJacket]

Put me down for the SEC. We have built in former rivalries with a few schools and it enhance our recruiting. You're seeing guys come cross country to play in the SEC for the perceived "better competition" mantra. You couple our academics with an SEC schedule and I could see our recruiting get better over time. Bobby Dodd would be rocking if say a Florida, Bama, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and now OU/Texas came to Atlanta.....

We don't really have any of that with the Big10. Add in travel costs for a game in East Lansing as well as the weather in late fall.....No thanks.

Well duh, which team not in the B1G/SEC wouldn't mind being in the SEC? You might as well throw in you wouldn't mind being ultra rich and movie star too.

 

[OptionJacket]

The ACC needs to pull a rabbit out of their hat. Stop being the conference all the others point at and laugh.

The sentiment is correct but 25 years too late. Swofford killed this conference during his reign.

 

[theStingT]

I really think this will boil down to a pissing contest between Fox and Disney. The politics are delicious. Fox would love to knock ESPN off its supposed ownership of Atlanta. I bet the schools will have little say into who comes into their conference. JMHO

 

[MidnightJacket]

You are assuming that the SEC would place us in a division that restores old rivalries and relatively easy trips. There is no guarantee that, since they really don't want us anyway, they would do us any favors at all.

So the logic being here that markets were driving the expansion bus last time based on cable subscribers, and now compelling matchups is what's driving it this time via subscribers. It could be wishful thinking, but in my mind GT brings natural built in rivalries and compelling regional matchups to the fans even if our football program is currently underperforming, giving reason for the SEC to bring back GT. So if the SEC grabbed GT, they'd want to capitalize on compelling matchups with games that draw in the most eyes.

 

[GoGATech]

Put me down for the SEC. We have built in former rivalries with a few schools and it enhance our recruiting. You're seeing guys come cross country to play in the SEC for the perceived "better competition" mantra. You couple our academics with an SEC schedule and I could see our recruiting get better over time. Bobby Dodd would be rocking if say a Florida, Bama, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and now OU/Texas came to Atlanta.....

We don't really have any of that with the Big10. Add in travel costs for a game in East Lansing as well as the weather in late fall.....No thanks.

SEC doesn't want us and would only take us to keep the B1G out of the south. Then we are the red-headed step child of the conference and will get absolutely zero favors from the league office. B1G has more to gain by picking us up and helping us become relevant again. Imagine if we build our program back up to be competitive and win games against UGAg and the SEC more regularly. The B1G could start claiming parts of the south and it would only help our recruiting even more. It's all still unlikely, but possible.

 

[smokey_wasp]

So the logic being here that markets were driving the expansion bus last time based on cable subscribers, and now compelling matchups is what's driving it this time via subscribers. It could be wishful thinking, but in my mind GT brings natural built in rivalries and compelling regional matchups to the fans even if our football program is currently underperforming, giving reason for the SEC to bring back GT. So if the SEC grabbed GT, they'd want to capitalize on compelling matchups with games that draw in the most eyes.

Aside from our own fans who are old enough to remember, I don't think those matchups carry as much weight as you think. Look at the last time we were in a bowl. The Belk didn't even give us a look even though GT vs Auburn made all the sense in the world, in our minds. We got shipped off to Detroit. I'd imagine the SEC would either put us in their toughest division or group us with the other newcomers or schools they don't care about.

 

[Supersize that order mutt]

So the logic being here that markets were driving the expansion bus last time based on cable subscribers, and now compelling matchups is what's driving it this time via subscribers. It could be wishful thinking, but in my mind GT brings natural built in rivalries and compelling regional matchups to the fans even if our football program is currently underperforming, giving reason for the SEC to bring back GT. So if the SEC grabbed GT, they'd want to capitalize on compelling matchups with games that draw in the most eyes.

Maybe so; maybe not. Logically speaking, of course they would, but logic doesn't always prevail in this world.

 

[savbandjacket]

Aside from our own fans who are old enough to remember, I don't think those matchups carry as much weight as you think. Look at the last time we were in a bowl. The Belk didn't even give us a look even though GT vs Auburn made all the sense in the world, in our minds. We got shipped off to Detroit. I'd imagine the SEC would either put us in their toughest division or group us with the other newcomers or schools they don't care about.

Part of that is because the Belk Bowl, like the acc itself, was NC first and öööö everyone else.

 

[GoldZ]

A lot of damn money. That doesn’t guarantee athletic success but it dang sure makes it more likely to do so. Bad hires and bad decisions (ala Vandy disbanding their athletic department in 2003) will stop you from succeeding in most sports, no matter how much funding you have.

True nuff, but the bottom half of the sec must make a lot of bad hires and decisions, huh?

 

[savbandjacket]

So the logic being here that markets were driving the expansion bus last time based on cable subscribers, and now compelling matchups is what's driving it this time via subscribers. It could be wishful thinking, but in my mind GT brings natural built in rivalries and compelling regional matchups to the fans even if our football program is currently underperforming, giving reason for the SEC to bring back GT. So if the SEC grabbed GT, they'd want to capitalize on compelling matchups with games that draw in the most eyes.

I’m not sure that this is about maximizing revenue through markets. I think this is about destroying the competition and making a two conference party for championships. There’s value in that too.

 

[GoldZ]

Put me down for the SEC. We have built in former rivalries with a few schools and it enhance our recruiting. You're seeing guys come cross country to play in the SEC for the perceived "better competition" mantra. You couple our academics with an SEC schedule and I could see our recruiting get better over time. Bobby Dodd would be rocking if say a Florida, Bama, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and now OU/Texas came to Atlanta.....

We don't really have any of that with the Big10. Add in travel costs for a game in East Lansing as well as the weather in late fall.....No thanks.

Optimism is a good thing, but the combination of an sec schedule and our academics, may not have the effect on recruiting you think. Some leadership from our Prez, might help us though in that regard.

 

[Supersize that order mutt]

Optimism is a good thing, but the combination of an sec schedule and our academics, may not have the effect on recruiting you think. Some leadership from our Prez, might help us though in that regard.

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[WracerX]

True nuff, but the bottom half of the sec must make a lot of bad hires and decisions, huh?

The bottom half? The SEC is pretty good at turnover between the bottom and the middle. Even Miss St, a perineal bottom feeder has been ranked #1 in the past decade. I would guess every SEC team except Vandy has been ranked in the past 10 years. Everyone except Mizzou, SC, and Vandy have probably been ranked top 15 in the past decade (maybe UT doesn’t make that cut).

 

[GoldZ]

The bottom half? The SEC is pretty good at turnover between the bottom and the middle. Even Miss St, a perineal bottom feeder has been ranked #1 in the past decade. I would guess every SEC team except Vandy has been ranked in the past 10 years. Everyone except Mizzou, SC, and Vandy have probably been ranked top 15 in the past decade (maybe UT doesn’t make that cut).

X, your pretty close to including my entire list of sec backwash. Ok, not bottom half, but bottom 40%....same point.

 

[GoldZ]

Yeah, good luck with that.

Sad, but right on Super!

 

[GoldZ]

SEC doesn't want us and would only take us to keep the B1G out of the south. Then we are the red-headed step child of the conference and will get absolutely zero favors from the league office. B1G has more to gain by picking us up and helping us become relevant again. Imagine if we build our program back up to be competitive and win games against UGAg and the SEC more regularly. The B1G could start claiming parts of the south and it would only help our recruiting even more. It's all still unlikely, but possible.

Out of the frying pan (Tobacco Road) into the fire (likely sec treatment). If the BIG wouldn't make OSU, Michigan, Mich St., and USC our permanent foes (like UGA dodges Bama/LSU), the benefits would be likely. However, your last sentence rules.

 

[andrew]

Everyone except Mizzou, SC, and Vandy have probably been ranked top 15 in the past decade (maybe UT doesn’t make that cut).

Mizzou was ranked #5 at the end of the season within the last decade (2013). They also finished 2014 in the Top 15.

South Carolina was ranked #4 at the end of the season within the last decade (2013).

Vandy...sucks.

But yeah, the opportunities are always there in the SEC, and even bad programs can do very well once in a while.

Of course, we finished 2014 ranked #7 so it's not just an SEC thing.

 

[Bradp30]

Would make travel much better, sell out every game, afford to get a good coach etc.. I would be very happy.
Our division would be:
Georgia
Clemson
Tech
Auburn

well FSU or USC may also fall out into a dream division....or FL or AL

 

[YellowJacket4Life]

Optimism is a good thing, but the combination of an sec schedule and our academics, may not have the effect on recruiting you think. Some leadership from our Prez, might help us though in that regard.

I'm not opining it would put us level with Ugag or Bama or LSU, but a school like Stanford and Cal-Berkely get 4 and 5 star recruits yearly because of the academics coupled with decent to good football. Add on top of that the Atlanta night life which is known all over the country & I could see us being kicked up a rung or 2.

If we are in a football factory conference like the SEC, with the perception it now has regarding football (let's face it, they've dominated since late 90s overall and bow Ugag is a part of it) I think it's win/win.

Just my $0.02 though.