Clemson could play a huge role in college football’s realignment
College football will never be the same ladies and gentlemen.
Shocking the entire college football landscape, USC and UCLA confirmed that their bids to join the Big Ten have been accepted, with both teams planning on joining the elite conference starting in 2024. This move is the second major realignment announced this year, with Oklahoma and Texas announcing that they plan to leave the Big 12 for the SEC as early as 2024.
These moves are significant moments in college football history that will have massive ripple effects from conference to conference. The Power 5 conferences already had a discrepancy between them; now, the SEC and Big Ten are even more stacked than they already were.
So, the question remains, what’s next? Or rather, who is next?
A prominent team of great importance is our very own Clemson Tigers. As one of the ACC’s most crucial parts, could we see Swinney and the Tigers move on to greener pastures?
While it is possible, there is no telling whether they program will even explore such options. According to Chris Hummer over at 247Sports, Clemson is one of the programs that will determine the next phase of college football’s realignment.
Here’s what Hummer had to say:
CLEMSON TIGERS
The same logic with Florida State applies to Clemson. The Tigers are one of the revenue powerhouses in the ACC. Maybe as important is the fact they’re an annual national title hopeful, which is something no other ACC program can offer (for now). Given the projected gap in annual revenue distribution, can Clemson really keep maintain its status as a contender when the schools it’s competing against from the SEC have a budget twice the size? The Tigers are a natural fit in the SEC: Campus is just a 40-minute drive from the Georgia state line, the Tigers recruit the same players and their biggest annual rival is South Carolina. If the SEC came calling, could Clemson say no?
If Clemson were to make a move to the SEC, things would get very interesting for the ACC, Clemson and the rest of the college football community.
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