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Good or bad, Clempson to the SEC talk is heating up

Well, someone would have to pay. From an ESPN article posted yesterday...

ESPN, which owns the SEC Network, signed a $3 billion deal with the SEC last year that will give the network the broadcast rights to all the conference's football games starting in 2024.

Clemson pays some, The SEC pays some, ESPN pays some. These deals can always get done. That 20-year contract the ACC has with ESPN isn't their salvation. It's a death sentence. The ACC Network isn't generating nearly the cash originally estimated. The payout on that original 20-year contract is a pittance compared to the B1G and SEC payouts.

The ACC wants out of that contract. Schools leaving or coming in are grounds to renegotiate that contract and remove that noose from the ACC's neck.
If the league is diminished, any renegotiation will not come out well.
 
If the league is diminished, any renegotiation will not come out well.
Oh, it's definitely a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. But, the ACC suffers from 2 fatal flaws anyway.

1) It's a basketball conference in a football world.

2) Administration is dictated by a miniscule minority of the members (NC and Duke).

The other way to break the contract is to add members. But, if the ACC changes the "membership" it opens the door for someone to leave. Most likely at a reduced, negotiated penalty to avoid a courtroom.
 
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The best possible scenario, which will not happen is that Clemson is the 1 big program left out and they suffer miserably as a result.

2nd best is for them just to join. They are already good. At least we can schedule another non-conference game.
 
The best possible scenario, which will not happen is that Clemson is the 1 big program left out and they suffer miserably as a result.

2nd best is for them just to join. They are already good. At least we can schedule another non-conference game.
I don't see the gain in that. It will be a nine-game conference slate. We'll undoubtedly play them every year and still have only three "breathers" on the schedule. Of course, we enjoy leveling the playing field by playing at ECU and APP State.
 
Why would the SEC want them, really? They add nothing to our TV market and they are not nearly the national brand that Kirk Herbstreit tries to make them. The NIL is going to take away their recruiting advantage because handing out cars and money is now legal, you don't need a church anymore. Dabo wouldn't want to move even if the money could be found to buy out of the ACC, he is smart enough to know his road to the playoffs would get a whole lot harder. Let them rot on the ACC vine and screw them all.
I can assure you that Clemson’s “brand” adds more to the SEC than 3/4ths of the SEC treams do.
 
I can assure you that Clemson’s “brand” adds more to the SEC than 3/4ths of the SEC treams do.
Yea ask anyone across the country to name the top 3 college football programs and I guarantee you they would be in the majority of everyone's top three. 6 straight playoff appearances makes them a household name in college football, it is what it is.
 
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Yea ask anyone across the country to name the top 3 college football programs and I guarantee you they would be in the majority of everyone's top three. 6 straight playoff appearances makes them a household name in college football, it is what it is.
It helps that they bludgeon teams to death in the ACC and have a free ride to the Championships series. It would be interesting to see how they would fare playing 3 to 4 top 10 teams a year vs the 1 or 2 a year they currently play. Not down grading their team because they have proven they can beat the best teams in the country but have yet to play a difficult season.
 
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Yea ask anyone across the country to name the top 3 college football programs and I guarantee you they would be in the majority of everyone's top three. 6 straight playoff appearances makes them a household name in college football, it is what it is.
The key is TV market and money. Adding CU would add no additional viewers. Why bring them in and have to split the pot with them? Also, if you are talking about the country as a whole, I expect most people not in South Carolina would name Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
 
The key is TV market and money. Adding CU would add no additional viewers. Why bring them in and have to split the pot with them? Also, if you are talking about the country as a whole, I expect most people not in South Carolina would name Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
Not for people who watch college football, right now Clemson has a legitimate chance to win the championship every single year. Year after year of being in that discussion puts your name out there, as does having the first player drafted and a ton of players in the NFL. Until that slips, people will know about their football team as one of the best in the country.
 
I think we're well on our way to a 10 game conference schedule, especially if we expand to 18.
I doubt that we go to more than a 9-game schedule. But, I do believe that Sankey wants to go to 20 teams. Which with pods schedules much easier than scheduling for 18 teams.
 
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I don't see the gain in that. It will be a nine-game conference slate. We'll undoubtedly play them every year and still have only three "breathers" on the schedule. Of course, we enjoy leveling the playing field by playing at ECU and APP State.
If they aren’t in our conference, we’ll play nine games…and likely still play Clemson. That leaves 2 breathers or opportunities for a good out of conference matchup. Not to mention not locked into a out of conference road game every other year.

With Clemson becoming one of the 9 conference games, we have 3 opportunities for breathers or to even have 2 breathers and schedule a decent out of conference game that otherwise would always be Clemson. Not sure how the out of conference games will continue in the future, but it would certainly open up the opportunity for some home and home matchups if they did exist.
 
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At this point I don’t see where it benefits them. Texas is a shell of what they once were and they see the SEC as an avenue to help recruiting and rebuild the program. I’m guessing Oklahoma just came along because they didn’t want to be the big fish in the smallest pond when everything shook out.

Clemson has made the playoffs on a consistent basis. They don’t need the SEC banner to recruit or try to build the argument that they are somehow better just for being in the SEC. Unless it comes down to just two super conferences i just don’t see anything in a move to the SEC that impacts the way they run their program or the success they are currently having. If that cycle starts to slip and they think the SEC banner would fix the ship maybe but right now I just don’t see it.
 
Oh, it's definitely a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. But, the ACC suffers from 2 fatal flaws anyway.

1) It's a basketball conference in a football world.

2) Administration is dictated by a miniscule minority of the members (NC and Duke).

The other way to break the contract is to add members. But, if the ACC changes the "membership" it opens the door for someone to leave. Most likely at a reduced, negotiated penalty to avoid a courtroom.
You hit the nail on the head. And Clemson and FSU would leave in a heartbeat to join a football first conference with the tradition and prestige of the SEC. I'm sure they're tired of being run by the Greensboro mafia. Sure Clemson has an easy path to the playoffs but with the expanded playoffs not so much. Personally I'd love to have them both in the SEC.
 
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You hit the nail on the head. And Clemson and FSU would leave in a heartbeat to join a football first conference with the tradition and prestige of the SEC. I'm sure they're tired of being run by the Greensboro mafia. Sure Clemson has an easy path to the playoffs but with the expanded playoffs not so much. Personally I'd love to have them both in the SEC.
How does the expanded playoff make it harder for them to make it?
 
They have no legit reason 💰, would be most unwise move EVER - If so, then SC to ACC 🏆
 
If they aren’t in our conference, we’ll play nine games…and likely still play Clemson. That leaves 2 breathers or opportunities for a good out of conference matchup. Not to mention not locked into a out of conference road game every other year.

With Clemson becoming one of the 9 conference games, we have 3 opportunities for breathers or to even have 2 breathers and schedule a decent out of conference game that otherwise would always be Clemson. Not sure how the out of conference games will continue in the future, but it would certainly open up the opportunity for some home and home matchups if they did exist.
Good point. I don't think we will go to 10 conference games. It can be setup for 9 regardless of the number of members or PODs.
 
You have to be crazy not to want clempson in the SEC. Bottom line it makes winning championships in the 2 sports they care about much more difficult. Football and baseball. They will never join the SEC though because why would you make things more difficult to reach the playoff in football. You can argue they would still make the playoff on a regular basis, but you are living in fantasyland if you think it would be every year like playing in the ACC. The years they lost to Bama in the NC game they would have lost in the SEC title game and most likely wouldn't have made the playoff. You can talk about the circumstances of why they lost to Syracuse, Boston college, and Notre Dame during 3 of the past 6 regular seasons, but would those teams not have lost a game or 2 in the SEC? Of course they would have. You will have someone comment they had injuries. Trevor was out. You play in the SEC you are getting more injuries throughout the season than in the ACC. I would welcome seeing them play Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vandy, Missouri and USC every year. Plus LSU, Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Bama, Texas AM on a rotating basis. If they are good enough to win the East congrats. Now go beat Bama or the west champion in the SEC title game each year instead of unc, virginia or miami. Those who talk about recruiting it can't get much better so that's a BS argument.
 
Yes, it's gonna happen. The one card USC fans have always played on Clemson is that we're in the SEC and they're not. That'll be out the window. Now they'll have the same money we do and whatever recruiting advantages come with playing in the SEC.

I don't know how much it really affects us. We're going on 30 years have never seriously challenged for the SEC title in football. Our odds of ever winning will go sharply down once you have UT, OU, OSU, Michigan and Clemson in the fold. Is what it is.
Any of the B1G members leaving is even less likely than any of the ACC members leaving. The money simply is not there for the SEC to lure them away.
 
I believe for Clemson to get into the SEC, that the ACC would have to disintegrate. That would free up ESPN money, that now goes to the ACC, to shift over to the SEC. Clemson can yell "brand" from now until the cows come home. But, the SEC is not lacking for football brand. And Clemson brings no new market. What the SEC could use is a boost in men's basketball. But Clemson would not help there.
 
How does the expanded playoff make it harder for them to make it?
Doesn't make it harder just takes away the advantage of playing in the ACC. With more spots open a perfect or one loss record wouldn't be required to make the playoffs. And Clemson probably would not have a perfect or one loss record playing a SEC schedule.
 
clemsun has a cupcake schedule and a guaranteed seat at the table in the playoffs. Why in the world would they leave? Plus this nonsense about us or any other SEC school leaving the conference needs to be put to rest. What fool would leave the richest and most stable conference in football? NOBODY
 
Not for people who watch college football, right now Clemson has a legitimate chance to win the championship every single year. Year after year of being in that discussion puts your name out there, as does having the first player drafted and a ton of players in the NFL. Until that slips, people will know about their football team as one of the best in the country.
Then Just why would Dablo cry about letting more teams in Playoffs?? He knows he cant beat GOOD teams week in and week out!!
 
clemsun has a cupcake schedule and a guaranteed seat at the table in the playoffs. Why in the world would they leave? Plus this nonsense about us or any other SEC school leaving the conference needs to be put to rest. What fool would leave the richest and most stable conference in football? NOBODY
Because it is only the richest conference IF you look SOLELY at athletics. For the same reason, I wouldn't necessarily call it the most stable.
 
I agree, Jeff (for real). And I also appreciate your detailed rebuttal. 😂
What rebuttal does he need? If you look at the sources and all the talk. It's almost as if Clempson fans are upset that Texas and Oklahoma made the jump and not them.
It's a bunch of Clempson fans blowing smoke on the smoldering coals trying to get the smoke to come their way.

Deep down they know the ACC has gotten massively weak. They also know that if they made the jump to the SEC that their easy ticket to the NC will disappear.

My Clempson friend here in Charlotte admitted it. He would prefer it to be known that they 'want everyone to believe the SEC wants them in' and that they stay in the ACC and continue their path to the NC with an occasional close game with ND, FSU, or some other 'hot' ACC team of the year.
 
Because it is only the richest conference IF you look SOLELY at athletics. For the same reason, I wouldn't necessarily call it the most stable.
Why would Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC if not for athletics, money and stability? That's what this is all about so yes it is solely about athletics. The SEC has been in the lead for some time in all these categories and just lapped the field. There are very few schools that would turn down the opportunity to join and there are ZERO schools that would leave. I call that stability.
 
Why would Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC if not for athletics, money and stability? That's what this is all about so yes it is solely about athletics. The SEC has been in the lead for some time in all these categories and just lapped the field. There are very few schools that would turn down the opportunity to join and there are ZERO schools that would leave. I call that stability.
Never said the SEC wasn't stable. The academic research money that the B1G schools have access to absolutely dwarfs the SECs athletic money. Plus there current athletic money is every bit as good as the SECs.
 
Never said the SEC wasn't stable. The academic research money that the B1G schools have access to absolutely dwarfs the SECs athletic money. Plus there current athletic money is every bit as good as the SECs.
Then why come to the SEC? The Longhorn network is in big doo doo. Face it. This ALL about athletics. Has nothing to do with academic research. Nothing.
 
Because the B1G didn't offer? Or the fact that OU doesn't qualify for admission into the B1G.
or maybe because with the new projected TV deal. each school in the SEC might get upward to 100M each. Schools talk a big game about academics until big money is waved in front of their face. Amazing how the standards can change.
 
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