SEC won't be poaching in North Carolina

By Joe Ovies
Aug 16, 2011

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The Texas A&M Board of Regents finally gave university president R. Bowen Loftin the green light to begin divorce proceedings with the Big 12 on Monday, which should set into motion an eventual marriage with the SEC.

The SEC made it clear on Sunday that the conference will not extend an invitation to the Aggies until they're free and clear with the Big 12. Once Texas A&M settles on exit fees and other legal issues with their old conference, their new conference has to figure out who to invite with them. Commissioner Mike Slive told the assembled masses at SEC media day that he could expand the conference to 16 teams "in 15 minutes."

Judging how thirsty some folks are to drink from the SEC well, including fans of ACC charter member schools, Slive wasn't exaggerating.

When word got out that the SEC had a gentleman's agreement not expand into existing markets, the state of North Carolina suddenly became prime territory. Could the conference poach the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, which would allow the SEC to snag highly valued brands? Would NC State get a call?

It's an entertaining mental exercise, but that's about it. Nothing more, nothing less. Even the Wolfpack, the most intriguing possibility of the trio, isn't going to ditch a conference it helped build. And the state politics? Yeah, let's not get into that.

But that won't stop a subset of NC State fans from wanting to jump ship. Part of the mentality stems from their lack of confidence in commissioner John Swofford. The other stems from their constant quest to one-up their rivals in Chapel Hill. It can be argued both are intertwined. The hardcore believe Swofford is only interested in propping up the North Carolina and Duke rivalry at the expense of everyone else in the ACC. This would be the Wolfpack's chance to break away and no longer be buried by shades of blue.

As if NC State wouldn't experience the same thing in the SEC thanks to Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, and…well, I could keep going but you get the point. If the Wolfpack are middling in the ACC at this very moment, it would be the same and maybe worse in the SEC.

Then again, the university would be in a premier football conference and make more money, right? But since when did fans get profit sharing? I doubt NC State athletic director Debbie Yow and football coach Tom O'Brien would recreate the parade scene from Tim Burton's "Batman," throwing cash to cheering masses and taunting the Tar Heels. But fans only see wins and losses, not university bank statements. It would only be a matter of time until the same frustrations crept in to the hardcore base that's upset with the current situation.

NC State is not Texas A&M. The Aggies want to leave because the economics of the Big 12 have created an incredible financial gap between Texas and everyone else. The Longhorn Network was the final straw. Even if the Wolfpack currently find it difficult to fully fund all sports, the incentive for the people in charge just isn't that great.

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RE: SEC won't be poaching in North Carolina

I wouldn't really want State leaving the ACC. Some State fans would like that, based on some recent posts I've seen over at SFN.

I just hope Swofford proves us all wrong (those of us that think he's done a lousy job) and moves to proactively bring in four teams before the ACC gets poached. I don't like conference expansion, but it is going to happen either now or later. If we don't expand, we won't survive. We can't risk losing teams, and THEN try to replace them and add four more at the same time. I hate it, but I think we need to move NOW, not later.
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building

I agree. He needs to be proactive and go ahead and make the ACC a 16 team super conference. UCONN and West Virginia would be nice additions I think, who else might we take a look at?

RE: SEC won't be poaching in North Carolina

I HATE the idea of expansion, but I prefer adding schools to the ACC over Carolina, Duke or State leaving the ACC.

RE: SEC won't be poaching in North Carolina

North Carolina has the best mentality for an SEC school anyway with its recent cheating scandal. They would fit right in.

Is it just me, or does every column these guys ever write come back to being about N.C. State and its fans "unrealistic" expectations? What's unrealistic about wanting to win a championship every once in a while? In any sport? If you're not in it to win it, then why even be in it?
- Posted by toddrita

I have noticed that also.....I mean if being "unrealistic" is wanting your athletic teams to win championships, then yes we are unrealistic....then so is just about every fanbase in America....

RE: SEC won't be poaching in North Carolina

Why would the SEC want UNC and Duke? Answer: BASKETBALL. A chance to make SEC basketball arguably the best in the country with UNC, Duke and Kentucky (3 of the top 5 programs all time) all in one conference.

Why would the SEC want NC State? Answer: ???
- Posted by 4tarheels

Being big time in basketball is probably not high on the list of priorities for the SEC. Why would UNC and Duke want to go to a lesser basketball conference when they are tops in arguably the best conference for the sport. Sacrifice basketball to be cellar dwellars in football? I think not.
- Posted by The Dire_Wolf

You can argue that the ACC is the best basketball conference in the country, but outside Tobacco Road you'd find that most people don't agree with you. The ACC is a very good conference to be sure, and maybe a little better than the SEC. But they aren't exactly head and shoulders ahead of them. And if you take UNC and Duke out of the ACC, the SEC is much better. If you added those to to the SEC, it would be no contest. Without UNC and Duke, the ACC doesn't rank in the top five conferences in basketball.

..

Why would the SEC want UNC and Duke? Answer: BASKETBALL. A chance to make SEC basketball arguably the best in the country with UNC, Duke and Kentucky (3 of the top 5 programs all time) all in one conference.

Why would the SEC want NC State? Answer: ???
- Posted by 4tarheels

Being big time in basketball is probably not high on the list of priorities for the SEC. Why would UNC and Duke want to go to a lesser basketball conference when they are tops in arguably the best conference for the sport. Sacrifice basketball to be cellar dwellars in football? I think not.

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