College Football 2011: Texas A&M Wants to Be SEC, Who Else Does?

The college football landscape has changed drastically in the past few years as conference realignments have occurred. One conference that can be extremely picky when looking for new members is the SEC. That being said, the question has to be asked, who will be the next team to join the SEC?

The PAC 12 and Big 10 opened up the flood gates when the conferences expanded to join their conference championship playing brethren in the SEC, Big East and ACC. After the first shift of teams the questions remain as to who will go where in the future.

The benefit that the SEC has is that it is in the best position of any conference. With his rich history in college football, especially the recent streak of championships, no institution is likely to turn down the opportunity to join the conference.

So who would be a solid candidate for the possible conference expansion in the future? It has become glaringly obvious that the SEC and Texas A&M are flirting but who else would be able to jump on the expansion train? No one knows for sure what goes on in the closed door meetings but there are 10 teams that stand above the rest as solid possibilities. 

Texas A&M Aggies

When the conference realignment talk began two years ago and it became apparent that the Big 12 would lose some of its institutions the talk of the Aggies joining the SEC really began to heat up.

The SEC is not out actively hunting for schools like the PAC 12 and Big 10 did, but they are always taking applications. A&M is a very affluent school with a very loyal following and alumni base. The market share would be a major positive for the SEC.

The Aggies have one national title to their name and own a .599 winning percentage since play began in 1894. Texas A&M also has an 83,000 person stadium that is filled every Saturday. For A&M it is a great move to come out from under the Texas wing and for the SEC adding another premier fan base and market share would be huge.

Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners are the second and most likely addition to the SEC. Oklahoma is big time college football at its best and the maroon and white carries a great reputation for superb football. Oklahoma has been playing football since 1895 and has seven national titles to their name.

Most recently they have been one of the strongest teams in the country and have owned the Big 12 north in the past decade. It is unlikely for the SEC to expand with just one team and the second team on the wish list has to be the Sooners. With the assumption being that the Big 12 won’t last, the Sooners will jump at the chance to join the SEC.

With the rich winning history and five Heisman winners in tow, it is a no brainer for the Sooners to land in the most talented conference in the country.

Virginia Tech Hokies

The Hokies began playing football in 1892 and have had a winning tradition ever since. Virginia Tech currently holds the longest streak with 10 plus wins of any team in the country. They also have a very impressive record of 65-16 since 2004.

Tech has only played for one national title but they have yet to win one. They were a member of the Big East conference from 1991 until 2003 and then joined the ACC in 2004.

The Hokies have dominated the ACC since joining and have done so with great defense and special teams play. The Hokies carry a .608 winning percentage over the life of its football program and has one of the most raucous stadiums in the country.

Miami (Fl) Hurricanes

The Hurricanes didn’t begin football play until 1926 but have hit the ground running since inception. The Hurricanes have five national titles to their name and two Heisman winners. They also carry an impressive winning percentage of .637.

The Hurricanes competed as an independent for the majority of the programs history until joining the Big East in 1991 and then moving to the ACC in 2004. Miami is a hotbed for recruiting and manages to land talent consistently.

Adding a national following to the conference would be a plus for the SEC but the conference may be concerned with the ebb and flow of attendance that matches the onfield performance of the ‘Canes. There is no doubt that the Hurricanes would love to join the SEC given the chance.

South Florida Bulls

This is a reach for most but look at what the Bulls have done in a short period of existence. The Bulls began FBS competition in 2001 but in that short time have earned a .624 winning percentage. In just six short years the Bulls managed to make it to the #2 team in the country for a short time.

The Bulls know how to win, have a hotbed for recruiting in Tampa and would bring a new blood to the SEC. The Bulls may seem like a stretch to most but keep in mind that South Florida enrolls 47,122 students making it the largest enrollment in the state of Florida.

The Bulls have a lot more to bring to the table than meets the eye and they could find their way to the table in the future in they keep the winning tradition alive.

Clemson Tigers

Clemson has numerous ties to the SEC and plays at least one SEC annually. They are a natural rival for the South Carolina Gamecocks and a rival of the Auburn Tigers. Clemson actually has Auburn to thank for its uniform colors.

Clemson has a very loyal following and fills its 80,000 seat stadium consistently on Saturday’s. The Tigers have one national title and 17 conference titles. With the rivalries that are already in the books for the Tigers and the fan following it seems that the Tigers are a natural fit for the SEC in the future.

North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels have been playing football since 1888. In that time the Heels have earned a .566 winning percentage and nine conference titles. Not only have the Tar Heels played football longer than most teams competing today, but they also threw the first forward pass in 1895.

That contribution should amount to something. Outside of Carolina being geographically a good fit for the SEC, they also have a lot of rivalries that could fit into the scope of reach that the SEC will be looking for.

Carolina has not been one of the best programs in history but they have come on strong recently and look to continue to build a stronger program than in years past. Carolina also brings a great basketball tradition with its football team if the shift were to occur, another plus for the Tar Heels.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Tech started playing football in 1892. The Yellow Jackets have claimed four national titles in its history and have earned a .597 winning percentage. Tech was an original member of the SEC and the Yellow Jackets won five conference titles while in the SEC.

Tech left the SEC for the ACC after some bad blood formed in the conference and the Yellow Jackets haven’t appeared to look back since. The Yellow Jackets have some major rivalries that are in the SEC such as Georgia and Auburn. They also are major rivalries with Virginia Tech and Clemson, two other SEC possibilities.

Georgia Tech is a great fit for the SEC both geographically and traditionally. It would not be a surprise to see Tech flirt with a return sometime in the near future.

Houston Cougars

The University of Houston has been playing football since  1946 and have a modest .528 winning percentage. The Cougars have had one Heisman winner in their short history.

The biggest benefit that Houston brings to the SEC table is the obvious television market that would open for the conference. Houston would jump to join the SEC if they came calling and tapping the Texas market is something that has to be on the mind of the conference officials.

Houston can win consistently and has been on the upswing recently making them a more appealing candidate. If Houston continues to progress and gain more big wins their chances will grow as conference expansion continues nationally.

TCU Horned Frogs

TCU has had a modest history with scattered success. The Frogs have two national titles to their name and carry a .530 winning percentage. They have been playing football since 1896 and now have a brand new state of the art stadium to call home.

The Horned Frogs have been very successful in the Gary Patterson years carrying a .778 winning percentage in his 11 years. Dennis Francione revived the program before Patterson arrived but now the Horned Frogs have made it to the national stage.

Last year’s Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin seemed to solidify TCU in modern football as a great program. The only thing that the Horned Frogs are missing at this point is a major conference affiliation but with the recently decade of wins the bids may begin to come. Being in Fort Worth also helps TCU as the Dallas/Fort Worth area is a major television market that would bring bags of revenue to the conference.