Florida State Football: The Pros and Cons of Joining the SEC

The subject of conference realignment has become the topic-du-jour in college football, as a host of premier national programs have entertained switching allegiances.

ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb has reported a confidential source, who confirms Texas A&M will leave the Big 12 and join the Southeastern Conference (SEC). A&M officials have already confirmed the rumor, and an official announcement is planned for Monday.

In the same ESPN notification, Florida State was indicated as another candidate likely to join the SEC, providing a balanced 14 teams.

The proposition of Florida State leaving their current digs in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has been a talking point for years. If they are to move, now seems as good a time as ever.

However, with every decision there are pros and cons, and FSU joining the SEC is no exception.

As a lifelong fan of the Seminoles, I personally like the move, as it will be great to see them compete against some of the best teams week in, week out.

But there is more at stake than what a prideful fan wants.

If the ‘Noles are seriously considering the move, things will change for the athletic program—fast.

Joining the SEC—widely regarded as the nation's best—could be beneficial to Florida State, but there are also some possible drawbacks. 

And they follow:

Pro: More Money

The SEC prides itself with being the best conference in America, and its current TV deal would reflect that boast.

A move to the conference would mean millions of dollars in increased revenue for the university, which benefits not only the athletic department, but the school as well. The money argument has to be regarded as one of the major "pros" in the decision-making process.

Then again, Biggie did spit, “'Mo money, 'mo problems,'” verified by Hov, who rapped "'Mo money, mo' problems, better believe it.'"

Con: Growing Pains

No matter which team joins the SEC, there will be some kind of tinkering with the conference alignment. Some changes might not yet be foreseeable.

The growth could be beneficial—and it will be an interesting experiment having a conference with the size to rival the Big East.

I am not sure, however, if Florida State wants to take part in such an experiment.

Sometimes, change for change's sake leads to negative consequences—in this case a move might be more trouble than it's worth.

Should Florida State decide to jump the proverbial ACC ship, they'll find a host of highly competitive teams standing in the way of an automatic BCS bid. The difference in competition between the two leagues is staggering.

The Florida State administration should be mindful of this point—BCS bowls generate vast amounts of revenue, and potentially missing out on those games could be a deciding factor.

FSU should not drop everything and come running if the SEC comes a' calling in Tallahassee.

Pro: A More Intense Rivalry with Florida

This might be one of my favorite reasons for FSU joining the SEC.

Imagine if the rivalry with the Gators wasn’t just for bragging rights, but if a trip to the conference championship in Atlanta with national title implications became customary each fall.

As a young fan in the nineties, I remember when the last game on the FSU schedule against Florida was a top-10 showdown that often determined who would be playing for a national championship.

The rivalry with the Gators has become tarnished in recent years by the Gators' recent dominance.

All that could change if the Seminoles become part of the SEC’s new East Division. Recruiting would only improve with Jimbo Fisher selling the prospect of weekly televised games in the nation's premier conference to recruits.

Con: Tougher Competition

In the ACC, Florida State enjoys a less-than-grueling schedule, filled with the likes of cellar-dwellers Wake Forest, Virginia, Duke.

It’s nice not to have to fret about the playing national title contenders each week.

This could become a problem for the ‘Noles should they move to the SEC, as they haven’t had top-caliber teams dotting their schedule in recent years.

It would be interesting to see how Florida State would measure up to SEC teams should a move go through.

For now, it is safe to say that the much stiffer competition provided in the SEC doesn’t have the Seminoles rushing to make the switch.

Pro: It's the SEC, Bro

I will admit I have my doubts about a move to the Southeastern Conference, but then again—it’s the SE friggin' C!

Easily the best conference in college football over the past several seasons, the past five BCS national champions call it home.

It has the greatest collection of football talent in the country, along with impressive leadership organization in its schools.

The presidents of the SEC member schools understand the business side of football, and have proven their proficiency by building and maintaining the best college football conference in the nation.

It would be unwise to doubt the decision-making of those in the SEC, and it would benefit Florida State to join that impressive group of leaders.

Con: Too Many Questions

This point runs parallel to my last con, about the growing pains conference expansion might wreak upon the SEC.

There are too many questions yet to be answered in regard to a potential conference realignment. Which division would Florida State end up in? Would they be forced to play Alabama year-in, year-out were they to join the SEC West?

One of the bigger questions asks how the move would affect Florida State’s other sports.

As of right now, FSU should not consider making any moves until the school’s administration has a serious discussion with the athletic department.

Should that even happen, a move still looks unlikely in the short term.