Texas A&M to SEC: Which ACC, Big East School Would Make for Best 14-Team League?

Conference expansion has been at the forefront of the college football offseason and the head of all of that talk has been about Texas A&M joining the SEC.

But it’s hard to imagine the Southeastern Conference leaving the league at an uneven 13 teams. Rumors ran rampant about who would be the 14th team as well as rumors about an alleged 15th and 16th teams.

Yesterday, everyone thought the Aggies had sent a letter abandoning the Big 12 but a report today says that’s not true. Even if it isn’t true, Texas A&M will leave the conference at some point.

So who out of the ACC and Big East would join them to make the best 14th team?

Read the rest of this slideshow to find out.

Maryland

The Terps always seem to crop up in conference expansion talk and it’s all about location, location, location.

Located in College Park, Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C., the SEC would consequently gain a significant portion of that market.

If there is one thing the SEC is trying to do, it is expanding their brand across the country and D.C. is the biggest market nearest to their schools that hasn’t been tapped.

Maryland more than brings that to the table.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels have an elite basketball program and a football program on the verge of breaking through but got held back because of eligibility issues surrounding its players.

North Carolina is entirely ACC country and snagging one of the biggest names from the state is a high risk, high reward move.

The likelihood of this happening without Duke is slim but it would certainly bring a new type of team and a national fan base to the SEC.

West Virginia

The most complete school in the Big East would make another great target for the SEC.

From a markets standpoint, this isn’t the best move but from a student body and program fit this is the best school.

The students and fans are wild and burn couches which makes them half an SEC school already.

South Florida

No, just kidding.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies have the market, the wins and the fans but do they have the support of the staff?

Athletic Director Jim Weaver is on record saying how much they like the ACC and they also have a good amount of research partners within the conference.

Without that, this helmet crash test study likely would have never happened.

Unless the SEC is willing to wait for the ACC to collapse thanks to Miami, which it most likely will, the best fit for the conference likely won’t be leaving.