Report: SEC Not Looking For Conference Expansion

The SEC is not looking to move past 16 teams despite reports of further conference expansion

Conference expansion has been a subject of conversation since last offseason when Texas and Oklahoma accepted the invitation to join the SEC. With USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten, there are expectations that the SEC will look to expand once more. 

For now, pump the brakes on major programs from the ACC or Big 12 joining in the coming years. 

According to reports from Saturday Down South, the preference among SEC presidents is to not expand beyond 16 teams as of this time. The Longhorns and Sooners will expand the conference from 14 to 16 teams no later than 2025. 

“We’re positioned at 16 (teams) for a robust future,” one SEC athletic director told SDS. “The need just isn’t there.”

Reports circulated last week that the conference would begin negotiations to add Clemson, Virginia, Florida State and North Carolina to the league in the coming weeks. Several sources tell AllAggies.com that the report was false and conversations of expansion have ceased since the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. 

Part of the reason for more expansion chatter is due to the status of Notre Dame. The Big Ten continues to be the favorite to land the Irish should they choose to join a conference, though the schools continue to bring in a significant profit as an Independent program. A source tells AllAggies.com that Notre Dame is not expected to make a decision in the near future, thus prolonging the status of other programs. 

As USC and UCLA leave for the Big Ten, reports shift to the future of the Pac-12. Earlier this month, it was reported that the Big 12 reached out to six programs about future expansion. Should institutions such as Oregon, Washington and others accept the invite, the Big 12 would become the first conference with 18 or more teams. 

The SEC adding Texas and Oklahoma only sparked interest in the Trojans and Bruins' intent to leave for greener pastures. Keep in consideration that the conference recently signed a new $300 million deal with ESPN, giving the network rights to all SEC football games beginning in 2024.

Entering 2022, the SEC is expected to pay each one of its 14 institutions at least $55.5 million from media rights revenue. That number is expected to expend $68 million or more per team in 2024 on the new deal with ESPN. 

Conference realignment is far from a new trend among top programs looking for higher revenue. In 2011, Nebraska departed the Big 12 for the Big Ten while Colorado left for the Pac-12. A year later, both Texas A&M and Missouri left to join the SEC. In 2014, the Big Ten expanded from 12 to 14 teams with the additions of Rutgers and Maryland from AAC and ACC, respectively. 

For over a decade, Texas and Oklahoma have considered leaving the Big 12 for a different conference. In 2011, it was reported that the two schools nearly agreed to join the Pac-12, along with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. At the last second, the Big 12 came through with a new deal, thus halting the conversation in its tracks. 

Multiple sources tell AllAggies.com that Notre Dame holds the key in further conference realignment, though it would be several years before anything could be finalized. The Irish currently have their television deal with NBC deal through 2025, which brings in average revenue of $15 million per year. 

Last week, it was reported that NBC would make a ploy for Big Ten media rights starting in 2024. The conference's current contract expires with ESPN and Fox Sports following the 2023 season. 

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