College football expansion: Big Ten would want North Carolina over Clemson, Florida State, Paul Finebaum says

In the event of more college football expansion, the Big Ten would favor adding North Carolina over Clemson or Florida State, according to Paul Finebaum's analysis.

North Carolina could be a target for the Big Ten in football realignment over Clemson and Florida State, according to Paul Finebaum's view of things. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Even though it appears the Big Ten would not be interested in Florida State in the event of more college football realignment, one current ACC school might be a potential target for the conference, as North Carolina would have a better chance to court an offer instead.

That's according to Paul Finebaum, who suggested that the Tar Heels would be a better fit in new remarks amid ongoing conference expansion rumors.

"I think the real school to keep your eye on down the road, if the ACC starts to show fractures, and that's the University of North Carolina," he said. "Both the Big Ten and the SEC, I think, would listen, if Chapel Hill called, and then the question is, who else would come along with them, from the ACC."

There had been some speculation that North Carolina might entertain a move after a school trustee suggested the university should consider leaving the ACC for a more profitable situation.

But other decision makers around the school disagreed with that view, and talk around North Carolina making a move cooled after that.

Finebaum also remarked what appears to be a consensus around college football that neither the SEC or the Big Ten seem interested in adding Florida State should it come available.

North Carolina was among the so-called "Magnificent Seven" schools that rebelled against the ACC last offseason amid other conference realignments, asking the league for a bigger share of the pie.

The conference responded with a proposed plan to pay out larger sums to more prominent schools, but that didn't appear to strike those members as a good-enough long-term plan.

Florida State and Clemson have sued the ACC in an effort to challenge the enormous exit fee the conference charges to members who want to leave before 2036, when the league's current grant of rights agreement is set to expire.

Now we wait for the court process to play out, and see whether Florida State or Clemson can get a settlement to their liking and find a way out of the ACC.

If they can, other schools could follow.

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