With Oklahoma and Texas headed to the SEC and former Pac-12 schools now dispersing into conferences across the country, it felt that the current wave of conference realignment might be finished for the time being.
That might not be the case, though, as it appears the swirling rumors between the Big 12 and a couple of ACC football giants.
According to a report from Jason Scheer, the senior editor and publisher of WildcatAuthority.com on 247Sports, there is an “internal belief” in the Big 12 that the league will add Clemson and Florida State within the next year.
If there is truth to the report, there are multiple things to take away from this.
The addition of the Tigers and Seminoles would immediately give the Big 12 two teams that are considered among the nation’s elite football traditions. Getting Clemson and Florida State, both of which have won national titles in football over the last decade, brings some major brands into a league that is trying to adapt to life without a pair of them (OU, Texas).
Another thought is, “How would the Big 12 possibly pull this off?”
Well, that’s where the reports on the Big 12 exploring private equity and naming partnerships come in. The infusion of cash flow that tops 10 figures would give the league options that it wouldn’t otherwise have.
If the Big 12 comes into money that would allow it to buy the Tigers and Seminoles out of the ACC, it would certainly be another monumental shift in the landscape of college athletics. And while it would certainly be a major storyline, it would hardly be the most surprising thing we’ve seen happen in this pace in recent years.
