SEC Football: 4 expansion candidates the conference should avoid

Honorable mentions

Virginia/Virginia Tech

The ACC is commonly mentioned as a potential hunting ground for any new additions for the SEC in this round of conference realignment. And with that comes the idea of the SEC adding a package deal in the Virginia Tech Hokies and Virginia Tech Cavaliers to the mix.

This isn’t the worst idea in my mind, but there are definitely some better candidates out there. There is a cap on the ceiling that both Virginia and Virginia Tech have with a few of the bigger athletic programs.

Virginia basketball would be about the most appealing part of getting these two established academic institutions, but that’s not enough to get an invite to the SEC in my mind.

West Virginia

The next two schools up on the list barely missed the cut of the four that the SEC should avoid adding in this round of conference realignment.

Starting with the West Virginia Mountaineers, it just wouldn’t make much sense for the SEC to take a flier out on this Big 12 school in Morgantown. West Virginia isn’t a very worthwhile recruiting ground and the TV market wouldn’t do much for the SEC. It’s also hard to see West Virginia adding much athletic strength to the SEC beyond a men’s basketball program that is pretty consistent under head coach Bob Huggins.

Georgia Tech

As the only school on this list to have already held SEC membership in its history, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are a weird case to make in conference expansion. Georgia Tech does have a long and storied history of athletic and academic success. But the athletic success has largely wained over the course of the last two decades.

Most of the appeal that Georgia Tech would have as an expansion candidate for the SEC would be coming from the academic aspect. The SEC already controls the state of Georgia in terms of recruiting territory and it holds the Atlanta TV market, thus putting those aspects of Georgia Tech’s appeal as an expansion candidate out of relevancy.