SEC Football: 4 expansion candidates the conference should avoid

Louisville

If there is one school on this list that would make absolutely no sense for the SEC to add in this round of conference realignment, it’s the Louisville Cardinals out of the ACC. Louisville is a school that you will find on multiple lists of potential expansion candidates that the SEC should avoid, and that comes with good reason.

First and foremost, the SEC wouldn’t be getting a consistently competitive athletic program in many sports other than men’s basketball in Louisville. And even if you’re looking at adding Louisville from the perspective of the strength of the men’s basketball program, there are better options out there such as the North Carolina Tar Heels and even Duke and Virginia.

Secondly, in terms of the potential of the football program and the national brand of Louisville, there is not much appeal here at all. Louisville had different points in the last few decades of success, but it never sustains for very long.

The appeal of Louisville from the perspective of the football brand is more that of a competitive Group of Five program.

Lastly, the SEC already controls much of the TV market and recruiting grounds around the state of Kentucky. Having the Kentucky Wildcats in the mix means that the SEC already has a foothold in this state from that perspective. Thus the SEC doesn’t need to add Louisville just from the perspective of gaining a tighter grip on the state of Kentucky.