It seems like every summer, we’re talking about a new conference realignment rumor. With the power conferences of the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and ACC locked in a heated arms race, everyone is waiting for the next domino to fall. These types of rumors will continue to dominate the college sports landscape until we’re eventually left with either one or two super conferences.
This time the rumor revolves around two of the better schools in the ACC: Florida State and Clemson. Reports are circulating that the two schools are in deep talks to join the Big 12. Some even go as far as to say they’ll be the conference’s newest members by 2025. As much as fans might hate realignment, these two are a perfect match for each other.
Clemson and Florida State Stay in a Power Conference
It’s the worst kept secret that the ACC days as a power conference are numbered. Sure, the Pac-12 was the first and main casualties of this round of realignment. However, once the dust settles, the ACC will no longer be one of the top conferences in college football. It won’t be almost non-existent like the Pac-12 is, but they’ll be at the same level as a group of five conference. No longer competing with the likes of the SEC and Big 10.
If you’re a marquee brand like Clemson and Florida State, not being in a power conference is a death sentence. These schools want to stay at the top of the college football world. They want to in the college football playoff and compete for national championships. These are schools with a rich football tradition, and they do not want to be in a position where it’s next to impossible to add to it.
However, if they join the Big 12, they’ll still be in the same position they’re in now. They would be in the new Power Three and one of the best brands in it too. They would be a contender year in and year out, constantly having one of the best recruiting classes and being one of the funnest teams to watch in all of college football.
The Big 12 Gains Marquee Brands
The Big 12 has done an unbelievable job in adapting to life after Texas and Oklahoma. When it was announced that those two were leaving the conference, the Big 12’s days seemed numbered. They were going to be the ones to fall apart and cease existing. But, thanks to some creative maneuvering and the Pac-12 imploding, the Big 12 has a shot at becoming a power conference.
However, the one thing the Big 12 hasn’t been able to find is the big-time brands. Schools that are on the same level as Texas and Oklahoma and can be the face of the conference. Sure, they have some interesting and exciting teams like Colorado, Oklahoma State, and Cincinnati. But, nobody can replace the hole that Texas and Oklahoma left. None of them have name recognition or star power.
Clemson and Florida State would be the replacements the Big 12 needs. It would bring the star power the conference desperately lacks. If they want to keep up with the SEC and Big 10, they need household names to bring exposure to the conference. If Clemson and Florida State can continue to be national championship contenders, it will bring more exposure to the conference. This exposure will allow people to see the Big 12 more as a competitor with the SEC and Big 10, rather than beneath them.
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