The SEC could soon have a hole to fill, and it definitely wouldn’t stay vacant.
There’s possible reason the Tennessee Volunteers, and maybe even the Vanderbilt Commodores, get kicked out of the SEC because of government interference and new NCAA rules. Whether it’s just one or both, they would certainly get replaced and it wouldn’t be hard for the SEC to find logical replacements. A new addition would also make the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns no longer the newcomers.
Here are five viable replacements if the SEC needs to add a new member or two soon.
Possible future SEC additions
Clemson Tigers
Clemson has asserted itself worthy of the SEC as one of the best college football programs of the last decade. The Tigers can immediately be competitive in every other sport, as well.
The Tigers want out of the ACC and dream of the SEC. This move would make sense geographically unlike the ACC’s desperate opposite-coast additions and make Clemson-South Carolina into an in-state conference rivalry.
Florida State Seminoles
No one is more desperate for greener grass than Florida State, and the Seminoles would move mountains if the SEC had a spot to fill.
It was a rough 2024 for Florida State since a fan wouldn’t eat dog poo, but other than a cursed football season, the Seminoles have been one of the most storied athletic departments in the country. Florida State and Florida meeting yearly for an in-state conference rivalry would also draw even more eyes to the SEC and expand the conference’s footprint in a talent-rich state.
Miami Hurricanes
Speaking of an expanded Florida reach, Miami is another traditional powerhouse on the rise again. A move to the SEC could make the Hurricanes consistent again and also hopefully elevate their other sports. More in-state rivalries are also always a bonus.
SMU Mustangs
SMU is a sleeping giant with the money and resources to compete in the SEC today. It took the Mustangs just one year at the Power Four level to get into the ACC championship game and College Football Playoff.
A move into the SEC would only put SMU’s rise on hyper speed. Adding SMU would also expand the SEC’s footprint in Texas in the most populated area of the state. However, that stadium would need an update and expansion ASAP.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
There are plenty reasons Oklahoma State is at the bottom of this list, but reviving Bedlam and making Oklahoma a state with two SEC schools would be fun. The Cowboys are nationally competitive in nearly every sport yearly and could even open the door for the SEC adding wrestling. The question would be if OSU has the resources to keep up with the top dogs of the SEC without T. Boone Pickens.
Read more about the Oklahoma Sooners