B1G vs. SEC for Miami: Realignment Reality Check - Poll

[hurricaneman]

Of course! Current media rights give the B1G a slight advantage, the next contract negotiation will flip that. Here is why:

Average Game Viewership:
SEC: 4.90 Million viewers
Big Ten: 2.80 Million viewers

Weekly Top 25 Presence:
SEC: Captures ~18+ of the top 25 most-watched slots per week
Big Ten: Captures 3–5 slots per week

Top 10 Most-Watched Games 2025:
1. Texas vs. Ohio State — 13.99M
2. LSU vs. Ole Miss — 10.90M
3. Texas vs. Tennessee — 9.75M
4. Ole Miss vs. Florida — 8.29M
5. Oklahoma vs. Michigan — 8.22M
6. Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame — 8.10M
7. Alabama vs. Kentucky — 7.28M
8. Florida State vs. Alabama — 7.01M
9. Clemson vs. LSU — 5.76M
10. Texas A&M vs. LSU — 5.71M

Money follows eyeballs, you will see a massive flip in the money status during the next media contract negotiations. (2030 B1G, 2034 SEC)

You join a conference for several decades, by the time we are in either the media contract is about due - so even using the “money” argument, it’s the SEC.

I don't think that list is right, unless you're only looking at SEC teams. The Miami vs Notre Dame game had 10.8M.

Anyway, adding Miami, and others, would be a different ballgame.

In 2025 Miami had:

#2 watched game in week 1 (Notre Dame)
#1 watched game in week 4 (Florida)
#2 watched game in week 6 (FSU)
#2 all time first round viewers in the playoffs (Texas A&M), being edged out by 150K viewers to be #1.
Beat out Ole Miss vs UGA in the 2nd round

 

[Arehel]

Historically we've dominated because we were in the Big East (weaker conference) and now that we've risen up once again, were again in a relative weaker conference.
To continue the trend I would go to the Big Ten, even through they are quite strong.
I also think culturally and historically our ties are to those school, this is from a non historian and someone who does not live in USA.

Furthermore, if we assume we're going to the Big Ten, they would likely break the conference into potentially four divisions:
USC UCLA Washington Oregon and Nebraska
Iowa Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Michigan St
Northwestern Illinois Purdue OSU Indiana
PSU Rutgers Maryland Miami (and I'll say Notre Dame)

And they are relatively balanced.

 

[SpikeUM]

Everyone keeps debating where Miami should end up when the inevitable happens and it’s time to go to a Power 2 conference. Please vote below, and explain why (especially if you prefer the B1G)…

For the purposes of this, I added FSU, Clemson and NC to the SEC, and Notre Dame to the B1G.

I vote for the SEC, and here is why:

1. Roster Footprint

• SEC Territory (~79% of current roster): Nearly 80% of the entire locker room comes from SEC country (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina). That means families can actually drive or catch quick 1-2 hour flights to almost every single road game.
• B1G Territory (~17% of current roster): We pull some talent out of California, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska, but that's still under a fifth of the team. Sending South Florida kids to Eugene, East Lansing, or Iowa City is a much tougher sell for local families, especially in November!
• Other (~4%): Nevada, Virginia, Idaho, and international roots.

2. Travel Math

If Miami visits every road venue in each league:

• SEC: ~26,900 total round-trip miles (~1,790 miles per trip)
• Big Ten: ~48,820 total round-trip miles (~2,870 miles per trip)

Joining the Big Ten adds nearly 22,000 extra flight miles (+81%). In fact, just four West Coast trips (USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington) equal almost half of an entire SEC schedule.

3. Culture & Non-Revenue Sports

B1G travel would butcher baseball, soccer, and volleyball schedules with 5-hour midweek flights. Plus, regional SEC matchups (Florida, FSU, Clemson, UNC, LSU, Georgia) match our fan culture far better than cold November trips to Minneapolis or Madison.

Member Teams:

SEC (19): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt.

Big Ten (19): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin.

I know about the AAU status, media rights, etc - but looking at it from a pure football standpoint, the SEC makes sense. We’ve played and won National Championships and huge games against Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, FSU, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas A&M… I couldn’t say that for 80% of the B1G, except Ohio State, Notre Dame, and maybe a Michigan/UCLA.

Do you really want to go to a game in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Maryland or Ohio in November? Seriously?

First and foremost, EXCELLENT summary. I have two opinions (and no, I am not @Bipolarcane ):

For me personally, I would prefer the SEC, for all of the reasons you mentioned.

For the school though, as @90scane mentioned, the B1G will mean more gelt for the school.

 

[RVACane]

Funny to think some of you think Miami would play FSU & UiF every year if went to SEC

We’d play one each year in the SEC assuming fsu is there.

 

[OrangeSlidez]

Only Ohio State has gone 10-2 in the B1G.

Are you really comparing Ohio State and Vanderbilt?

Georgia and Tennessee (2024), Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas (2025) all went 10-2 and made it into the playoffs from the SEC.

I’m just saying what you said was factually inaccurate. A 2 loss sec team got left out. Hasn’t happened for B1G

 

[BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati]

Thanks.

I noticed that the playoff games were omitted from your list. I suppose that’s fair. A couple counter points worth considering (and to be fair, we are now both talking about future stuff so who knows):

With the addition of Miami and presumably ND, the B1G will add the #3 market and whatever South Florida is currently ranked (I’ve never understood why FLL and PB aren’t necessarily included with the 305).

B1G would have the NY (Rutgers is weak and NY doesn’t carry the clout in CFB that it does in other sports), LA, Chicago, Miami, etc. Top 3 markets for tv, but also for non-TV revenues. I don’t know how to attach a metric to that, but it’s not something to ignore. The larger markets is why I took the position I did. I also think the B1G schools have more money, but I haven’t vetted that out and I could be wrong. I would have to pull the endowments for each school and tally them up then account for booster wealth. I don’t have the time or energy for that.

Your comment about the next tv renegotiation has merit. I don’t know how the calendar looks for when the B1G will renegotiate, but I would imagine the two conferences will simply leverage each other’s deals against the networks at that time. Isn’t that exactly what coaches currently do? Kirby gets a pay raise if some other coach gets a pay raise in order to keep Kirby at/near the top.

Maybe you’ll be right and I’ll be wrong. Maybe not. Either conference would be a massive upgrade from where we currently sit.

And I responded to you without any insults or snarky comments.

I really appreciate the direct response, exactly what I wanted by starting this thread. I do think we would do well in both conferences, but given the aspects I’ve mentioned, would likely wither on the B1G vine if that was our path.

We’d be a respectable Auburn/A&M/Penn State equivalent - likely reduced in our most fertile recruiting grounds, and I’m not sure Minnesota or Iowa would make up for that.

Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Wayne, Damion’s Lewis… all from SEC states. Football is growing in the South, fading in the North.

I don’t want us to hitch the wagon to a conference that isn’t in our most fertile recruiting markets, isn’t as valued (or overrated, depending on your point of view), and gives us a geographic disadvantage.

Heck, the closest B1G school is Maryland, and it’s almost as far as the furthest SEC school from Miami!

Welcome. I’m trying to be a grown up. I don’t agree with most of what you just wrote. Either on the vine? That not a little strong, that’s just a mega exaggeration. Considering we beat aTm, Ohio State, Ole Miss and the Gates last year, I’m not buying the Penn State equivalent. The recruiting grounds thing is a fabricated opinion. Regardless of which conference, half or more of our games will be played in Miami which is ground zero for our recruiting grounds. That doesn’t change. Our away games this year have been in California and NC, with Clemson and ND ahead. There’s another in there I’m missing. How much does that change in the B1G?

You keep mentioning Minnesota and Iowa. Valid. I raise you Starkville, MS, Lexington, KY and Nashville (Vandy). This brings it full circle. Either way it’s an upgrade and I don’t see a massive difference either way.

 

[Tony4Canes]

We’d play one each year in the SEC assuming fsu is there.

Sure one not both as someone said

 

[Orig.CaneSawMassacre]

For the University of Miami ... not just the football program ... the B10 offers more opportunities for meaningful research partnerships that from a financial perspective can dwarf the excellent B10 media payouts to members. That makes the B10 a "win / win" for UM in my opinion over the SEC. The SEC would be great simply from a football perspective (and other sports) for travel and interesting matchups ... but you have to look at the bigger picture. This is a big boy move by a university that has grown in prestige and in potential for greater expansion.

It has an Ultimate Grand Design for the University that says Prestige and Innovation!

 

[D7.]

I'd chose the BIG. But the reality is, just as long as we leave the wretched ACC, I'm gucci.