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

Choose the conference:

  • Total voters
    196
futurecane said:
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.
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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
 
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.
 
futurecane said:
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?
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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.
 
futurecane said:
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.
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I’m just saying what you said was factually inaccurate. A 2 loss sec team got left out. Hasn’t happened for B1G
 
futurecane said:
BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati said:
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.
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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!
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Welcome. I’m trying to be a grown up. I don’t agree with most of what you just wrote. Wither on the vine? That's 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.
 
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Rickd said:
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.
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It has an Ultimate Grand Design for the University that says Prestige and Innovation!
 
If Miami and ND were in the Big Ten right now, you'd have three teams ranked in the Top 5 and four in the Top 6. You'd also have all four teams that played in the last two national championship games.

The only thing that could sway me toward the SEC over the Big Ten would be if Notre Dame wasn't an option. The Big Ten with Miami, ND, Ohio State and USC would have an insane collection of national brands.

I also don't see the SEC reaching much outside its traditional Southeast footprint. When they expand, my guess would be FSU, Clemson, North Carolina and Duke. All four fit the SEC's geographic footprint and overall conference profile.

That's why, if Miami has the choice and Notre Dame is available, I think the Big Ten conversation is a lot closer than people make it out to be.
 
futurecane said:
So far, 48 votes for the B1G, and the only posters to respond so far basically say:

“More money” - That will change in the future. SEC will easily command more TV $$$

“Easier schedule” - two loss SEC team is easily in the playoff. 2 loss B1G team stays home unless your name is OSU or ND. Also, that’s not the U dammit - anytime, anywhere.

“Hate SEC” - then whip them each and every week.

I still don’t understand how fans of this university actually WANT to never play FSU or UF again, instead swapping them for Iowa and Minnesota.

I’m reminded of this quote:


H.L. Mencken
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Because you’re wrong. If FSU goes to the Sec, FSU Florida becomes in conference game. WE SWAP, AND WE BECOME THEIR OUT OF CONFERENCE AN ANNUAL GAME VERSUS FLORIDA.

FSU and Miami will still play. I can pretty much guarantee you that & Miami Florida will still get to play if the cowards choose to THE SAME WAY THEY CAN NOW IF THEY CHOOSE TO.

I’d love to play Ohio State more. I’d love to play Michigan. I’d love to finally play USC and Oregon.

Despite what people think home game attendance will get better. There are more active alums retiree wise from the Big Ten down south and people realize.

Then separately and it matters to me cause it’s my school not just my team the amount of money that we’re talking about from the media deal pills in comparison to the amount of additional revenue. Miami could get is being part of the Big Ten academic alliance, which is crazy, which then makes the university more powerful bigger and richer, which helps the team and also will help create more jobs in the greater Florida area as a university and research expand even further, which then feeds right back into the school having more money to keep the team going one day when our billionaire donors are gone if that ever were to happen

Yes, there are teams. I would like to play in the SEC as well. I just plan on us beating them in the college football playoff. And one day Notre Dame could wind up in the Big Ten if not a scheduling agreement replacing their ACC and I value that game against any team currently in the southeastern conference
 
Arehel said:
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.
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I think this is the right way to look at it. They're very likely to break it into pods/divisions, and we will get lumped in with the teams that are relatively reasonable travel distance away (and more importantly for the athletes in the same time zones). Could probably have some type of protection where we don't make more than 1 west coast trip every year or every other year (they have to visit Miami too), and one set crossover game with someone like OSU/ND from a different division for the rivalry aspect
 
OBLIVION said:
Nebraska was already dead when it got to the B10. It wasn't leaving the Big 12 that killed them, it was the losing, failure to adapt, and bad coaching hires.

Nebraska also failed to schedule Texas or Oklahoma prior to them joining the SEC so they hurt themselves.
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agreed to a certain extent, however to get back tp relevance for Nebraska they need to find talent and leaving that big 12 hurt recruiting talent in TX
 
sdaly12 said:
agreed to a certain extent, however to get back tp relevance for Nebraska they need to find talent and leaving that big 12 hurt recruiting talent in TX
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I don't disagree that leaving the Big 12 made Texas recruiting less convenient, but I think we're giving that too much credit for Nebraska's decline. They had plenty of access to talent prior to and after joining the B10, and they still had the national brand, resources, facilities, and history to recruit nationally.

The bigger problem was that Nebraska switched offenses, stopped developing and retaining enough talent, and went through years of bad coaching and inconsistent roster management. If simply being in the Big 12 and having Texas recruiting territory was the key, then Nebraska should have remained competitive before the move, which they didn't because they were already declining well before that, and they didn't keep Texas and Oklahoma on their schedules after the move.

And Miami is a completely different situation. Miami isn't leaving its recruiting backyard by moving to the B10. South Florida is still South Florida, and Miami will still be sitting right in the middle of one of the country's most talent-rich recruiting areas. You're not taking that away by changing conferences.

That's why I don't think the Nebraska comparison really works for Miami. Nebraska lost some geographic recruiting advantages when it left the Big 12. Miami wouldn't be losing its home base at all. It would simply be taking that recruiting base into a different conference while gaining access to the B10's national footprint and major markets.

The B10 move didn't kill Nebraska football. Nebraska football was already declining, and the conference move happened during that decline. If Miami continues recruiting South Florida while expanding nationally, the conference itself doesn't prevent Miami from building a roster.
 
cookies said:
I’ve hated the SEC for far too long to stop now
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Who says you can’t be in the SEC and still hate every ****** team in that mfer?

How I feel about the ACC right now and **** sure ain’t likely to enjoy the sorry B1G and their plodding cold weather slogs.

Gimme the SEC and an annual matchup with UF with a bonus of FSU stuck in the Big12. We still heavily recruit the SE. I’d rather end up in a pod with UF UGA and Clemson than whatever crap we would have in the B1G but we will go where we can and where the money is at I will be happy to be out of the ACC regardless.

Proposed SEC pods at 20 teams

Plains - Oklahoma, Texas, A&M, Arkansas, Missouri
Bayou - LSU, Ole Miss, Miss St, Alabama, Auburn
Smoky - Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, UNC, Louisville
Marsh - Miami, UF, UGA, South Carolina, Clemson

This would be awesome. Our division would be the toughest but whatever only concern is the weaker smoky division
 
I'm interested to see if the ACC/B12 top left overs merge. B12 has 5 ranked, ACC has 2 ranked but will have 3-4 next week.
 
South Florida, year in year out, is fading as a place to recruit talent.

I’ve called this out before, the issue is that we look at 18 year olds and think we are ok; I’m looking at those who are much younger, who will drive our success in 2030, 2035, 2040.

The African American population is heading northward, as southeast Florida becomes more expensive. Miami Dade county lost about 10% of its AA population in the last 10 years, and 23% of AA under 18. That’s insane - and it leads to issues where your schools won’t have enough population of athletic talent to actually compete, year in year out.

It’s early, but compare the powerhouses Miami Dade of 2005 to today - where are they? This will only get worse in the next 10-15 years, and you can easily project that.
 
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