Threads like this pop up often.. but I'll play along.. I'm long winded, so bear with me y'all.. :-)

I've been on college tours at all 5 schools mentioned, being from SC I knew that I wanted to attend undergrad in either the Carolinas or Virginia. I now work in Higher Education, so I still make my way around to other universities. When realignment comes knocking again (and it will), I see it as a win-win for the SEC. The difference is whether you want to win BIG or small when it's all said and done....

My observations: all of the schools feel like SEC schools, except Duke. VT REALLY felt like an SEC school. VT and NCSU seem like the obvious choices now... but UVA and UNC are the real sleeping giants. Both are flagships in talent rich states with large TV markets. Both have donor/alumni bases that are willing to support their athletic programs. Both have HUGE endowments. Trust me, they CAN keep up with the SEC, they're just missing the conference affiliation.

I'm not very fond of UNC, but UNC and UVA are the schools that SEC should be zoning in on next.

As far as sports....yes, Soccer and lacrosse are HUGE at both schools. The entire SEC doesn't have to field soccer/lax programs to lure in UNC/UVA. The SEC sponsors equestrian and only 4 schools in conference have equestrian programs. UNC/UVA would be located in the SEC east. Two SEC east programs already have men's soccer. Women's soccer is a conf sport. With the growing popularity of both sports among the under 35 demo, I can't see UF and UGA holding off on Men's soccer forever. Atlanta is a hotspot. SC recruits ATL for soccer talent.

I'm focusing on the SEC east because I don't really think soccer and lax would work at most SEC west schools, but it would at most SEC east schools. Soccer and club lacrosse are both flourishing at SC for 2 reasons.. 1. SC is a "Southern school" but it's also very much so an "east coast school". A lot, and I mean A LOT of SC's students come from NC, VA, Maryland/DC Suburbs and surprisingly New Jersey. Therefore, because of demographics, both sports are already popular at SC... and 2. soccer and lacrosse are growing at the high school level in SC. Most 2A/1A high schools in SC (less than 800 students) now have soccer programs. I graduated from a rural, most black, high school 45 minutes outside of Charleston. They started a soccer program 3 years ago. SC, as a school, has a ratio of about 60/40 female to male. We just added sand volleyball as a women's sport. We're beefing up our soccer facilities as I type this and adding space in our athletic complex for more practice fields. One of those fields can easily become a lax facility. My guess, Men's lax becomes the next D1 sport at SC, and we're gonna add women's lax to offset adding another men's sport.

UF already has women's soccer and lax, with outstanding facilities to boot. Idk their demos but I have to guess Men's soccer and lax are next, right? UGA only has women's soccer, but I can't see them allowing themselves to get too far behind UF and SC in anything, plus they have the recruiting hotbed of ATL in their backyard so they can field a competitive team almost overnight.. Kentucky, will follow suit because their demographics fit for soccer and lax as well. Vanderbilt will add for sure.

All in all, I think we have ZERO shot at both UNC and UVA. The admins (and fans in a way) at both schools seem to want B1G. If the B1G does come down south and acquire both schools eventually then that's a direct threat to the SEC and I don't see us having much of a choice than adding FSU and Clemson. Which would be unfortunate.

This post was edited on 8/16/14 at 9:53 am