I think Cincinnati is by far the best program out there.

Their football program is very up-and-coming

Finished #17 in 2007... #17 in 2008... #8 in 2009.... and #25 in 2011.

As for Basketball, they have two National Titles: 1961, 1962
They have six Final Four appearances: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1992
As for recent basketball history, they've made the NCAA Tournament six straight seasons, making it to the Sweet 16 in 2012.

As far as television goes, they are a large market: #36 in the nation. It's a bigger TV market than Austin and/or Las Vegas. Additionally, with an enrollment of 44,000, that means there is a large alumni presence inside the television markets of Cleveland (#18), Columbus (#31) and Dayton (#64).

All four of the major Ohio markets all together combine to be a good bit larger than the Chicago market... the #3 market in the country. And the Ohio markets are usually the most football-crazed markets outside the South.

I think that even as a fan in the SEC, I could get excited about the Bearcats coming into our league. I think their upside is greater than all other remaining expansion candidates. They would expand the SEC into the crucial Ohio market. And they would give Kentucky a natural basketball rival that in time could turn into a Duke-North Carolina type of rivalry.

If the SEC expanded to 16 teams, they'd probably be my #2 choice of all the serious contenders behind only Oklahoma. I think the BIG 12 is crazy if they don't add Cincy this round.

This post was edited on 7/22/16 at 11:35 am