The Southeastern Conference had its football media days this week, but marquee news from the Big 12 Conference has taken center stage.
Reports have stated that Texas and Oklahoma want to leave the Big 12 for the SEC.
According to Chip Brown of Horns247, both schools will join the SEC — barring any sort of unforeseen issues. Officials for Texas and Oklahoma are planning to inform the Big 12 on Monday that they won’t renew when the league’s grant of rights expires in 2025. If both schools choose to leave earlier, it would have to give up its remaining four years of Big 12 contractual revenue — which would total nearly $160 million each.
RELATED: Texas and Oklahoma reportedly reach out to the SEC about joining the conference
With all the commotion, how would the expansion affect Alabama football?
Three aspects stand out as answers: better matchups, intense recruiting, and nine conference games
Better Matchups
People have started crafting scenarios on the SEC’s new look with Texas and Oklahoma.
The conference would have 16 teams grouped in four different regions or PODs.
A look at how the SEC could shape out if Oklahoma and Texas join the conference 👀 pic.twitter.com/HdtOJPAtwb
— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 23, 2021
Everyone wants to see the powerhouse institutions face each other in college football.
Television contracts and the excitement of fans would explode to get Alabama consistently battling the Longhorns and Sooners.
This would create the best matchups in the SEC and also rid the Crimson Tide of facing the statement of “not playing anybody.” Alabama would be on its toes every week because each game would have a playoff feel to it.
Intense Recruiting
Recruiting in the SEC is wild.
Coach Saban takes the best talent from the states of Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, etc…
He holds the edge over other coaches, despite names such as Kirby Smart, Dan Mullen, Lane Kiffin, and Jimbo Fisher being younger than him.
RELATED: SEC reporters pick Alabama to win the conference over Georgia
If the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma, Steve Sarkisian and Lincoln Riley hop into the mix.
Both coaches would be directly competing against Saban for the top high school athletes.
Adding two other big-named coaches also gives Saban a chance to expand his dominance. He would have more motivation to assure people that no one takes ground from him in recruiting.
Nine conference games
Nick Saban has been asking for nine conference games for a while.
He would get his wish in the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Saban would also face his fourth former assistant within the conference’s new look in Steve Sarkisian. The new competition stacks the seven-time national champion versus Smart, Mullen, Kiffin, Fisher, Sarkisian, and Riley.
All six names can recruit, coach, win games, and position themselves for championships.
The fresh fire from Texas and Oklahoma would stretch Saban’s coaching window out more.
Both teams would remove at least one non-conference game against a lesser-tier opponent from Alabama’s schedule.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
