There are several reasons for college football teams jumping from one conference to another. There’s money. And, well, money.
We know by now that geographical logic clearly isn’t in the discussion.
And if winning football championships in the new conference is a prime motivation, I’d suggest thinking twice.
Texas and Oklahoma, I’m talking to you.
For all the high-profile conference allegiance switching of the past 30 or so years, only one school has truly found a soft landing. Florida State dominated the ACC from the day it moved in.
From 1992 through 2005, the Seminoles won or shared 12 of 14 ACC titles. Then Virginia Tech arrived. And Clemson muscled up. Florida State is still a player, but last fall’s ACC title was its first since 2014.
Miami joined the ACC in 2004. Titles won? Same number as Nobel Prizes or World Cups. Virginia Tech fared better, four titles early on, but none since 2010.
Nebraska was a powerhouse. Until it left the Big 12 to join the Big Ten in 2011.
The Huskers made the Big Ten championship game in 2012 only to get steamrolled by Wisconsin. Nebraska hasn’t been in even Hail Mary range of a title since.
We’ll get back to the other conferences in a bit. First, let’s discuss the toughest league of them all to win a championship.
When – or if – Texas or Oklahoma wins an SEC football championship it will be historic. None of the four previous expandees has done so.
Arkansas and South Carolina each have 32 years of SEC history. Neither has a title. Both Texas A&M and Missouri are kicking off their 12th season in the league. Any space in the trophy case reserved for an SEC football championship sits empty still.
I might have guessed in 2012 that the Aggies were best equipped to eventually win it all in their new conference. Ha. They haven’t even made it to the SEC championship game yet.
Arkansas at least got there three times, 1995, 2002, 2006. The Razorbacks finally scored a touchdown on their third appearance in Atlanta, losing 38-28 to Florida.
Steve Spurrier guided South Carolina to a lone championship game appearance in 2010. The Gamecocks got clobbered by Auburn, 56-17.
Missouri surprised – no, stunned – everyone by winning the SEC East in 2013 and again in 2014. The Tigers got whacked in Atlanta both years.
Tennessee fans need no reminder that 25 seasons have passed since the Vols won an SEC championship in 1998. That’s the longest conference title drought in school history. By far.
Can an optimistic Vol fan peer through orange-tinted lenses and conjure an SEC title in the near future? Well, to be fair, if Vol baseball can win a national title maybe anything is possible.
Since the Vols’ 98 title, only five schools have won a crown in the 25 years since: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Auburn.
The SEC has been getting tougher since the day Nick Saban arrived. And then Georgia went next level. Now, Saban has stepped away, but here come Texas and Oklahoma.
On paper, Texas appears to be the worthiest addition in SEC expansion history. The Longhorns are top five in early preseason polls.
I know Texans think big. The SEC, however, is a different beast. Temper those expectations, Horns.
Penn State fans think big, too. Always have. Joining the Big Ten fray in 1993 was a no-brainer under the circumstances. Still, 31 seasons have produced only two outright Big Ten titles and two others shared.
Hey, Nebraska would take it. Miami, too.
We’ll check back with the Longhorns and Sooners in a few years.
Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: New SEC football teams may struggle to win championships
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