I'm not understanding FSU or Clemson to the B1G at all, if any of the pious academic prerequisites ever meant anything. FSU has done a fantastic job of improving their undergrad reputation in the past 20 years, but they're still not "there" yet. And that's largely irrelevant for the B1G, who only seems to care about AAU/research cred.
Clemson is still what FSU used to be, so I don't get that at all. They have a strong football program and literally no other desirable attribute.
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If recruiting means the most, GT and Miami make sense. Not counting TX, the top 2 recruiting grounds are easily south FL and southern Cali. But 3rd would likely be the Atlanta area.
If academics means the most, UNC and UVA make sense. AAU + top undergrad. Miami is right there, too.
All 4 of the above expand the footprint, if that matters anymore.
When it comes to eyeballs, of the proposed programs, it's Miami at the top again.
This is sort of why I see the Canes as the obvious target. Recruiting, AAU, footprint, market size. They check every box.
FSU has 2.5 of those 4 (FL panhandle, south GA/AL are pretty fertile, but not like Miami), not AAU, yes on footprint, no market size).
GT has everyone over Clemson besides football success. Does winning on the field trump EVERYTHING else? Remember, the B1G added RUTGERS.
FSU only makes sense if you can pair them with Miami as a Florida partner imo. It's a fairly large brand in football (which let's be honest, drives EVERYTHING in these discussions), they are an almost helmet in perhaps the fastest growing state in America.
I said MAYBE Clemson. The only thing they bring is a football program that really has only been elite for the last 5-7 years and they get you into South Carolina, a wildly growing state. I don't see them as a surefire thing like FSU/Miami, but they are still a far better option than Washington or Oregon, imo.
Not counting TX? Brother- South Florida is HANDS down the very top, most fertile recruiting grounds in the entire USA. It's not even close. At all. There is no area in the entire country with as much high level P5 and future NFL talent. As of 2020 (yeah I know it's changed) 41 players in the NFL came from Miami/Ft Laud (this doesn't even include Palm Beach county)- next closest was Houston metro with 21. As I said, it's not even fkn close. Which is why Miami makes a lot of sense for the B1G. Not to mention B1G schools have huge swaths of alumni & fan transplants already living in SoFL.
In a dream scenario, if I could pick 4, it'd be
Most wanted:
Stanford (perhaps best school in the entire US, plus gets B1G footprint into NorCal and ties into USC/UCLA)
UNC (great academics, in a rapidly growing state/region with fertile recruiting ground, plus bring blue blood status in the minor league sport of this expansion discussion)
Miami (great academic school, in a massive tv market & most fertile recruiting ground in US)
Take whoever says yes first:
FSU or ND - flip a coin, but part of me wants to just tell ND to fk off for refusing to join the B1G time and time again.