Hearsay does not equal facts.

Jul 24, 2024, 1:33 PM

No one from the B1G has officially said they don't want Clemson or FSU. Nor do I expect them to make any official statements until FSU or Clemson are officially available, meaning the lawsuits have been settled. Even Greg Sankey did not say the SEC did not want Clemson, or for that matter FSU in the SEC.

His exact quote was, "We're focused on our 16." I'm not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis," Sankey said. "That attracts interest."

That is the equivalent of asking a head coach if he has interest in an opening. He will say, No, I'm focused on my team and recruiting and getting better." The next day he announces he's leaving.

If the lawsuits went away tomorrow and both CU and FSU were available, I am guessing there would be three conferences, the B1G, the SEC and the Big12 all showing legitimate interest and having offers. You might even hear Sankey say something like this.

"We're always focused on maintaining our presence as the premier football conference in the nation. The addition of FSU and Clemson adds to our stature as the premier football conference while building on our brand's recent gains in basketball and baseball. Clemson and FSU have naturally existing rivalries with SEC members. Those will continue to hold strong regional interest and with their brand recognition draws interest across the nation."

And nobody would say, "But Greg last week you said..."

All that to say, smart people and smart organizations hold their cards close to their vests. They drop the right platitudes at the right time in public. Behind the scenes they never stop working to build their brands. I suspect Clemson, FSU, B1G, SEC, adn Big12 are all doing those things right now.

Message was edited by: revmarkg®