SEC expansion vs Big 12 expansion: Which conference has benefited the most from conference realignment?

The SEC and the Big 12 have both made significant expansion moves in the last couple of years. The two programs have been active in adding new members to stay competitive in the college athletics landscape.

Without a doubt, that has been beneficial to both leagues. It has ensured stability in the two leagues while also expanding the coverage of their respective brand. We take a look at the conference that has benefitted the most from the expansion.

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Which conference has benefitted the most from expansion?

Expansion has come with a lot of benefits for both the SEC and the Big 12. However, the Big 12 seems to have reaped more benefits than the SEC in the last phase of conference realignment.

Adding more teams has enabled both conferences to widen their market with a presence in more states across the country. It has also allowed them to efficiently keep up with the intensely competitive college athletics landscape.

In the last couple of years, the SEC has added Texas and Oklahoma to its fold, both from the Big 12. That has subsequently triggered the Big 12 to embark on radical expansion. Since the Longhorns and Sooners announced their exit, the conference has added a total of eight schools.

The Big 12 added four teams from the Group of Five ahead of Texas and Oklahoma's exit. The league brought in Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU in a bid to cushion the effect the loss of the two biggest programs was expected to bring upon the conference.

Last summer, the Big 12 went further to add the ‘Four Corner Schools' following the implosion of the Pac-12. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah agreed to join in 2024. That further offered the conference the strength needed to stay competitive in the realm.

Overall, expansion ensured the survival of the Big 12. It went from a conference threatened by an impending collapse following the exit of Texas and Oklahoma to one with a stable future in the college athletics landscape.

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SEC and Big 12 open to further expansion

The SEC and the Big 12 are open to further expansion if the opportunity presents itself in the near future. The two conferences are committed to staying competitive within the landscape.

Florida State and Clemson, who are working to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference, are linked to the SEC. Other reports suggest that the conference might also be interested in Virginia and North Carolina.

Meanwhile, the Big 12 has reportedly held discussions with a host of ACC teams amid the ongoing turmoil in the conference. There are also reports the league could add the two remaining Pac-12 schools, Oregon State and Washington State.