SEC tempting, but Hokies wise to stay put

Because the chaos created by college football expansion and realignment can only lead to more anarchy, it may be just a matter of time before conference corporate raiders show up on Virginia Tech's doorstep.

Think it can't happen? Think again.

Reportedly, Tech is a twinkle in the eyes of Southeastern Conference officials. For them, and others, Tech fits the profile of an SEC program.

What's more, the inclusion of the Hokies would create a new, big market - Northern Virginia and Washington/Baltimore - to enhance the SEC's influence. Tech as a member of a mega-SEC would represent the South's deepest incursion into alien territory since Robert E. Lee showed up at Gettysburg.

For now, nobody is saying anything that would suggest Tech is considering a leap. A blogger or two emerged from the SEC spring meetings with accounts of interest in the Hokies. But the SEC, knowing that it is dealing from strength, is keeping its powder dry.

America's premier college football conference isn't inclined to panic like the Big 12 did when the Big Ten caught Nebraska's attention. But it won't sit around while super-sized conferences threaten to reduce its status and TV clout. The SEC isn't going to accept second or third billing to a Pac-16 or a Big Ten with Nebraska, and perhaps Notre Dame, in the fold.

Before everything shakes out, there's a chance the SEC will try to gut the ACC. It wouldn't surprise anyone if it also pursues Florida State, Miami and Clemson the way the Pac-10 has gone after Colorado, Texas and other Big 12 schools. In the current unstable climate, anything is possible. Under certain circumstances, Tech might believe that it has no other choice but to join the exodus.

Farfetched? In college football, yesterday's farfetched is today's reality.

It was only about 15 minutes ago that Nebraska to the Big Ten seemed implausible. And who could have imagined that the decision of a single program would lead to the Big 12 unraveling like a cheap suit?

Envisioning Tech leaving the ACC is not the reach it would have been before the repositioning of schools and conferences started resembling corporate takeovers.

You can see why the Hokies would be flattered by SEC advances, especially if the ACC's future appears problematic. But Tech would be wise to stay put. It would be making a mistake leaving the ACC.

Frank Beamer is in a place where his teams can continue to prosper. Sure, Tech could make more money in the SEC. There's also a certain prestige that comes from belonging to the elite conference. Boosters would puff out their chests over that.

But what about the downside? With so many ambitious, high-powered programs in the SEC, Tech could get lost in the shuffle.

As good at Tech has been, it benefits from the ACC's soft underbelly. There are a lot fewer patsies in the SEC, a conference that has produced the past four national champions. If sustaining a dynasty is what Tech desires, the ACC is the place to do it.

Leaving the ACC, Tech would be risking what makes it special. Everything the school and its fans believe sets them apart - a rabid following, a packed stadium, a proud winning tradition - would look a lot less impressive held up against the SEC template.

Never mind, too, that 16-team leagues are not the answer. Boosters are being sold a bill of goods. Far-flung leagues create logistical nightmares for fans, while more money won't do anything for the faithful. And while coaches might get richer, it will come at the price of being under even greater pressure.

Maybe it's inevitable that the ACC loses schools. If that happens, the conference will adapt, perhaps by adopting orphans from a Big East slated for extinction.

Nobody said this couldn't get ugly, but in one form or another, the ACC will go on. Virginia Tech should remain a part of it.

Bare-knuckle brawls over new revenue streams for power conferences are breaking the nose of tradition and creating desperation among schools fearful of being trampled in the gold rush.

But if Tech is smart, it won't get caught up in the chaos.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com