So we were taking in Aaron’s first soccer game of the season this past Saturday morning when the pronouncements from guys with their noses in phones much nicer than mine started flying. “SEC expanding!” one said. Another cried “Texas A&M done deal, along with Missouri, Clemson, Florida State, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Tulane, Arkansas State, Louisville, Iowa, Boise State, Arizona State, Colgate, Furman, Samford, and Holy Cross!”

Ha! I kid.

Of course, everyone who cares knows by now that none of it’s happening—at least right now. It will eventually.

My conservative nature is on full display and high alert when it comes to these conversations. South Carolina and Arkansas have been in the conference 20 years, and I still think of them as “the new teams.” At least they (mostly) make sense geographically. Texas A&M and Missouri are stretching things, though I do appreciate that they’re at least contiguous.

Part of it is that I’m a bit of a traditionalist about some things. I enjoy that I watch essentially the same game my grandfather watched when he followed every chapter of Coach Bryant’s career, for example. But you know what the bigger part is, I think? I don’t care for being reminded so prominently of the business side of my favorite sport.

Another expansion will happen, and probably quite soon. Maybe when it does, it’ll elevate Arkansas and South Carolina to full SEC legitimacy in my mind.

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