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Clemson football: 3 reasons why it’s time to join the SEC

By Andrew Boardwine

Jul 22, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at The Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 22, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at The Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dabo Swinney, Clemson football
Dabo Swinney, Clemson football Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Money talks for Clemson football

You remember that bad ACC Network deal with ESPN that we referenced earlier? Well, here’s where it comes back to absolutely kill the ACC.

Unless the conference can get Notre Dame to join, there is no leverage to renegotiate. Even if Notre Dame were to enter the league on a full-time basis, we still wouldn’t be talking about the same amount of revenue that the SEC is going to generate from its television network deals.

Here’s what we’re talking about: The SEC Network had an average payout of $45.3 million per school in 2020. The ACC Network had an average of $32.3 million.

That’s already a gap of $12 million per year and that gap only figures to grow wider with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, two of the most power Athletic Departments in the country, to the SEC.

Even if the ACC added Notre Dame, Clemson would still be falling behind anywhere from $10 million to $20 million per year compared to its SEC competition, and that’s just from the network revenue.

The truth of the matter is that in this new landscape of College Football, money is what matters most. If Clemson misses out on $10 million per year, the Tigers would be $50 million behind the average SEC schools in five years. You can pretend that doesn’t matter, but it absolutely makes a difference on the recruiting trail and in the resources the Athletic Department has at its disposal.

Clemson football has done an excellent job making up for the financial gap so far, but you’ve got to believe that these powerful institutions- who are going to be making even more money than ever before- are going to have a major upper hand on the Tigers if they don’t join in.

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