It's called the Cupid Shuffle...

Okay, everyone's freakin' out over conference expansion, and I'm not about to sit the whole thing out.

Scenario - Big Ten (11) goes to 14 teams by grabbing Notre Dame and some Big East-ers. The Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, and SEC need to respond (I assume the Big East is done...). Here's how the Southern United States gets what it wants. Note - this is ALL about dominating the TV landscape (something the SEC loves to do, and the ACC needs more of).

First, the SEC and ACC need to each recognize that they are holding onto some states that have little market value and some that have more. They compete in some and not in others. Some states are "owned" by each conference. If they want to grow and move up they need to work together in a way.

The SEC should strike a deal with the ACC to give all “market-redundant” teams to that conference, allowing the ACC to add more historic Southern programs. Then, the ACC needs to oust all the small-stuff teams that never had business in the big market. No one with stadiums seating fewer than 40k should be admitted to this deal.

The deal is as follows - any flagship school being the "U of (insert state name here)" goes to the former SEC. Any other teams in that state that qualify go to the former ACC. In this way we create a dead-even TV market competition from DC down to Austin. Each state has its flagship University in a 14 team superconference, and all other big deal schools in each state are in a rival conference - IN THE SAME MARKET! Rivalry week just got HUGE! Here is the way I see that working so that nearly every state in the Southern US is accounted for by each conference.

Former SEC (new name)-
West: (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia);
East: (Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia)

Former ACC (new name)-
West: (OK State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Miss State, Louisville, Vandy, Auburn);
East: (GT, Clemson, NC State, VT, FSU, Miami, East Carolina)

The end result would be two 14-team BCS conferences controlling the biggest markets in the South and competing more evenly for money, fans, and hopefully championships.

HINT- This makes the most sense on a map.

Go Jackets!