Syracuse Basketball: Merge ACC with this powerhouse, Jay Bilas opines

With the news that Oklahoma and Texas have requested to become members of the Southeastern Conference, the Internet is blowing up as to possible conference realignment scenarios moving forward, and this could certainly affect Syracuse basketball and its peers in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

One possibility that we’ve discussed is joining together the ACC and the Big Ten Conference. I’ve listened to some commentators discuss perhaps the Big Ten and the Pac-12 Conference forming an alliance.

Oklahoma and Texas bolting the Big 12 Conference leaves that league vulnerable, and maybe the American Athletic Conference will look to swoop in and gobble up the remaining Big 12 squads.

But one option that I find fascinating is a suggestion coming from ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who I believe is the premier analyst in college basketball.

According to an article from 247Sports national writer Austin Nivison along with many other media reports, Bilas has floated the concept of the ACC and the SEC merging into one super league. Fun.

Syracuse basketball would have some tantalizing battles if the ACC and SEC joined forces.

Since I primarily write about hoops, this column is centered on how an ACC-SEC merger would impact the Orange basketball program. Just to put it out there, if this scenario did transpire, the ‘Cuse football team would face even greater challenges than it already does just playing ACC foes.

But in looking at possible SEC opponents for Syracuse basketball, there are some intriguing ones. Naturally, there is Kentucky, a blue-blood group that beat the Orange in the 1996 NCAA Tournament title game.

Alabama is on the up and up, and its head coach is former Buffalo boss Nate Oats. Another SEC team trending in a positive direction is Arkansas, which made the Elite Eight this past spring.

Auburn made the Final Four in 2019, and those Tigers along with LSU have been strong in recent years. Florida has captured two national championships since 2006.

South Carolina went to the Final Four in 2017 and suited up against the ‘Cuse a few years ago. Tennessee, another orange-centric unit, has gone toe to toe with Syracuse basketball over elite recruits of late.

And Texas A&M is led by head coach Buzz Williams, who previously held the same position with former Big East nemesis Marquette as well as the ACC’s Virginia Tech.

Of course, if the SEC and the ACC merged together, it’s certainly a possibility that some current members of either league, or both, could end up moving on to a different conference. Who knows at this point.

Long-time college basketball writer Andy Katz recently sent out a tweet, in which he mentioned the Big Ten and the potential for making a play for ACC heavyweights North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. Now wouldn’t that be something?