Report: The SEC intends to stay at 16 teams, doesn’t see ‘need’ to expand

While college football’s realignment cycle will continue to generate speculation and rumors, the SEC reportedly isn’t interested in expanding beyond its set of 16 members.

According to Saturday Down South’s Matt Hayes, the SEC doesn’t see the “need” to e

xpand any further.

“We’re positioned at 16 (teams) for a robust future,” an SEC athletic director told Hayes. “The need just isn’t there.”

That should be stabilizing news for the ACC as a whole. Despite the conference’s ironclad grant of rights deal, there’s been widespread speculation that the SEC could pursue programs like Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia or others.

But if the SEC — and Big Ten — are staying at 16 teams for the foreseeable f

uture, then it’s unlikely the ACC will undergo any serious changes. The ACC’s grant of rights doesn’t expire until 2036.

For those programs that could potentially receive an SEC invite down the line — it appears nothing is imminent.

Per Hayes’ report, even a hypothetical Notre Dame move to the Big Ten wouldn’t change things.

“I’ll put our product vs. anyone’s product,” the source told Hayes. “So we’re going to just add schools to add schools? There’s no value in that.”