Conference Realignment: Who Might the SEC Target for Expansion?

The conference realignment rumor mill has slowed down a bit recently, but several conferences could still expand in the foreseeable future, including the SEC.

The SEC will be at 13 teams in 2012 when it officially admits Texas A&M -- a number that commissioner Mike Slive says the conference is content with -- but don't be surprised to see the SEC try to expand to 14 or more members.

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari told ESPN on Tuesday that he'd like for the SEC to add Maryland, Missouri, and Virginia Tech to bring the SEC to 16 teams and increase its television market reach.

Close to a month ago, IBTimes took a look at some of the teams the SEC might target, but a lot has changed since then. The SEC officially added Texas A&M, the Big 12 missile crisis temporarily ended when Pac-12 stopped its expansion efforts, and the ACC swiped Pittsburgh and Syracuse from the Big 12.

Taking into account all of the new developments, here are some teams that the SEC might target for membership.

Maryland Terrapins

Conference affiliation: Atlantic Coast Conference

Best known former football players: Boomer Esiason, Shawne Merriman, and Vernon Davis

Best known former basketball players: Len Elmore, Len Bias, and Juan Dixon

Why Maryland is a good fit: The biggest incentive Maryland offers is the Washington D.C. and Baltimore television markets. Both are Top 30 television markets, with D.C. checking in at No. 7, which means more new television markets, and subsequently, more money in future television negotiations. The football program is decent, though not a national name, and Maryland is known for solid academics. In addition to the television markets, Maryland's strongest incentive is its basketball program -- the school won a national championship in 2002.

Why it wouldn't work: Maryland doesn't have quite the name cachet that some of the others on the list do. It doesn't have a national following, like North Carolina, and has struggled selling out its 54,000 capacity football stadium -- it has even recently relied on selling tickets through Groupon. The school is below the Mason-Dixon line, but isn't a natural fit with the culture of the SEC. Maryland has also been rumored to be a Big 10 target, which would make a bit more sense.

Likelihood: Decent, but the increase in the conference's buyout to $20 million could keep Maryland in the ACC. Plus it still seems the only way the school would leave Duke and North Carolina would be for the Big 10, but anything's possible.

Missouri Tigers

Conference affiliation: Big 12 Conference

Best known former football players: Kellen Winslow, Brad Smith, and Jeremy Maclin

Best known former basketball players: Kenyon Dooling, Kareem Rush, and Anthony Peeler

Why Missouri is a good fit: Missouri allows for the SEC to tap into the lucrative St. Louis and Kansas City television markets, which would equal extra money in future television rights negotiations. Missouri has emerged as a strong football program under Coach Gary Pinkel and is known for having a strong fan base. Missouri would add to the SEC's growing geographic footprint -- a major strategic goal for the conference. It's been speculated that Missouri might already have an SEC invite and has avoided committing fully to an overhauled Big 12 under new commissioner Chuck Neinas.

Why it wouldn't work: The school isn't located in the Southeast -- it's actually in the Midwest - which would add to travel costs and potentially take away from some of the allure of the SEC. Conference expansion is largely driven by finances, but one would imagine that the conference would prefer a southern school, especially if it adds to the bottom line. The SEC wants to add to its geographic footprint, but will do so in the right spots.

Likelihood: High. There's mutual interest between the SEC and Missouri and it could only be a matter of time before the Tigers leave the Big 12. The SEC has denied offering Missouri an invite, but Missouri-based reporters seem steadfast that an offer is on the table. The longer Missouri resists giving away its TV rights should it leave the conference, the higher the probability.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Conference affiliation: Atlantic Coast Conference

Best known former football players: Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, and Hakeem Nicks

Best known former basketball players: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Vince Carter

Why North Carolina is a good fit: North Carolina is strong academically, considered to be an elite basketball program, and is always seen as a potential sleeper in football. The SEC could pair North Carolina with Kentucky and Florida to boast one of the best upper echelons of any college basketball conference.

Why it wouldn't work: Part of the concern could be with the football team's shady reputation and likely downturn coming in the next few years. The football program suffered suspensions, negative media portrayal, and eventually the loss of its coach Butch Davis from illicit agent payments to players. The SEC has had its own issues with that, notably Auburn with Cam Newton, so the conference may try to steer clear of the toxic nature of the program.

Likelihood: Doubtful. North Carolina is an original member of the ACC and won't bail without Duke and North Carolina State. If it got to the point of implosion, North Carolina would make a move, but the recent additions of Pittsburgh and Syracuse add stability to the league.

Oklahoma Sooners

Conference affiliation: Big 12 Conference

Best known former football players: Billy Sims, Brian Bosworth, Adrian Peterson,

Best known former basketball players: Wayman Tisdale, Stacey King, Blake Griffin,

Why Oklahoma is a good fit: Oklahoma has a powerhouse football program, fits in academically with the rest of the SEC, and boasts an extremely rabid fan base that would travel to road games - despite long distances. The Sooners don't offer the television markets of a Missouri or a Maryland, but they do own the bulk of the fandom in the state. A census of college sports fandom, called the CommonCensus Sports Map Project, put Oklahoma at 1.2 million fans - good for third in the Big 12 and fourth in the current SEC.

Why it wouldn't work: For whatever reason, Oklahoma has very little interest in joining the SEC. Throughout the excitement of conference realignment Oklahoma was only interested in either joining the Pac-12 or staying in the Big 12. The Big 12 appears to be on steadier ground now that the Pac-12 has halted its expansion efforts, though the uneasiness around Missouri could still lead to the implosion of the Big 12. The SEC would certainly be interested in adding Oklahoma, but right now the interest doesn't seem to be reciprocated.

Likelihood: Doubtful. Oklahoma seems committed to the Big 12 - for now - but could potentially bail if Missouri ends up leaving.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Conference affiliation: Atlantic Coast Conference

Best known former football players: Bruce Smith, Michael Vick, and DeAngelo Hall

Best known former basketball players: Dell Curry, Bimbo Coles, and Deron Washington

Why Virginia Tech is a good fit: Since joining the ACC in 2004, Virginia Tech has been the top dog of the conference. The school has a strong coach in Frank Beamer, rabid fan base in Blacksburg, and also can tap into the lucrative Washington, D.C. television market. It'd be the most northern school in the SEC, but still southern enough to fit in with the rabid football culture of the SEC. In a lot of ways, Virginia Tech is considered to be the best overall fit for the SEC.

Why it wouldn't work: One potential issue is its connection with the state's other big public school, Virginia. Would the state let little brother, Virginia Tech, move on to the SEC and leave Virginia in a weakened ACC? Economics could show that the state would benefit if Virginia Tech left, which could make the move more likely, but anytime politics gets involved with sports it has the potential to get ugly.

Likelihood: High. Virginia Tech is probably No. 1 or No. 2 on the SEC's wish list and is one of the more likely schools to leave the ACC. Its bind to Virginia could keep it from moving, but the tie isn't quite as strong as Texas to Texas Tech or Oklahoma to Oklahoma State.

Other Possible Options:

Clemson -- School would be a great fit, but would South Carolina allow the SEC to add another school from that state?

Duke -- Blue Devils add absolutely nothing in terms of football value, which is what this expansion is all about, but would make quite a good rival to Kentucky for basketball.

Florida State -- Same issue as Clemson. Florida State has all the makings of an SEC school, but early reports show that Florida is adamant about the Seminoles not getting an invite into the conference.

Louisville -- Similar issue as Clemson and Florida State, as Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnett didn't rule out a Louisville veto in a recent radio interview. Louisville also is considered less desirable than Virginia Tech or Missouri.

North Carolina State -- Similar scenario as North Carolina and Duke, though a bit less attractive than UNC. It could be a backup option for the SEC, but likely doesn't add the new markets or economic growth potential to make it worth it for the SEC to offer a membership invite.

Notre Dame -- Not going to happen, period. SEC would love to have Notre Dame, but it's insistent on keeping an independent football status until the very end. Should it ever have to join a conference fulltime, it'd likely be the ACC or the Big 10.

Texas -- Another school that the SEC would love to have, but seems highly unlikely. Texas can go to any conference it wants, but it's intent on keeping the Longhorn Network going and staying in the Big 12.