After the SEC expanded to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, it sparked numerous rumors around other schools across the country wanting in.
A good portion of these schools are current members of the ACC. The proximity of many of these schools make it a natural fit on paper to join the SEC, one of the final somewhat regionalized conferences.
One of the teams that pops up constantly in expansion discussions in North Carolina. According to InsideCarolina, the Tar Heels are eyeing a spot inside the SEC ‘in the near future.’
Yahoo Sports noted the exit fee to leave the ACC drops to $75 million in the 2030-31 school year, which may be easier for North Carolina to stomach if it did make the move. However, it remains to be seen if the SEC would accept the Tar Heels in the first place.
More From RTI: What Rick Barnes Said About Tennessee Basketball Signing Ethan Burg
Currently, North Carolina football is coached by legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick. He is entering his first season with the school with expectations on what this year could look like all over the board. All time, Tennessee is 20-11-1 against the Tar Heels on the gridiron. The most recent meeting, and the only since 1961, was in 2010, where UNC won in a controversial 30-27 double-overtime game in the Music City Bowl.
On the hardwood, North Carolina’s men’s basketball team is 11-2 against the Vols. The teams met in Chapel Hill in 2023, and despite Dalton Knecht’s best efforts, UNC pulled off a 100-92 win. The Lady Vols are 16-3 against North Carolina’s women’s basketball team. UT is on a four-game win streak dating back to 2007.
In baseball, Tennessee is 3-5 against North Carolina. The Vols went to Chapel Hill for the regional stage in 2019, Tony Vitello’s first-ever postseason with UT. UNC won the deciding matchup to advance. However, in 2024, Tennessee defeated the Tar Heels 6-1 in the College World Series on the way to the national championship.
