ACC votes to add Stanford, Cal, SMU: Conference presidents approve expansion to 18 schools

[billybud]

Going to disagree somewhat. Playing in the WAC,CUSA, AAC etc just doesn't move the needle in a major metro like DFW no matter how much money your alumni base has. They at least have a legitimate shot at getting recruits that are now ending up at TCU,Baylor,Ok St,TTU.

There are signs of fan excitement...

...DALLAS (SMU) – In just seven days, SMU has raised $100 million to support the Mustangs' transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference, University officials announced today.

...The move to the new conference is also creating additional impact. Mustang fans have responded enthusiastically to the planned move, with men's basketball season ticket sales jumping 30% in the last week and hundreds of new football season tickets being sold as well.

 

[ramses 2.0]

There are signs of fan excitement...

...DALLAS (SMU) – In just seven days, SMU has raised $100 million to support the Mustangs' transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference, University officials announced today.

...The move to the new conference is also creating additional impact. Mustang fans have responded enthusiastically to the planned move, with men's basketball season ticket sales jumping 30% in the last week and hundreds of new football season tickets being sold as well.

There was a time when SMU ruled Dallas & that was before the Pony Express days. Now it's not realistic to think they can return to those days but they are located in the heart of Dallas & can grow their fanbase in DFW if the product is good. They won't fail because of a unwillingness to give their revenue sports the best chance to succeed

 

[Ldandy]

Sometimes I forget just how much Texas tea there is down there.

SMU Raises ‘Unprecedented’ $100M In Seven Days - SMU Athletics

DALLAS (SMU) – In just seven days, SMU has raised $100 million to support the Mustangs' transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference, University officials announced

smumustangs.com

I find it strange that they don't sell out their piddly 32,000 seat stadium but can raise 100M in a little over a week to support that same team. It's like saying we care enough about the program to finance it entirely out of our pockets, but not enough to actually go to the games.

 

[Vowelguy]

I find it strange that they don't sell out their piddly 32,000 seat stadium but can raise 100M in a little over a week to support that same team. It's like saying we care enough about the program to finance it entirely out of our pockets, but not enough to actually go to the games.

You dont get 100M by getting 1 million in $100 donations. 90% of that is probably from 100 big donors.

And there's probably a little bit of financial sleight of hand -- eg, money already committed but hadnt been announced, etc.

 

[JeepCSC]

Yeah, this was just about 12-15 of the big donors. Yahoo sports did an article about them about a month ago. Lots of money getting pumped into athletics and academics down there.

 

[auggie22]

You would need to believe they will chose SMU over all the Texas teams in the SEC and B12 + LSU, Oklahoma in order to play most of their games on the east coast. They owned DFW when they had 8 games in Texas. Conference affiliation and NIL has taken their pre death penalty advantage away. They still have the coeds though.

 

[JeepCSC]

Sonny Dykes had SMU in the top 50 in recruiting one year before he left. There are over 300 3-stars any given year in Texas, and SMU was already paying $40,000 to every player while in the AAC. SMU will have the resources, it’s now just a matter of finding and keeping coaches. I imagine their salary budget is going up big time.

 

[ramses 2.0]

You would need to believe they will chose SMU over all the Texas teams in the SEC and B12 + LSU, Oklahoma in order to play most of their games on the east coast. They owned DFW when they had 8 games in Texas. Conference affiliation and NIL has taken their pre death penalty advantage away. They still have the coeds though.

They won't win alot of SEC recruiting battles at least not against the top half of the league but only TCU & OSU from the B12 are in a better position with TX recruits the rest have major issues & Baylor may be heading back to average

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Sonny Dykes had SMU in the top 50 in recruiting one year before he left. There are over 300 3-stars any given year in Texas, and SMU was already paying $40,000 to every player while in the AAC. SMU will have the resources, it’s now just a matter of finding and keeping coaches. I imagine their salary budget is going up big time.

A big city team with an alumni base that is wealthy and willing to support the football program. Watch out for SMU in the future. The rural schools are going to have a hard time competing for top players in an NIL and Transfer Portal world. The urban and suburban universities have a massive advantage in paying players. There are more people, more rich people, and more corporations in big cities.

If UConn is not able to turn into an NIL powerhouse, there is no one to blame but UConn. We are a wealthy, urban/suburban mid-sized state with a large and vibrant business community. Connecticut will never have an NFL or NBA team to compete with UConn. We have a lot going for us to be competitive in NIL.

 

[billybud]

Have to watch and see just what UConn can do with the transfer portal to right the ship.

The 2024 recruiting class (ranked #95 by 247, #94 by Rivals) looks like it could do with augmentation.

How the Huskies compete in the portal to meet needs will be a big factor.

 

[Ldandy]

You dont get 100M by getting 1 million in $100 donations. 90% of that is probably from 100 big donors.

And there's probably a little bit of financial sleight of hand -- eg, money already committed but hadnt been announced, etc.

I get the part on the billionaire boosters making 7 & 8 figure donations, but they need to engage the rank and file to actually support the program as well. They're located in a MASSIVE metro area that is completely football obsessed, however they put less people in the stands than schools like Penn State, UM, or Bama have waiting in beer lines on any given Saturday. If they really want to take things to another level, they need to throw some of that cash at Coach Prime as soon as his kids graduate from CU. He has the clout to bring all eyes on the program. He would be an absolute juggernaut recruiting Dallas at a Texas University.

 

[Vowelguy]

There is <0% chance Deion goes to SMU.

His next stop is most likely NFL or SEC. Slight possibility of FSU or BiG.

 

[ramses 2.0]

I get the part on the billionaire boosters making 7 & 8 figure donations, but they need to engage the rank and file to actually support the program as well. They're located in a MASSIVE metro area that is completely football obsessed, however they put less people in the stands than schools like Penn State, UM, or Bama have waiting in beer lines on any given Saturday. If they really want to take things to another level, they need to throw some of that cash at Coach Prime as soon as his kids graduate from CU. He has the clout to bring all eyes on the program. He would be an absolute juggernaut recruiting Dallas at a Texas University.

Don't see Deion at SMU but there will be big name coaches who they could go after. Urban Meyer might be interested, assuming he wants to coach again. We also have to look at them for what they are & that's a small school that got relegated from playing the Yankees(UT),Red Sox(OU) to now playing the Hickory Crawdads (Charlotte )

 

[Ldandy]

Don't see Deion at SMU but there will be big name coaches who they could go after. Urban Meyer might be interested, assuming he wants to coach again. We also have to look at them for what they are & that's a small school that got relegated from playing the Yankees(UT),Red Sox(OU) to now playing the Hickory Crawdads (Charlotte )

How serious are they? FFS Michigan State was willing to give Mel "HD" Tucker 95 million. That should be feasible for those gas and oil yahoos. Former Dallas Cowboy Legend Deion Sanders recruiting Dallas would be dangerous. I don't think he would dismiss it out of hand now that SMU is in a P5 Conference. He would compete for the playoff in The ACC in short order IMO. The way that he would recruit HS, and the money boosters could spend on transfers would be eye opening.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Don't see Deion at SMU but there will be big name coaches who they could go after. Urban Meyer might be interested, assuming he wants to coach again. We also have to look at them for what they are & that's a small school that got relegated from playing the Yankees(UT),Red Sox(OU) to now playing the Hickory Crawdads (Charlotte )

SMU ‘s small by modern standards stadium is going to limit them .

 

[ramses 2.0]

How serious are they? FFS Michigan State was willing to give Mel "HD" Tucker 95 million. That should be feasible for those gas and oil yahoos. Former Dallas Cowboy Legend Deion Sanders recruiting Dallas would be dangerous. I don't think he would dismiss it out of hand now that SMU is in a P5 Conference. He would compete for the playoff in The ACC in short order IMO. The way that he would recruit HS, and the money boosters could spend on transfers would be eye opening.

I think their serious but no need to make a change right now. Lashlee is well respected among coaches in their prime recruiting areas & has experience coaching in the ACC &SEC. He could be the next Malzahn,Briles type coach, so they will give him a couple years at least

 

[ramses 2.0]

SMU ‘s small by modern standards stadium is going to limit them .

I don't think it will, TCU & Baylor do ok with similar sized stadiums & they won't depend on gate revenue

 

[billybud]

Some similarities between UConn and SMU...

.....football attendance is similar..in the 20,000s
.....SMU is subsidized by boosters, UConn by State and university
.....both have access to a major city with the value of that yet undetermined

 

[billybud]

Regal Nole...a listened to insider who works in a media company...posted this when asked if he had picked up anything lately..

Just some more confirmation that several ACC schools do believe FSU is leaving the conference very soon and the new additions of SMU, Cal and Stanford were simply backfill to keep the ACC around after that happens. Syracuse in particular wants UConn added next when FSU leaves.

 

[Tfoyle]

Just remember SMU could out pay Texas A&M back in the day for players. Boosters know with NIL, they can just buy teams every year and become the biggest show in town. SMU can be as good or as popular as TCU or Baylor, and those teams have years where they compete for BCS/Playoffs. UConn is not the same as any school in Texas. Its different down there.

 

[buddy]

Regal Nole...a listened to insider who works in a media company...posted this when asked if he had picked up anything lately..

Just some more confirmation that several ACC schools do believe FSU is leaving the conference very soon and the new additions of SMU, Cal and Stanford were simply backfill to keep the ACC around after that happens. Syracuse in particular wants UConn added next when FSU leaves.

I don't think there is any chance that UConn will be invited to the ACC or any P4 Conference any longer. The rejection by the Big 12 after much hype and the absolute failure of the "revolution" in football has seemed to put the kibosh on any hope of such. UConn has returned to being a laughing stock in college football per ESPN. To think "Cuse would support UConn to the ACC is absolute madness. It is more likely that USF will be next up for promotion.

 

[Hoophound]

Syracuse may be wising up to the fact that they need UConn in the ACC (we need them too). The regional rivalry was good for both schools. They need to save their basketball program from irrelevance and we need to save our football program from extinction. Cooperation between the two schools has always made sense. Maybe, someday fairly soon, we can get back to the days of Cuse and BC being relevant sports schools and UConn playing real football.

The Big East is all the proof you need that traditional and regional rivalries matter. How else could Seton Hall or Providence be reasonably successful and well attended in this day and age? Its the conference.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There is <0% chance Deion goes to SMU.

His next stop is most likely NFL or SEC. Slight possibility of FSU or BiG.

Why would Deion go to Mississippi State or Missouri over Colorado?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Syracuse may be wising up to the fact that they need UConn in the ACC (we need them too). The regional rivalry was good for both schools. They need to save their basketball program from irrelevance and we need to save our football program from extinction. Cooperation between the two schools has always made sense. Maybe, someday fairly soon, we can get back to the days of Cuse and BC being relevant sports schools and UConn playing real football.

The Big East is all the proof you need that traditional and regional rivalries matter. How else could Seton Hall or Providence be reasonably successful and well attended in this day and age? Its the conference.

Agree with you somewhat on Providence and Seton Hall. Syracuse, on the other hand, has made its bed. It is all in on the destruction of UConn's athletic program, at least for now, so we have to hope that their athletic program, and the school if we are lucky, goes into a steep and permanent decline.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I don't think there is any chance that UConn will be invited to the ACC or any P4 Conference any longer. The rejection by the Big 12 after much hype and the absolute failure of the "revolution" in football has seemed to put the kibosh on any hope of such. UConn has returned to being a laughing stock in college football per ESPN. To think "Cuse would support UConn to the ACC is absolute madness. It is more likely that USF will be next up for promotion.

I am not so sure though I respect your cogent argument. The ACC channel needs viewers and UConn could provide them in metro NYC and southern New England. We would also give the ACC a needed boost in basketball. The B12 may still decide to invite UConn, too. I wonder if USF may try to get into the Big 10 given its location and recent AAU membership.