Blaudschun thinks Delaney has eyes on New England

[nomar]

I think you missed the point. Rutgers, as we did, tried to get in to the ACC before, but could not..for whatever reason. They are now in the B1G! So yes, it IS possible that the B1G could take a school, even though the ACC did not before.

Yes, I know Rutgers got invited to the B1G after not getting an invite to the ACC. I don't see how relevant that is here, where UConn is on the verge of going to the ACC. Is Delany is going to invite UConn now? I don't see that happening. If he was going to go after UConn, it would have already happened, I think. Or is the theory that he's going to wait until the ACC goes down and then try to grab UConn? Plus, the BC side of it doesn't make sense either. In fact, all of it makes little sense to me. Like I said, it seems like a pipe dream.

 

[businesslawyer]

Bloggers and message boarders??? Who said anything about that? I'm talking about administrators and league coaches. Coach K for example was very caught off guard...and that was this week BL...not three weeks ago!

He posted "the league felt invincible before." My point is that "the league," as opposed to only bloggers and message boarders, knew exactly what its vulnerabilities were before Maryland was invited.

 

[jdb50]

Agreed. But why do so many people on this board feel as though the ACC is next to implode? If history serves as any sort of indicator, Swofford has always been proactive in all of his acquistions. This is the very first time (with as you mentioned the addition of raising the exit fee) where he is sitting in a defense mode. The ACC still has a strong hold on the eastern seaboard and still has 13 (and a half) members. I fully expect him to be handling "damage control" for the next couple of days/weeks but he will come back with a move that once again "wow's" us (whether we agree with the move or not). This could be getting ND to come aboard full time as a 14th member or something else which may or may not include UConn/Louisville. What I don't understand is why so many people feel the Big 12 is any sort of a position of power. Right now the SEC is at 14, the Big 10 is at 14, the ACC is at 13 (and a half), the PAC 12 is at 12 and the Big 12 is at 10 (and almost left for dead a year ago). We know that nothing is happening to the Big 10, the SEC, and the PAC-12 as far as being poached. This tells me the PAC-12 is getting awfully close to having to make the next move and I believe they're looking right back at their previously possibilities in the Big 12 to bring them to 14. Without Texas/Oklahoma the Big 12 is worthless and is the quickest means/least amount of barriers for all of the relevant conferences to get to 16 and become "super". It's just my opinion but I don't think the ACC loses anyone going forward. I do not have the slightest clue how tv contracts work or are re-negotiated but I would imagine as well that if ESPN sees any threat to their product that was of "high value" a year ago, they would also be willing to take another look at the undervalued contract with the ACC presidents which would also negate any future defactors. I don't know how or if any of this will benefit UConn but I don't understand why people think the ACC is the next conference to go...

Because Florida State, Clemson, and V-Tech, the conferences 3 most powerfull football programs could be parading around making themselves available. Swofford may need to nail down NDame to a more serious committment to keep the big 3. IF TX and OK leave the Big 12 they are dead. If the big 3 leave the ACC someone will be calling the crash cart at the least.

 

[businesslawyer]

Because Florida State, Clemson, and V-Tech, the conferences 3 most powerfull football programs could be parading around making themselves available. Swofford may need to nail down NDame to a more serious committment to keep the big 3. IF TX and OK leave the Big 12 they are dead. If the big 3 leave the ACC someone will be calling the crash cart at the least.

Actually, no. If the "big 3" leave the ACC, you still have a major conference that will be the #1 hoops league in the land, will have mostly excellent schools, will make sense geographically and will be the 5th best football conference. All that will change is that there will be a larger gap between the ACC and the other conferences in football than there is now. The gap would have to be closed with better on field performance, but you will be left with some programs that have the ability to perform at a higher level than they have been performing recently.

 

[gars44]

Yes. that's been said.

But helping the Big Ten, with it's self-owned cable model, does not mean you're hurting another conference that makes money by fans actually caring about how the local team does.

Evidently, not enough (money) tho. Evidently. If programs want to leave, e.g., GTech, then something's not right. And if the B1G whatever does enter ACC territory, it does hurt the ACC. The ACC would not be happy completely out of Atlanta, I don't think. Not that the ACC is all the popular in Atlanta right now . . .

 

[Rumrunner]

If FS leaves, Va Tech is gone to the SEC, along with NC State. Clemson with FSU. What about Ga tech? It's a mess.

A bedraggled Miami along with that canadian school Syracuse can play each other in the new Snowbird Conference.

 

[gars44]

Actually, no. If the "big 3" leave the ACC, you still have a major conference that will be the #1 hoops league in the land, will have mostly excellent schools, will make sense geographically and will be the 5th best football conference. All that will change is that there will be a larger gap between the ACC and the other conferences in football than there is now. The gap would have to be closed with better on field performance, but you will be left with some programs that have the ability to perform at a higher level than they have been performing recently.

And a better all around conference in terms of what this should be about. It should be about college kids playing a sport, not contract athletes going to class sometimes. The ACC would be a conference of student athletes, more in the mold of the Ivy League than the NFL. And right about now, I would prefer all of college to look a little bit more like the Ivy League than what it is becoming.

 

[2Infinity]

He posted "the league felt invincible before." My point is that "the league," as opposed to only bloggers and message boarders, knew exactly what its vulnerabilities were before Maryland was invited.

In the end, everyone is vulnerable BL. That doesn't mean that after many steps are taken to solidify a conference, as the ACC has taken, that they wouldn't feel strong and invincible, compared to others. After luring the best football programs from the BE, then establishing a championship game, and more recently luring ND into the fold (which they thought was a major coup at the time), then successfully having it's members agree to a $50 million exit fee , and finally signing a lucrative broadcast rights deal with espn, they felt it would be extremely unlikely, for them to become the next BE. Now their fragile side has been exposed, and they're trying to reinforce the walls, before the next blast hits. No matter how much you prepare for a future battle, it doesn't mean that you aren't surprised when it actually hits!

 

[Marty Jackson]

but the Big10 wants UNC who has systemically committed academic fraud for years on end? OK, thanks for the insight.

The perception of UConn would be 10x better if PP was not the coach. That's shortsighted becasue PP will not be the coach whenever UConn joins another conference.

if uconn had a ticket to the Big10 but was being waffled about because of our coach, the first thing Sue and Warde better do is go find a new coach... One with a name everyone has heard of, not just the CT HS coaches.

 

[gars44]

In the end, everyone is vulnerable BL. That doesn't mean that after many steps are taken to solidify a conference, as the ACC has taken, that they wouldn't feel strong and invincible, compared to others. After luring the best football programs from the BE, then establishing a championship game, and more recently luring ND into the fold (which they thought was a major coup at the time), then successfully having it's members agree to a $50 million exit fee , and finally signing a lucrative broadcast rights deal with espn, they felt it would be extremely unlikely, for them to become the next BE. Now their fragile side has been exposed, and they're trying to reinforce the walls, before the next blast hits. No matter how much you prepare for a future battle, it doesn't mean that you aren't surprised when it actually hits!

The ACC should figure out who it wants to be: it doesn't have the guns to compete with the SEC. It should be what it is: a good academic conference, basketball centric, with good football. Until they raise the scholly limits, there will be plenty of good athletes to go around. ACC programs have higher admissions requirements than SEC programs. Student athlete admission requirements bear some relationship to the overall standards: certainly not the exact same, but there is a relationship. There are kids that get into FL that could not get into North Carolina (up to a few years ago, and NC is quickly returning to pre-Butch standards).

 

[Rumrunner]

Maybe ND and UConn?

Notre Dame president: "We're really happy in the ACC. But I am concerned about continual instability of this conference situation."
@bradwolverton

Notre Dame is the arsenic of realignment.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Meh... he threw a few other ideas around. Not much different from message board speculation. I don't get the vibe that he has sources with insight into the B1G's plans, at least for this post. I don't doubt some people at BC are wondering if they could wrangle a B1G invite, but that's probably true for every university except Texas, Oklahoma, and the SEC & PAC12 schools.

Is BC even considered a research institution...

 

[RS9999X]

I think Delaney has ND's attention. It doesn't mean anything will come of it this time around.

What it does is give the SEC and BiG an opportunity to inbreed with a 14-game matchup and a primo secondary Bowl Spot . The PAC-12 backed down: the SEC is going to position themselves for a BiG Network deal. There's ridiculous synergy between those two conferences.

With 14 teams each they can provide all the content needed for their network Time slot over 14 weeks of College Ball. The only downside is the timezones and they can each schedule the PAC-12 teams they want or ND or B12.

I think they can bid their time. I don't see how they avoid 9 games with 14-teams and then add to that content by inbreeding with the SEC. That leaves 2 games -- one against a smaller regional in a non-reciprocating Home Visit and one against a ND or UConn or a Temple.



>> Could the SEC take the plunge with a nine-game schedule in 2012? The league says no. But South Carolina president Harris Pastides says yes.

Pastides told the Carolina student newspaper the Daily Gamecock that the SEC had agreed to play a nine-game conference schedule as soon as next season, with each team playing the full six-team divisional round robin (as mandated by NCAA bylaws) and three cross-divisional games.

Since that would require each SEC team to drop a nonconference opponent from their schedule, Pastides said a plan had been put into place for the conference to reimburse schools for the costs of buying out that nonconference game. That same plan was also indepently reported by the Sporting News' Matt Hayes.
>>


Fenway Group is rumored to be selling part of NESN/Red Sox. Add in the YES sale and BC UConn and you have the makings of a proposal that might actually get discussed and some numbers run. Fox would simply bury ESPN in NYC and NJ, New York and New England with that package YES, NESN and B1G for $6 a month per subscriber to the carriers.

 

[Marty Jackson]

If Delany was interested in BC, UConn, wouldn't that have already been done? He already took UMD & RU -- BC and especiallY UConn would have already signed away their souls to join the B1G if offered. This makes no sense to me. We can't get into the ACC but the B1G might want us? Pipe dream.

and two weeks ago, you could have said the same thing about Rutgers....

 

[businesslawyer]

if uconn had a ticket to the Big10 but was being waffled about because of our coach, the first thing Sue and Warde better do is go find a new coach... One with a name everyone has heard of, not just the CT HS coaches.

No need to be overly dramatic. I didn't like the P hiring, but to pretend that everyone in the football world didn't know who a guy who was a coordinator for the Cowboys, and prior to that the winningnest coach in Big East history, was is frankly dumb.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The ACC should figure out who it wants to be: it doesn't have the guns to compete with the SEC. It should be what it is: a good academic conference, basketball centric, with good football. Until they raise the scholly limits, there will be plenty of good athletes to go around. ACC programs have higher admissions requirements than SEC programs. Student athlete admission requirements bear some relationship to the overall standards: certainly not the exact same, but there is a relationship. There are kids that get into FL that could not get into North Carolina (up to a few years ago, and NC is quickly returning to pre-Butch standards).

sounds like the ACC knows what it wants to be... It's just that it doesn't pay as much and some of the schools are more interested in the money more than the scholastics...

 

[jdb50]

Actually, no. If the "big 3" leave the ACC, you still have a major conference that will be the #1 hoops league in the land, will have mostly excellent schools, will make sense geographically and will be the 5th best football conference. All that will change is that there will be a larger gap between the ACC and the other conferences in football than there is now. The gap would have to be closed with better on field performance, but you will be left with some programs that have the ability to perform at a higher level than they have been performing recently.

Keeping the defections to Maryland is key here or the evolution to 4 super conferences will occur and the ACC will be thrown into the pool of also rans that we are in now. They want to make closing the gap a non factor in their play to maximize their control of the money. Many good schools become collateral damage in the process. We all become just chum in the water. Gars44 summed it up pretty well.

 

[uconNYC]

Terrific piece by Wetzel with a nice jab at BC:

Remember when Boston College was decent in football and basketball, you know, before it had to go to the ACC or become irrelevant? At least they're still good in hockey, which the ACC doesn't sponsor.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf-...y-for-cash-with-expansion-move-192826899.html

 

[Marty Jackson]

Ummm...Rutgers wanted to get into the ACC before, but couldn't. Now they're in the B1G!

It's always possible that Delaney wanted to weaken the ACC first, before he went after BC, IF that's who he really wanted. But I don't think so either...they don't fit the B1G profile in so many ways. And for all they like to talk about their great academics....don't forget that they are NOT....an AAU member!

If Delaney wanted BC or Uconn, he could have them at any price... Delaney wants ND. Right now, the barrier is placed at 16. Does that increase at some point? Sure, but right now conventional logic suggests 16 as the upper limit for conference teams. Taking MD was a message to ND... There are now 2 spots left. ND can either side with the ACC and forever say goodbye to the Big10 (at least for a very long time), or decide that this is the last chance to get on the lifeboat.
This could be the final shift that pushes ND into a conference.

ND joining the ACC as a FB member would save that league instantly.

 

[mattp]

Bringing UConn and BC would make more sense but by doing that you are at 16 and have no room to entice ND. So the plan would be UConn and ND or BC and ND.

They'll always make room for ND, and that probably applies to every conference.

 

[Marty Jackson]

While this is true, do not underestimate the disdain with which metro Boston holds anything from the south. Boston market would be much more receptive to PSU, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin that any schools from the Carolinas, Georgia or Florida. The cultural mis-match was noted at the time and hasn't changed. That said, I don't see the B1G making this move. I already have the BTN on FioS in metro Boston.

I've lived in Boston... never noticed the 'disdain' for anything from the south.
What would be the reason?

 

[Point6]

Sorry if already posted - and I apologize to our future conference mates in the B1G if I am letting something out of the bag - but the NE play should be UConn and the Cuse now w/ an open invite to BC as #17 if ND is #18.

 

[businesslawyer]

I've lived in Boston... never noticed the 'disdain' for anything from the south.
What would be the reason?

Seriously? In Boston they view New York and Hartford as the south.

 

[freescooter]

Seriously? In Boston they view New York and Hartford as the south.

Actually, if you're from Boston, the South means Cape Cod...

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I've lived in Boston... never noticed the 'disdain' for anything from the south.
What would be the reason?

I hope you're being sarcastic, while there isn't overt hatred for the south, it is certainly not well-liked in Boston. If BC went B1G and joined B1G hockey, I'd cry. And frankly, so would BC hockey fans.