How Can the ACC Maximize its Value? Expand, Start a Network, or Lure Texas with a “Notre Dame Deal”

[CoastAtlantic]

How Can the ACC Maximize its Value? Expand, Start a Network, or Lure Texas with a “Notre Dame Deal”

So what are the league’s options to maximize its value?

1. Expand – who do you get? The options are slim until 2024-25 when the Big 12’s GOR ends. All parties involved want to make it work, but if Oklahoma doesn’t get what they want, they’ll look elsewhere (ahem, Big Ten). After that, the Big 12 could be ripe for the picking. As a conference, they seem hell bent on not expanding – something OU really wants – so one can surmise that the league will be on shaky ground. Should the league grab Cincinnati or UConn in hopes of renegotiating a television deal by promoting the New England and Cincinnati markets?

Interesting that this comes from a Louisville site. If they're talking about it chances are there is quiet discussion behind the scenes.

 

[bobbyinaz]

Or it's fantasy being written by someone in Louisville because the realization is setting in that being in the ACC may not be the best place to be when the next earthquake hits.

I think both the SEC & B1G have their sights set on ACC schools not B12 schools for their next adds. A combination of UNC, UVA, Va Tech, NC ST & possibly Ga Tech & Duke could be targets. If that happens the B12 can add from whoever is left although FSU & Clemson would be at the top of that list.

That leaves Lville in the middle of a mess

 

[whaler11]

Well they can't start a network.. and Texas has the Longhorn network..... So unless ESPN is going to start paying $40 million a year for UConn and Cinci games they already own for $4 million....

Seriously come on.

 

[uchusky32]

What happen to all those tv sets Ville added?

 

[dwalks93]

The best quote of the article was "Swofford and ESPN have stalled long enough. We have heard for years that both parties are continuing talks, blah, blah, blah. How long do you have to discuss the same thing? Either it will work or it won’t. " .....Ummm, yeah the answer is it won't work

Obviously the reality that an ACCN is probably not coming hasn't set in with some ACC fans. If nothing else the recent BIG negotiations have shown the power a conference wields when it builds a network. Why would ESPN create an ACCN only to have to pay it more for the same content or have the ACCN attempt to move to Fox/CBS/NBC later?

At least Louisville understands where they stand which is program whose options are tied to the ACC/Big12. Personally I think Louisville will be an automatic add to the "best of the rest" conference but they are likely to take a step back from their equal P5 status in the ACC.

 

[bobbyinaz]

The best quote of the article was "Swofford and ESPN have stalled long enough. We have heard for years that both parties are continuing talks, blah, blah, blah. How long do you have to discuss the same thing? Either it will work or it won’t. " .....Ummm, yeah the answer is it won't work

Obviously the reality that an ACCN is probably not coming hasn't set in with some ACC fans. If nothing else the recent BIG negotiations have shown the power a conference wields when it builds a network. Why would ESPN create an ACCN only to have to pay it more for the same content or have the ACCN attempt to move to Fox/CBS/NBC later?

At least Louisville understands where they stand which is program whose options are tied to the ACC/Big12. Personally I think Louisville will be an automatic add to the "best of the rest" conference but they are likely to take a step back from their equal P5 status in the ACC.

I would agree as I'm fairly certain that UConn would be a part of this as well.

My concern is: Would the "best of the rest" be a P5 conference or will there only be a P4? It's easy for all us BY folks to say "a conference made up of mostly former Big East schools is worth $20-$25MM and we would be OK with that". In reality the networks (or whoever the distributors of games will be at that time) may decide to pony up whatever cash they are willing to spend & throw it at the P4 (SEC, B1G, PAC & B12 in this scenario) and leave scraps for the "best of the rest BE reincarnate" conference.

I'm sure there will be a ton of posts saying I'm crazy & there is no way a conference made up of UConn, Pitt, Cuse, BC, Cincy, et al won't generate at least $20-$25MM but as we've seen for the last 5 years or so nobody has demonstrated a willingness to step up and pay any of these schools. Could that change in 6-8 years? Sure, except that if nobody has wanted to pay for that product in the past or current what changes?

 

[dwalks93]

Just my opinion but I think the BIG, SEC and PAC will end up taking the teams they desire from the ACC and Big12...strong candidates include UNC, UVa, GT, VT, FSU, NC St, UT, OU, KU, OSU, and KSU and could include programs like Duke, Miami, TT, etc...

IMO Once the network conferences make their selections, the stronger of the BIG12/ACC ends up absorbing the other conference's most desirable remaining programs into a new "best of the rest" P4 conference. I think it is less likely both the ACC and Big12 survive after the networks conferences poach their prime programs. There is not enough replenishment G5 programs for both the Big12 and ACC if the BIG/SEC/PAC take more than a handful of teams.

The crazy question is whether all the remaining ACC/Big12 schools would be included in the merge? This is why if I was a Big12 school I'd be voting for expansion now. There is a huge benefit to being an existing conference absorbing an imploding conference. I think the ACC gets hit harder than the Big12 when the GORs expire and if the Big12 could keep more members it might be in a position to absorb the remaining attractive ACC programs. Which conference does the absorbing could literally be the difference between being P4 or G5 for programs like ISU, TCU, Wake Forest, or BC.

The other option is both the ACC and Big12 lose so many members they both implode and a new P4 conferences is formed from scratch. If I was the Big12 I'd want to make sure this situation did not happen which means expansion now.