Andrea Adelson Leaving ESPN?

[2Infinity]

My post was really about the "endless" comparisons about the BE and ACC that this board seems to be obsessed with. Nothing personal about you (although clearly you took it that way given the personal attack back).

I know, I know...it is a message board so if we weren't talking about stupid things that don't matter nobody would be saying anything at all, etc. etc...

But "fairly" means different things to different people. And given the football pedigree of the teams that are IN the conference, NOT leaving, excluding the ones that have not YET joined, we are the 6th best conference. There, I said it. I hope I'm wrong. When the other teams show up (unlike TCU that didn't - meaning they aren't here until they actually ARE here) we can have a different argument.

(and if we ARE the 5th best conference, why is everyone here clamoring for entry to the ACC? - why do we want to join a worse conference?)

(And no, I do not work for ESPN - but nice try)

Fair response ...though it was your "...stars" comment that seemed to make your post somewhat attack-like. However, I do appreciate your explanation Money.

The points you've just made do have merit, as to today's league. Have to prove ourselves again this year, just as in past years. It always seems the ACC has higher early season rankings. Typically the BE catches up as it proves itself and the ACC teams fall in the rankings. In the end, it pretty much evens out, though the BE still has had the higher end-of-season rankings in general. This season we'll just have to wait to see if it happens again, though having no WVA may hurt us this year.

As for next year, we'll just have to wait and see if everyone does indeed show up. If the TV contract is good, with a contractual pledge to say being a part of it, I can't imagine the new teams not coming on board.

As to why go to the ACC? I personally believe it's all about stability, though I don't think the ACC is going to be that in the future. Depending on the new contract and it's terms (i.e. - agreeing to stay in the conference for X period of time), the NBE may well offer stability that we haven't seen before. The ACC may on the other hand become the poacher's league-du-jour. The new additions could easily build themselves up in that scenario, just as teams have done after prior league expansions. I won't be concerned about our teams ability to do that, as long as we have closed the exit door. It will truly hinge on the new television contract. With the large TV markets that the NBE will be in, combined with a little time to grow, the conferences programs could really be elevated.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Good point Seoul! So if we look at things that way...with high final rankings being the most important element to a league's reputation, then the results may surprise you. Looking at the last 6 seasons, just as before, what was the highest ranking achieved by an ACC team in the final AP poll? It was in the final poll for the 2007-08 season, as Virginia Tech finished 9th. No top five finishes at all. How about top 10? Well in the same season, BCU finished tied for 10th and in 2009-10, VT finished 10th. That was it!

As for the BE, the best final ranking was 6th, twice! Once in 2006-07 with Louisville and again in 2007-08 with WVA. Two additional teams finished with top ten rankings. In 2006-07 WVA finished ranked 10th and in 2009-10, Cincinnati finished 8th.

If you broaden the scope to include top 15 finishes, then you would add VT in 2008-09 at #15 and Georgia Tech in 2009-10 at #13. For the BE you would add Rutgers in 2006-07 at #12 and Pittsburgh in 2009-10 at #15.

So if looking at this measure, the BE not only equals the ACC, but actually surpasses them! Two #6 finishes and one #8 certainly trump one #9 finish.

I agree, no rational metric supports an ACC superiority argument. As for national perception of the BE though, how many of those top 10/top 15 finishers dropped in the final rankings? To my rapidly declining memory, every time a BE team has had a chance to punctuate a season with an exclamation point, they've fallen flat.

 

[businesslawyer]

I agree, no rational metric supports an ACC superiority argument. As for national perception of the BE though, how many of those top 10/top 15 finishers dropped in the final rankings? To my rapidly declining memory, every time a BE team has had a chance to punctuate a season with an exclamation point, they've fallen flat.

Your last sentence is bizarre for defending an ACC versus Big East comparison. Since the ACC took Miami and VPI, they have once, once, punctuated their season by having their champion win their BCS game. The Big EAst had it happen 4 times (in only 8 tries). Again, you're reaching for an objective explanation that does not exist.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Last year a mediocre team who didn't deserve to be in the Sugar Bowl lost to another mediocre team who didn't deserve to be there either. And the other BCS bowl game was a debacle of epic proportions for their champion.

By the way, Clemson destroyed VT in last year's ACCCG.