Blaudschun thinks Delaney has eyes on New England

[upstater]

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.

He's rattling cages. Simple as that. UNC, Virginia, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech are on notice.

 

[2Infinity]

I think that's about as valid as saying UConn couldn't get into the ACC, which will be hopefully overturned soon. ACC could have pulled the trigger on UConn but politics went for Pitt instead (thanks Flipper). Likewise they could have brought in both Rutgers and UConn but made the play for Notre Dame instead - on paper better reward, esp. for the long play of getting ND to go full member in 5-10 years. But bigger risk of having it blow up the league.

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.

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.

 

[The Funster]

Well it's sort of like the NYC argument - RU alone doesn't do it, but RU + BigTen alums in NYC helps... and UConn might help some more. In Boston, BC doesn't own the market but BC + UConn + some BigTen alums... ? Actually what they need here is Notre Dame.

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.

 

[2Infinity]

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.

The most attractive quality BC would offer the B1G is not Boston, where hardly anyone watches them. The biggest benefit is that they could be viewed as an enticement to pulling in ND to the B1G. Otherwise, their profile does not fit the B1G in virtually any way.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I have to say, given BC's abysmal market showing as a member of the ACC, if Delany thinks getting BC would give the B1G the Boston market he's either dumb or extremely arrogant.

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.

 

[CL82]

I'm no fan of PP or GDL, but we would not have been any better off last year with RE as head coach. Would we have had a different QB last year? Yes if coached by FUCRE we are likely a 7 win team.

How about this year? Yes FUCRE is a conservative coach whose teams aren't all that fun to watch, but he was undisputedly successful here.

 

[freescooter]

The most attractive quality BC would offer the B1G is not Boston, where hardly anyone watches them. The biggest reason is that they could be viewed as an enticement to pulling in ND to the B1G. Otherwise, their profile does not fit the B1G in virtually any way.

I agree. Not even close. Notre Dame without the tradition, history or even the shiny helmets...ND would have to want them almost desperately and the Big would have to want ND the same way for that to happen.

 

[CL82]

Tom Luicci‏@TomLuicci
More than two dozen billboards are up in the NJ/NY area with the block R and the B1G logo. They went up at 2 today.

Not the most classy program, are they?

 

[businesslawyer]

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!

Well, he certainly wouldn't be weakening the ACC by taking BC. I'm not sure he hurt it by taking Maryland.

 

[CTMike]

It's not a question of BC's intrinsic value- there is none. It's a matter of how much benefit ($$$) is there to exposing the Big 10's big gun schools to New England. Growing a Big 10 fan base. Adding subscribers.

 

[specialisthusky]

Not the most classy program, are they?

Smart move to capitalize on the excitement likely surrounding their move. RU has , if nothing else, been a very successful marketer.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's not a question of BC's intrinsic value- there is none. It's a matter of how much benefit ($$$) is there to exposing the Big 10's big gun schools to New England. Growing a Big 10 fan base. Adding subscribers.

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.

 

[2Infinity]

Well, he certainly wouldn't be weakening the ACC by taking BC. I'm not sure he hurt it by taking Maryland.

Taking MD, or BC, would not be weakening the ACC because of a lost powerhouse program, but rather because the league felt they were invincible before. They have now been shown clearly, that is not the case! Swofford felt that he had dug deep moats around his fortress, but the B1G flew in with it's 'Schiano chopper" and plucked MD out while Swofford was guarding the front gate!

 

[CL82]

Smart move to capitalize on the excitement likely surrounding their move. RU has , if nothing else, been a very successful marketer.

Capitize how? They aren't going anywhere for year. Better to put them up in 2014, no?

 

[businesslawyer]

Taking MD, or BC, would not be weakening the ACC because of a lost powerhouse program, but rather because the league felt they were invincible before. They have now been shown clearly, that is not the case! Swofford felt that he had dug deep moats around his fortress, but the B1G flew in with it's 'Schiano chopper" and plucked MD out while Swofford was guarding the front gate!

Oh please. "The league" does not mean a bunch of bloggers and message board posters. The ACC is exactly as vulnerable or invulnerable as the Presidents and ADs and office in Charlotte knew it was or it wasn't three weeks ago.

If they thought no one was every going to leave it no matter what, they wouldn't have recently changed the exit fee.

 

[2Infinity]

Oh please. "The league" does not mean a bunch of bloggers and message board posters. The ACC is exactly as vulnerable or invulnerable as the Presidents and ADs and office in Charlotte knew it was or it wasn't three weeks ago.

If they thought no one was every going to leave it no matter what, they wouldn't have recently changed the exit fee.

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!

 

[specialisthusky]

Capitize how? They aren't going anywhere for year. Better to put them up in 2014, no?

I would think this is step 1 of a multistep marketing campaign that brings them up to the time they join...they still have a 55k stadium they can sell out in the meantime while they wear fancy uniforms and host blackouts. It also likely bolsters some instate recruiting

 

[Rumrunner]

I still think the only area that the Big 10 has left to go after (since they committed going east) that fits the Big 10 model of domination of the market is the northeast. Going south into VA and NC opens it up to competition from the SEC and acc (or big 12 even).

In New England there is no competition. It also makes inroads into NYC. Delaney isn't dumb and won't try to capture the ny market. He just wants his fill. He also knows of the SNY contract that UConn has. If the BTN was forced carried b/c of Yes network, having UConn's olympic sports is 50x more valuable than having Rutgers.

Also, maybe I'm naive, but the whole CPtv SNY women's bb contract imbroligio couldn't have escaped his notice. Connecticut wants to watch UConn in everything. As does a small part of NY.

 

[upstater]

I still think the only area that the Big 10 has left to go after (since they committed going east) that fits the Big 10 model of domination of the market is the northeast. Going south into VA and NC opens it up to competition from the SEC and acc (or big 12 even).

In New England there is no competition. It also makes inroads into NYC. Delaney isn't dumb and won't try to capture the ny market. He just wants his fill. He also knows of the SNY contract that UConn has. If the BTN was forced carried b/c of Yes network, having UConn's olympic sports is 50x more valuable than having Rutgers.

Also, maybe I'm naive, but the whole CPtv SNY women's bb contract imbroligio couldn't have escaped his notice. Connecticut wants to watch UConn in everything. As does a small part of NY.

Everyone talks about the B10 going after TVs. Very few people talk about the B10 going after talent. The B10 needs to win national championships in football to drive those TV eyeballs.

Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina. These states are important to the B10.

 

[CTM626]

Oh please. "The league" does not mean a bunch of bloggers and message board posters. The ACC is exactly as vulnerable or invulnerable as the Presidents and ADs and office in Charlotte knew it was or it wasn't three weeks ago.

If they thought no one was every going to leave it no matter what, they wouldn't have recently changed the exit fee.

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...

 

[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).