ESPN Pushing UConn to ACC Story Again

[uconNYC]

I think Notre Dame is just trying to slowly build this up for all of their boosters and alumni to accept.

Exactly. This is what FC Barcelona did with sponsorship. They used to never have a shirt sponsor. Then they put "UNICEF" on their shirts as an act of charity. Their fans slowly became used to having a brand name on their shirts. A few years later they signed a massive sponsorship deal with Qatar Foundation with very little opposition.

 

[Adios]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...l-acc-benefits-notre-dame-fighting-irish-move

...I'll go.

 

[uconNYC]

I think Notre Dame is just trying to slowly build this up for all of their boosters and alumni to accept.

Exactly. This is what FC Barcelona did with sponsorship. They used to never have a shirt sponsor. Then they put "UNICEF" on their shirts as an act of charity. Their fans slowly became used to having a brand name on their shirts. A few years later they signed a massive sponsorship deal with Qatar Foundation with very little opposition.

 

[justinslot]

It's true, Rutgers is our most exciting opponent.

While as a Rutgers fan, I'm flattered, but--I mean--if you can't get excited for Boise, do you even like football?

 

[jostar1]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...l-acc-benefits-notre-dame-fighting-irish-move

...I'll go.

"It's going to make [the ACC] even more competitive than it already is," UNC women's hoops coach Sylvia Hatchell said of the Irish entry. "It can do nothing but help us, because Notre Dame has been really, really good.

"The [ACC] coaches have been talking about this for a while, so I don't think any of us are surprised that Notre Dame is going to be added. But I do think there will be one more brought in [to get to 16]."

If so, will that be yet another current member of the Big East? Might it even be UConn? ESPN.com reported last year that UConn, behind the scenes, was pursuing a spot in the ACC. Obviously if that happened, the Irish and Huskies would stay league mates.

 

[justinslot]

People who knock the ACC: Thye have taken our best teams (by name or reputation) for 9 years now. Get your head out of your ass. We basically would be playing in a league of our old BE friends PLUS FSU, Clem, NC, Duke, VA, NCSt - these are household names, big State schools and some of the greatest BBall schools of all time. You're damn right I want into that league. The travel would be easy, the campuses are beautiful and they love their sports. You don't think Playing Duke in the Final of the ACC Tournement would have some juice!?!?!? It would be by far the best BBall in the country, BY FAR. And football would be a lot of fun playing BC, Pitt and the rest.

The ACC is light years ahead of us right now and we would go at the drop of a hat.

Yeah, I think it's this kind of attitude I'm objecting to. It's okay to have a preference, but "light years" makes you sound like an ESPN flack.

I can see getting more excited about playing some of the OBE schools, especially you guys and BC. What I don't get is pretending the NBE schools are all junk when there's comparable junk in the ACC. It's snotty elitist school junk as opposed to populist urban public school junk, but junk all the same.

 

[CL82]

is there anyone left in the screw the acc lets wait for a B1G invite? I've firmly joined the let's get the hell out of here camp

Yeah, I'm there too. I'm not happy about it, but I'm there.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

If that were to happen, it would have to happen in the next week or so. Then the school leaving might be able to get out of the $50MM exit fee (I have to think that a school can't be forced into that immediately after a vote of no). Once that is 'officially signed in ink', there is very little chance of any ACC schools leaving.

Agreed.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Why not? Unbalanced divisions in football only or in every other sport. Which is more challenging?

I don't know how all olympic sports schedules function but 15 doesn't necessitate divisions for basketball. The BE has taught us that. You do round robin and then have a few mirror opponents. Football, due to the small number of conference games, is different. An uneven number like 15 would be a nightmare in terms of scheduling.

 

[Marty Jackson]

It just doesn't make sense for them to go to 15 football playing members. There is no way we get in, unless they invite someone else and go to 16 for football or they lose a member or two. At this point our best hope for going to the ACC is that maybe FSU and Clemson or another football school don't like this ND deal and feel they would be better served elsewhere.

They didn't... Nd is playing football...

 

[Marty Jackson]

It's true, Rutgers is our most exciting opponent.

Boise... UofL... Cincy...

 

[TRest]

Boise... UofL... Cincy...

We're probably looking at Boise coming to the Rent once every 4 years, Cincy and UL are still "new" to me.

 

[upstater]

The only way this may make sense for the ACC to offer UConn now is:

1. To make sure UConn isn't forced into a GOR
2. ACC has assurances of a huge bump to come with the addition of ND
3. ESPN already knows that ND will eventually join in a few years and it's willing to "invest" in the ACC a ton of money (more than B12 and P10) to make the ACC good now.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Upstater, one other possibility:

One of the objectors (FSU?) bolts before the $50mm departure fee can be enforced and the ACC has to add another member.

 

[upstater]

Upstater, one other possibility:

One of the objectors (FSU?) bolts before the $50mm departure fee can be enforced and the ACC has to add another member.

Good point, they'll need 14 if not more in such a case.

 

[pj]

While as a Rutgers fan, I'm flattered, but--I mean--if you can't get excited for Boise, do you even like football?

Lots of NBE teams could become exciting -- I could see Houston and SMU being exciting games -- but they're a year away from being in the league, we won't play every year, and Boise is 3000 miles away so the fans will rarely see each other. The way college football goes up and down, there's no guarantee Boise will remain a top 25 team. Houston was ranked in recent years but this year they've lost to La Tech and Texas State. I expect to get excited about Boise when we play them, especially if it's a meaningful game. But that's a ways off. The Rutgers game will mean something this year.

 

[The Funster]

If the ACC offered I'd hold my nose but I'd run to accept the offer.

 

[CL82]

If the ACC offered I'd hold my nose but I'd run to accept the offer.

Yep. There's just not much left. Our traditional opponents are in the ACC. It's over.

Now if the offer doesn't come, give me a few days and I will rev myself back up about the conference. Until then #we'rescrewed.

 

[specialisthusky]

Yep. There's just not much left. Our traditional opponents are in the ACC. It's over.

Now if the offer doesn't come, give me a few days and I will rev myself back up about the conference. Until then #we'rescrewed.

#screwedharder

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The ACC is now essentially the league we joined in 2002 with a few more good teams and a few more marginal ones, all of whom are geographically closer than NNBE schools, better respected among the media and public, have a seat in the new playoff format, and it would also create the greatest basketball league in the history of the world to boot. Unless the B1G comes calling, which they won't, there's absolutely no reason why if an invite came that we should even think about turning it down.

 

[junglehusky]

Let's just keep batting our eyes at them to look as pretty as possible as we look up from our position on our knees.

In other words, #BegHarder!

 

[Adios]

In the ACC, we'd be 4th in total number of championships in sports other than football. In the B1G, we'd be 11th.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

We'd be tied for number one in championships in men's basketball, number one in women's basketball, and of course, last in hockey, but half of the B1G doesn't play hockey. To the B1G, those are really the only relevant championships. Problem is, we're not going to the B1G.

 

[CL82]

We'd be tied for number one in championships in men's basketball, number one in women's basketball, and of course, last in hockey, but half of the B1G doesn't play hockey. To the B1G, those are really the only relevant championships. Problem is, we're not going to the B1G.

Conspiracy Kitty says:
"Or are we?"

 

[RS9999X]

The real problem going forward: UConn isn't accretive to a conference by itself. How many conferences require 2 teams to re-open?

BYU, UConn, Rutgers, and Louisville are still outside looking in. USF and Houston could move into this pack. Or Southern Miss. Or East Carolina. Or UCF. Or UTSA.

 

[kbdiggity]

Upstater, one other possibility:

One of the objectors (FSU?) bolts before the $50mm departure fee can be enforced and the ACC has to add another member.

The exit fee is already enacted. 3 times the operating costs, or around $50 million at the moment. There is no escaping it at this point.

 

[kbdiggity]

I don't think the ACC makes another move for a while. I think they can afford to wait and watch the landscape of college athletics. Wait to see how UConn basketball responds to the coaching change. Wait to see how the Big 12 reacts to having FSU, Clemson, and ND off the table for potential new members. Wait to see if any changes force Notre Dame to look harder at full time membership.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The exit fee is already enacted. 3 times the operating costs, or around $50 million at the moment. There is no escaping it at this point.

From what I understand FSU voted no to this (along with three other schools).

As a precedent, in the summer of 2003, after the BE lost Miami & Va Tech, the conference voted immediately to increase exit fees. All voted yes with the exception of BC who abstained (not even as committed as a no vote). When BC left, they went to court over the increased exit fee the BE was attempting to impose and won.

Tell me, if FSU jumps in the very near future, how will their situation be different?

 

[pj]

From what I understand FSU voted no to this (along with three other schools).

As a precedent, in the summer of 2003, after the BE lost Miami & Va Tech, the conference voted immediately to increase exit fees. All voted yes with the exception of BC who abstained (not even as committed as a no vote). When BC left, they went to court over the increased exit fee the BE was attempting to impose and won.

Tell me, if FSU jumps in the very near future, how will their situation be different?

It all depends on what rights BC had signed away in its Big East contract and Florida State signed away in its ACC contract. If the contracts are the same then FSU's situation would be the same.

I'm with you, it seems doubtful that 8 schools can unilaterally raise exit fees to infinity and compel other schools to remain members against their will in perpetuity. That bears a close resemblance to slavery. I doubt it would be enforceable. There must be some standards of "reasonableness" as far as alterations to exit/termination provisions.

 

[kbdiggity]

From what I have read the no votes came from FSU and Maryland... and no one else.

I don't know enough about the specifics of the BC court case. But the impression I have been given is that FSU would have a very hard time fighting this in court, and is highly unlikely to do so.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. The sheer number of people in Big 12 country who are now reporting that the poaching of FSU and Clemson is practically dead is definitely a big turn around from the last few months.