I Wouldn't Be Surprised To Get An Acc Invite In The Next Week

[UConnSportsGuy]

We all know why the Big East was raided and what the intended consequences were. The BE was supposed to lose its BCS AQ status, be relegated to a minor TV contract, and die on the vine. It would eliminate competition for the other BCS conferences and ESPN.

The problem is that somehow the Big East has found a way to survive yet again. However, not only is the Big East surviving...but I would argue that they have strengthened for the future. While we may have lost some 'prestige' schools, we have added some huge TV markets and have added some teams with huge potential if given an opportunity and resources. This is starting to backfire huge for those that set out to kill the BE.

If this BE expansion goes through, not only will it arguably actually improve the BE in football...it will also firmly establish them as a BCS conference going forward. Once some of these teams establish themselves, combined with the service academies...there is no way they are going to lose the BCS AQ. Instead of minimizing competition, this raid will significantly increase the number of mouths to feed with the BCS and provide increased competition for many established programs.

The timeline has been set now...the BE will expand in a week. Part of me feels like those that intended to kill the BE are going to go for the kill shot while they still can. If they allow BE expansion to go forward, I don't think they will be able to kill off the BE in the future. I would not be surprised to see the ACC invite UConn and Rutgers and the B12 invite Louisville and Cincinnati. While I have not seen any increased activity or reports of this...I just have a feeling that this is spinning out of control for the interested parties and they are going to have to take the kill shot before it is too late!

 

[buckley503]

I hope so.

Where's Fox Mulder or the Cigarrette Smoking Man when you need them because the truth is out there.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I agree that the Big East will live on if the expansion happens without a hitch but I would be very surprised if UConn gets an invite to another conference anytime soon. I think the ACC is staying at 14, maybe they'd offer UConn to see what ND would do but that's the only reason they would do it and there is no guarantee it would end the way they want.

 

[SAMCRO]

Hope you're correct, but IMO, if we get an invite it will be closer to the timing when the BE begins negotiating it's new TV deal. ACC will hold out hope for ND as long as they possibly can. They still have time to wait before deciding to invite us (or not invite us).

 

[businesslawyer]

We all know why the Big East was raided and what the intended consequences were. The BE was supposed to lose its BCS AQ status, be relegated to a minor TV contract, and die on the vine. It would eliminate competition for the other BCS conferences and ESPN.

The timeline has been set now...the BE will expand in a week. Part of me feels like those that intended to kill the BE are going to go for the kill shot while they still can. If they allow BE expansion to go forward, I don't think they will be able to kill off the BE in the future. I would not be surprised to see the ACC invite UConn and Rutgers and the B12 invite Louisville and Cincinnati. While I have not seen any increased activity or reports of this...I just have a feeling that this is spinning out of control for the interested parties and they are going to have to take the kill shot before it is too late!

The key point in this is that, if the ultimate goal is 4 times 16 leaving the NCAA and keeping 100% of the money and power to themselves, which is the ultimate goal, letting the Big East go through with this increases the number of AQ schools by 7 from where we are today. That will make contracting to 64 that much harder in 6 years. Add that to the need to defend litigation ....

I am beyond knowing what will happen, or even guessing what will happen, but I think there is a real possibility of the XII and ACC expanding again momentarily. Which will have made one of Waylon's threads correct -- that the best way to leave the Big East was to work to make sure it would survive.

 

[CTEagle]

i love the logic: The NNBE is stronger and better than ever, with vastly improved TV markets and virtual permanent BCS status so...lets leave next week!

 

[noeynox]

Its a good theory. The only thing is for those, who say espn is toeing the line in facing litigation for purposefully trying to destroy the big east, an invite now if espn gives the ACC more $, it would basically prove without a doubt that is their purpose.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

i love the logic: The NNBE is stronger and better than ever, with vastly improved TV markets and virtual permanent BCS status so...lets leave next week!

I agree with you about one thing. If the New Big East can be made viable I have no desire to go to the ACC and logic dictates that UConn's interests would be best served by staying put.

 

[flyonthewall]

So if the ACC invitation came guess UConn and other BE schools would turn it down in favor of staying in the new BE.

Wanna buy a bridge??

 

[businesslawyer]

No. UConn would and should take it. The ACC is not a better football conference than the reconstituted Big East, but it will have more geographic cohesion, much better hoops, more prestige and more stability.

 

[tduconn]

The argument and speculation of what the new BE could be uses the same qualifiers argued about UConn going into the FB season. "If this", "if that", "potential", "once something is established"....and we all know how that turned out.

Yes some of those teams are in large markets, but do you really think a BE football game is going to draw viewship in Texas away from games featuring B12 and/or SEC competition. REALLY !!!????

None of the remaining teams in the current BE FB conference, or the expanded BE conference will cause sports fans in Texas to storm the sports bars. Heck, I was in Texas not to long ago and the sports fans could care less about a BE basketball game.

Again its on field performance against major OOC teams. BE does not have a good history in that respect.

I hope it survives, but if and when it reestablishes itself, it may dissolve.

 

[gioff23]

While I think it unlikely - the advantage would be that it would effectively destroy the BE and end the 27 month waiting period for all schools. If UConn were to get such an invite, the new 6 would have to say, never mind. Not because they were joining to hitch their wagon to the UConn star, but they would see the end as inevitable, with the B12 then moving in on UL or UC or both. Why would they pay an exit fee to rejoin a hybrid MW/CUSA conference?

 

[uconnbaseball]

Again, I feel it's very possible UConn gets invited by next April du to the 27 month rule. The ACC and Big 12 can team up to destroy the BE whenever they feel like it. As others have noted, Swofford will wait on ND as long as they possibly can.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Its a good theory. The only thing is for those, who say espn is toeing the line in facing litigation for purposefully trying to destroy the big east, an invite now if espn gives the ACC more $, it would basically prove without a doubt that is their purpose.

But if everyone has a soft landing spot, who is going to sue for damages? Rutgers and UConn have the ACC and Louisville and Cincinnati would have the B12. USF would be the only one left out. Is the state of Florida going to sue on behalf of USF when they are representing schools from the ACC (and SEC)? Not likely!

 

[Hoophound]

I would think the ACC wants to kill the Big East. I have said we might get an invite by Christmas, now I am more confident that we will. The ACC should not wait on this because if they expand AFTER the Big East expansion is complete they risk the BE surviving. If they take UConn along with UL or Rutgers in the next few days, they will scuttle the BE's expansion plans and the Big East football conference will be dead.

I am torn on how I feel about that. I really don't want to be in the ACC at all. The only thing that interests me is the stability of it. If we could be guaranteed stability and very similar money in the NBE, I would prefer to stay. Don't ask me why I am resistant to the ACC, because I can't put my finger on it. I just have a feeling we may not like being in the ACC for political reasons and because BC seems to have disappeared since joining. Just think the northern teams may be fish out of water.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The key point in this is that, if the ultimate goal is 4 times 16 leaving the NCAA and keeping 100% of the money and power to themselves, which is the ultimate goal, letting the Big East go through with this increases the number of AQ schools by 7 from where we are today. That will make contracting to 64 that much harder in 6 years. Add that to the need to defend litigation .....

A key point and one that isn't getting enough traction. Once a team gets its foot in the BCS door it's hard to kick them out. It's easier to justify excluding someone in the first place than it is to boot them out once they are in.

I'm still convinced there needs to be a number above 70 teams in the BCS to keep congress and any anti-trust, trade, commerce committees out of this.

 

[CTGoonie]

"

and because BC seems to have disappeared since joining."

That implies that they actually were relevant in the Big East. They used to be mediocre in the BE and now they are irrelevant.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am torn on how I feel about that. I really don't want to be in the ACC at all. The only thing that interests me is the stability of it. If we could be guaranteed stability and very similar money in the NBE, I would prefer to stay. Don't ask me why I am resistant to the ACC, because I can't put my finger on it. I just have a feeling we may not like being in the ACC for political reasons and because BC seems to have disappeared since joining. Just think the northern teams may be fish out of water.

BC is a fish out of water, but with 16 teams they (and we) won't be. The North division would essentially be the old Big East. UConn, RU, Cuse, Pitt, BC, VT plus MD and UVA. Add in some regular basketball games against Duke, UNC, GT etc. and I think it would be very exciting on the basketball side. Spectacular conference really. On the football side it would be far more interesting in the B1G or even Big XII. I would jump for joy for an invite to any of them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

A key point and one that isn't getting enough traction. Once a team gets its foot in the BCS door it's hard to kick them out. It's easier to justify excluding someone in the first place than it is to boot them out once they are in.

I'm still convinced there needs to be a number above 70 teams in the BCS to keep congress and any anti-trust, trade, commerce committees out of this.

I never bought the 4 conference 16 team idea. I think it will be five conferences of 16 teams, with the Big XII surviving.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Makes you wonder if five BCS conferences is how it will end up and the Big East will actually be one of the 5. Who would have thought the Big East could survive! This would lead to an 8 team playoff with the 5 league champions and 3 'wild cards'.

Here is a scenario:

Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma St to the Pac12
Kansas, Kansas St, Iowa St, Baylor, and TCU to the Big East
Notre Dame and Rutgers to the Big Ten
Florida St and Virginia Tech to the SEC
UConn and Louisville to the ACC

The Pac12 and SEC would be at 16 teams, the Big East, B1G, and ACC would be at 14 teams.

 

[MattMang23]

Hoophound, if your theory that northern teams are fish out of water in the ACC, there will be a lot of them. The new ACC is more Big East, at least in football, than the Big East is. Assuming it's Rutgers that goes in with UConn, that would be BCU, UConn, Rutgers, Pitt, Cuse, and Maryland above the Mason-Dixon. That is roughly 40% of the conference if my math serves me correctly. We'd be more fish out of water in a New New Big East where the closest team other than our brother-in-destiny, Rutgers, has become Navy. Not all 6 of us northern ACC schools would disappear.

BCU has done their Houdini act more because of terrible leadership than geography. BCU is on an island now but after other northern schools join the ACC, there will be no more island theory to hide behind and BCU will be exposed for terrible leadership more so than they already have been.

 

[uchusky32]

This new conference of bb schools, fb only schools, fb & bb schools sounds like the BE conference that's getting broken apart currently. We all hate the ACC for numerous reasons which I won't go into. But to say we are better off in a conference that won't last more than 5 years doesn't make sense. Unfortunately the writing was on the wall the first purging. I don't think any of us want to be the last team standing in the BE conference.

 

[BBNBE]

BC is a fish out of water, but with 16 teams they (and we) won't be. The North division would essentially be the old Big East. UConn, RU, Cuse, Pitt, BC, VT plus MD and UVA. Add in some regular basketball games against Duke, UNC, GT etc. and I think it would be very exciting on the basketball side. Spectacular conference really. On the football side it would be far more interesting in the B1G or even Big XII. I would jump for joy for an invite to any of them.

What makes you think the ACC will reconfigure the divisions? The Atlantic consist of; Clemson, NCST, Wake, BC, FSU and Maryland. The Coastal; VT, Miami, GT, Duke, UNC and UVa. If the ACC wanted to have a "north/south" than it would be been established from day 1.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What makes you think the ACC will reconfigure the divisions? The Atlantic consist of; Clemson, NCST, Wake, BC, FSU and Maryland. The Coastal; VT, Miami, GT, Duke, UNC and UVa. If the ACC wanted to have a "north/south" than it would be been established from day 1.

How do Syracuse and Pitt fit in this model? North south has already been discussed just based on Pitt-Cuse.

 

[Hoophound]

Hoophound, if your theory that northern teams are fish out of water in the ACC, there will be a lot of them. The new ACC is more Big East, at least in football, than the Big East is. Assuming it's Rutgers that goes in with UConn, that would be BCU, UConn, Rutgers, Pitt, Cuse, and Maryland above the Mason-Dixon. That is roughly 40% of the conference if my math serves me correctly. We'd be more fish out of water in a New New Big East where the closest team other than our brother-in-destiny, Rutgers, has become Navy. Not all 6 of us northern ACC schools would disappear.

BCU has done their Houdini act more because of terrible leadership than geography. BCU is on an island now but after other northern schools join the ACC, there will be no more island theory to hide behind and BCU will be exposed for terrible leadership more so than they already have been.

I totally understand your point. The thing is, we will be one of the flagship programs in the NBE and an old guard member. In the ACC, power resides in North Carolina. While we will be one of the many northern teams, I am not sure we will be as well served or respected as the traditional ACC powers.