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Message: [QUOTE="huskymedic, post: 5316865, member: 549"] Good as place as any… [URL='https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F6523829%2F2025%2F07%2F30%2Fmandels-mailbag-big-ten-college-football-playoff-takes-2025%2F']Mandel’s Mailbag: Big Ten’s Playoff power grab and bold calls for 2025 season[/URL] [B]If the writing is on the wall for the ACC losing its premier teams (Clemson, Florida State, UNC), should they be aggressive now by shoring up reserves? For example, if Memphis is paying now to join a league, why not poach them? Why not see about teams like Texas Tech, Arizona and Arizona State from the Big 12? — Craig B.[/B] I still question where these schools think they’re going to go. The Big Ten is already finding out that bigger is not better. That’s a big reason Petitti is pushing so hard for CFP expansion. He has more schools that expect to be regular Playoff participants than is mathematically possible at 12 teams. And for the SEC, going to a 16-team CFP may be more appealing than going beyond 16 teams. Especially when two of those schools, Florida State and Clemson, are in states where the SEC already has a footprint. (Throw Miami in there as well.) Now, it’s a different story if we’re talking about a breakaway Super League scenario. Interestingly, the ACC’s lawsuit settlement with Florida State and Clemson includes a specific provision that allows six or more schools to leave in a specific sport and pay a lower exit fee (50 percent, or $75 million, whichever is higher). But if that day comes where the top 24-32 programs band together, all the conferences, including the Big Ten and SEC, will be fighting for scraps. Finally, I don’t know why any Big 12 schools would leave for the ACC. They have a nice, drama-free setup where they are now. [I]If the ACC decides to mirror the Big Ten and go to 18 teams, UConn may be at the top of the list, in particular because the ACC still cares about basketball.[/I] Maybe Tulane if it can sustain its recent football success. As for Memphis, that school has struggled to attract suitors largely because it doesn’t have a great academic reputation (No. 266 in US News). That the Big 12 did not bite despite: A. Memphis offering to give the other schools free money. B. Granting the Big 12 an out to ditch Memphis before the next TV contract does not bode well for landing an ACC invite. [I]A friendly reminder that I personally have no opinion about any school’s academics, and question why this should have any factor in deciding which stadiums your football team should or should not visit.[/I] [/QUOTE]

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