Non-Key Tweets

[Seaa Blue]

For a guy on the defensive, Swofford managed to block Delany, organize and get the wagon's circled.

Q: anymore than I can imagine a Catholic school joining hands with those "stem-cell researchers."

I think BC would take the bait.

 

[TruDomGopher]

I think BC would take the bait.

That's the one Catholic school where I think you might be right...

 

[Seaa Blue]

Swofford's ordering ESPN to cut in Raycom borders on criminal...considering little Chuckie needed that to survive at Raycom.

But..Swofford held the ACC together, and has done pretty well with his hand. He has played a hand that was not one of the better hands at the table and is still in the game.

With an insane market basket, this game is not just about being at the table.

Someone landed on "Maryland" when he wasn't looking and instead of paying rent, they bought it.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I think BC would take the bait.

If it meant blocking UConn from joining the B1G, BC would join in a heartbeat

 

[billybud]

if only BC would go....

Delaney...they would be a decent fit...they play hockey and make great small talk about snow.

 

[Kolumbo]

Dom, that's an entertaining but false analogy. CR isn't about finding one optimal partner it's about controlling the playing field. Think of the board game Risk rather than a school dance. Sometimes the strategy to world domination isn't to acquiring the biggest countries or continent. It is often preferable to take smaller but attractive targets to position yourself well for the future, and make your opponents current possessions more difficult to defend down the road. Connecticut does just that for the B1G. I'm sure Delaney is aware of it.

I think the "Risk" period is mostly over. Pac 12. B1G. SEC. Those three could stand pat and nothing will change for them. They don't have to outflank each other, they will all get paid. The ACC won't just fold because it's not like those members will just go to the other P conferences. How big can the other conferences get? 64 programs, give or take a few. Perhaps the Big 12 and/or ACC eventually shift but there will be those 64 programs and not a whole lot more. I really don't think it's like a conference needs to "defeat" another conference. The Big East was destroyed, and that's that. Plenty of money to be split among the current P5.

 

[btstimpy]

For a guy on the defensive, Swofford managed to block Delany, organize and get the wagon's circled.

Q: Am I the only guy in the room that thinks there are a lot of names bandied about as B1G targets that have never been realistic? I'm thinking specifically of some of the Southern schools (or schools that perceive themselves Southern) like UVa and UNC. I just can't imagine them joining "that Yankee conference" anymore than I can imagine a Catholic school joining hands with those "stem-cell researchers." Pretty much no matter how much money gets thrown at them.

"Yankee" doesn't have anything to do with it at UVA and probably UNC as well. At UVA we spent the first half of the last century playing the Eastern Schools that eventually formed the Ivy League on a regular basis in football and now do so in Lacrosse. The rolls are full of students from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We actually enjoy playing in the East. But there isn't much desire to go join a Midwestern League. Bolting on Maryland, Rutgers, and Penn State to an 11 school midwestern league won't give it an eastern feel. That is an illusion. And yes there is still a desire to maintain a southern connection. Pulling southern schools into the Big Ten would be even more awkward than pulling mid-atlantic ones in. It's much easier to pull the northern schools into the southern league. That's following the country's population migration rather than going against the grain.

 

[Fishy]

The ACC is a southern conference. The Big Ten is a midwestern conference.

But the Big Ten did a far better job of moving east than the ACC did of moving north.

 

[Kolumbo]

"Yankee" doesn't have anything to do with it at UVA and probably UNC as well. At UVA we spent the first half of the last century playing the Eastern Schools that eventually formed the Ivy League on a regular basis in football and now do so in Lacrosse. The rolls are full of students from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We actually enjoy playing in the East. But there isn't much desire to go join a Midwestern League. Bolting on Maryland, Rutgers, and Penn State to an 11 school midwestern league won't give it an eastern feel. That is an illusion. And yes there is still a desire to maintain a southern connection. Pulling southern schools into the Big Ten would be even more awkward than pulling mid-atlantic ones in. It's much easier to pull the northern schools into the southern league. That's following the country's population migration rather than going against the grain.

The Big East pulled schools from North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee into a Northeast conference. Pretty easily.
What do feel and illusion have to do with anything anyway? Geographical location means little in CR. It's all about markets.

 

[btstimpy]

The Big East pulled schools from North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee into a Northeast conference. Pretty easily.
What do feel and illusion have to do with anything anyway? Geographical location means little in CR. It's all about markets.

On paper perhaps you're right, but I run into West Virginia fans that complain about Geographical location every time I see them and talk about the Big XII.

The Big East did pull members from everywhere as did the Conference USA. Can it be forced? Sure. Does it have a sense of cohesion? I'm not so sure about that.

 

[jostar1]

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV · 7h7 hours ago
Fox and ESPN want the Big 12 to expand into the Eastern time zone if expansion occurs.

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire @theDudeofWV Yes. Fox wants to go East so bad...it's probably the #1 potential fly in the no expansion ointment. just last night heard...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV...from a contact...who you know...that discussed the possibility of FOX wanting eastern expansion in B1G negotiations in...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV ...the new Teir 1 TV contract happening for 2017. Contact says if there any Big Ten expansion before 2024..it will be led...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV ..by FOX. Now the perception of all my contacts say Big Ten Presidents will not interested in any expansion GOR foraseeable..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV ..for forseeable future. But FOX, who missed out on new NBA contract(got shutout) may agree to overpay for eastern product.

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV But getting back to your point on Big 12 expansion....what FOX desperately wants may lead the charge in the future ofBig 12

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@theDudeofWV FOX wants more East Coast product. Will play major factor in next round of realignment/expansion. In 2017-19 of in 2024

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen Big Ten will be entering into negotiations with ESPN/ABC-CBS-NBC-FOX in the next couple of months for their new Tier TVpackage

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen Big Ten TV contract ends at the end of the 2016 calendar year. Delany has plenty of leverage going into negotiations. Delany...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen ...has strong ratings...large and more diversed footprint...and BTN. What happens during these negotiations could have major..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen ..impact on expansion. The worst kept secret is FOX wanting desperately to crack more into the East products. The question

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen ....does FOX push for expansion and pay through the nose for Big Ten expansion in new negotiations?...or do they wait 6-9 yrs...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen ...and hope Big 12 ratings increase....hope big 12 increases TV value somehow and overpay for Big 12expansion years down road

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen FOX missed out on the NBA. ESPN & Turner flipped open the vaults to keep NBA. Will FOX open up their vaults for part of Big 10?

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen FOX wants to expand their sports content....where does it lead to? #1 question in all of expansion talk

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
@Epfourteen I don't believe anyone in the Big Ten expects a raid on P5 schools protected by a GOR for at least another 6-8 yrs.

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 6h 6 hours ago
@Epfourteen Candidates that the Big Ten Presidents would accept in 2017? .....Vanderbilt....Missouri....Maybe UCONN if CT makes promises.

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 6h 6 hours ago
@Epfourteen But would Missouri or Vandy have interest? I don't think so....not now. But nothing can be ruled out until these negotiations...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 6h 6 hours ago
@Epfourteen ..have been completed and signed. College sports value has risen...content is now even in more demand. Delany montizes markets

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 6h 6 hours ago
@Epfourteen But the main point, brought up by @theDudeofWV is FOX is not anywhere close to being happy with current portfolio.

 

[btstimpy]

The ACC is a southern conference. The Big Ten is a midwestern conference.

But the Big Ten did a far better job of moving east than the ACC did of moving north.

Penn State was a very fine addition that the Big Ten added in the East. I would love to have them in the ACC. The Big East made an error in not inviting them when it had the chance. The rest of what was added, they can have and keep. That's an interesting recent thread about one of them.

 

[Fishy]

Penn State was a very fine addition that the Big Ten added in the East. I would love to have them in the ACC. The Big East made an error in not inviting them when it had the chance. The rest of what was added, they can have and keep. That's an interesting recent thread about one of them.

I suspect they're happy with their additions.

Revenue was the name of the expansion game and they won it in a romp.

Strategic planning beats grasping at straws every day of the week.

 

[TruDomGopher]

Swofford made some shrewd moves? When exactly did that start?

When he picked parents not named Beebe...

 

[TruDomGopher]

I don't get all that twitter stuff. BTN for all practical purposes is Fox. Wouldn't it make more sense for Fox to push B1G expansion than push the Big 12 to add outliers in the eastern time zone?

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire
The biggest difference between myself and others such as @theDudeofWV when it comes to future expansion/realignment is how we look at past..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...expansion of the SEC & Big Ten. While many do not think the SEC or Big Ten has benefited from their new additions...and do not believe...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
..in the power of the SECN & BTN to mold the future of conferences and their eventual makeup....I have no doubts about the massive success..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...of the SEC additions of Texas A&M & Missouri/Big Ten additions of Rutgers & Maryland. And because of this success of grabbing bigger...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...market share and monetizing the new markets...I have no doubts success of expansion breeds more expansion. And there are no doubts to..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...those who I talk with. To be clear...if you sit with the perception that the SEC & Big Ten did not benefit so much...well...you think...

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...expansion will not happen in future. The most important thing is what perception does Texas/OU/UVA/VT/KU have in the last rd of expansion

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
If the Rutgers & UMD additions were not successful the Big Ten would wait a generation. But the additions were a smashing success. Why?

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
I'm going to let the answer play out itself when the public soon gets a look the the increase in REV when budgets of 2013/14 come out. And..

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
...when people see projections going into the next 3 years and the differences between conferences. It's going to be staggering. Watch.

Greg Flugaur @flugempire · 7h 7 hours ago
When a private or public institution or organization does an action which breeds prosperity for the Inst/Org..it does the same action again

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire The only real difference is I think the B1G will target the ACC again. Big 12 schools don't solve their problems.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire The B1G can add more $ to their kitty & have a footprint in the southeast for recruiting by way of the ACC.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire They can't get nearly as much $ or the recruiting presence they need by going after the Big 12.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire And lets not forget two important factors. B12 schools were paid $6 million each for signing the GoR & ACC schools paid nothing.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire And Fox is likely to be the primary partner for both the B1G and the Big 12. Fox doesn't want the Big 12 devalued.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV I agree with all that...where we disagree is how much Texas & Oklahoma are looking at the exit signs 10+ years down the road...

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire Heck, we don't even know their value 10 years from now....

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV I believe Oklahoma & Texas know the Big 12 business will not hold up. As many Big 12 fans scoff at today's SECN payouts.....

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV OU & UT know better....they now know the conference networks and the big markets of SEC/B1G have the ability to grow...

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire Word from the last meetings in Dallas is they expect a huge payday from Fox with new contract.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV Why? Big 12 does not carry value to the AD buyers as a whole...small footprint. I love the football...but it's ratings not good

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire Ratings not good on Fox. Fine on ESPN. WVU averaged a 2.6

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV Look at the OU/Texas game ratings...small footprint in the conference is slowly eating away at the value of historic game

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV Big 12 fans say it's because of bad time slots...and wrong channel. But how do you improve your leverage with FOX?....

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire Fox will grow.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV You can't improve Big 12 leverage by having the Boulder in the road(Bowlsby words) of the LHN(Disney) Big 12 has structural...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV ...issues that will not be overcome unless Oklahoma and Texas go all-in with the conference...much like Ohio St with Big Ten

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV I see no evidence of Oklahoma and Texax going all-in....I see the 2 being ok with a small footprint conf with pathway exit 2025

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4h4 hours ago
@theDudeofWV ESPN/ABC will continue to get big piece of Big Ten product in the new TV deal...another pressure point on FOX in pushing B1Gexp

ucf #noflyzone ‏@knightbengal 20m20 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV @flugempire fox has good network penetration but lacks content. Part of it is branding as well

 

[CoastAtlantic]

ndfan101 ‏@stoplot 3h3 hours ago
@flugempire In all this Big 10, Big 12 talk do you still see ND going full to the ACC? 'm watching tea leaves and notice no change..

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire 3h3 hours ago
@stoplot Been told not possible until 2017....Also been told ND and NBC have nothing to do with new ACCN. So it looks like my info was wrong

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire 3h3 hours ago
@stoplot ND and NBC having nothing to do with the ACCN, if true, goes against what I said earlier according to sources.Possible swing n miss

ndfan101 ‏@stoplot 3h3 hours ago
@flugempire I assume so... ND is a strange bird and pretty predictable when it comes to independence... Thanks

ME: How about UConn and Baylor with a similar ND-type deal offered to Texas?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Does anyone actually read through these diatribes anymore?

 

[CL82]

I think the "Risk" period is mostly over. Pac 12. B1G. SEC. Those three could stand pat and nothing will change for them. They don't have to outflank each other, they will all get paid. The ACC won't just fold because it's not like those members will just go to the other P conferences. How big can the other conferences get? 64 programs, give or take a few. Perhaps the Big 12 and/or ACC eventually shift but there will be those 64 programs and not a whole lot more. I really don't think it's like a conference needs to "defeat" another conference. The Big East was destroyed, and that's that. Plenty of money to be split among the current P5.

So all of a sudden, everyone is going to be willing to share resources equally? Doubtful.

 

[whaler11]

Does anyone actually read through these diatribes anymore?

Fluguar started talking about contacts... LOL.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Fluguar started talking about contacts... LOL.

It was only a matter of time before Flugar jumped the shark.

I'd argue that most the commissioners and league presidents haven't talked much expansion at all since the last go around.

The notion Delany is sitting there crunching B1G hockey numbers for affiliate members is laugh out loud funny.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Penn State was a very fine addition that the Big Ten added in the East. I would love to have them in the ACC. The Big East made an error in not inviting them when it had the chance. The rest of what was added, they can have and keep. That's an interesting recent thread about one of them.

Agree that not inviting Penn State was the biggest mistake that the original Big East made. The second was when they had leverage was allowing Notre Dame in as a partial member. A conference has to be crazy to invite in a member who has no interest and no incentive to help the conference, only itself. Who else but the old Big East would be that crazy...

 

[btstimpy]

Agree that not inviting Penn State was the biggest mistake that the original Big East made. The second was when they had leverage was allowing Notre Dame in as a partial member. A conference has to be crazy to invite in a member who has no interest and no incentive to help the conference, only itself. Who else but the old Big East would be that crazy...

The five guaranteed ND games per year and the access to the Gator and Capital One Bowl Games that the ND arrangement brings to the ACC helps the conference. Would adding the additional 3 games to get to full membership at 8 be better? Sure. We may or may not get there at some point. It's going to be hard for ND to make the football playoffs without a Conference Championship game win. Perhaps independence is more important than championship access. Time will tell. The rest of ND sports programs help too because it's a quality overall athletics department. I don't want to see the ACC sit in this arrangement for forever, but for now it's fine.

The issue with the Big East was not that Notre Dame was a partial member. They had the same membership as Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence, St. John's, Marquette, and DePaul. They were just another one of the Catholic basketball schools in reality. For football, ND is why the Big East had access to the Gator Bowl for a while. So that helped some.

I don't think that the ACC will sit at 15 indefinitely. Hopefully the launch of a network will create some possibilities. It's being worked on. When they announce it is anyone's guess.

 

[billybud]

I still think that the Big 12 will eventually move east. Cincinatti and UConn or some other combo...

Forget the talk about Houston, Tulane....maybe a west-east split with BYU and UConn...but a straight eastern pod of WVU and two other teams makes more sense, I think.

 

[TerryD]

ndfan101 ‏@stoplot 3h3 hours ago
@flugempire In all this Big 10, Big 12 talk do you still see ND going full to the ACC? 'm watching tea leaves and notice no change..

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire 3h3 hours ago
@stoplot Been told not possible until 2017....Also been told ND and NBC have nothing to do with new ACCN. So it looks like my info was wrong

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire 3h3 hours ago
@stoplot ND and NBC having nothing to do with the ACCN, if true, goes against what I said earlier according to sources.Possible swing n miss

ndfan101 ‏@stoplot 3h3 hours ago
@flugempire I assume so... ND is a strange bird and pretty predictable when it comes to independence... Thanks

ME: How about UConn and Baylor with a similar ND-type deal offered to Texas?

Wait. Greg Flugaur admits that all of his "ND independence is doomed" Nostradamus predictions/dire prophecies were a bunch of hot air?

But he doesn't say anything at all about how completely wrong he was (even though he went on about it at length and promised everyone that big news was inevitable) until an ND fans asks him a direct question?

This guy has zero credibility about anything.