Rutgers Role in the Big Ten

[DarthGrumpy]

OK, since we're being honest here...

The two situations are not entirely similar. Your own former BE commissioner attempted to subvert his own football league a decade and a half ago. When Swofford finally moved on BE teams, he called him, and, the ACC, hypocrits 'for operating in the dark.' Well, what would you call what he did before? It sure wasn't in the BE's best football interests, thats for sure.

I could not care less about UMD, or, their situation. Period. I'd be willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of ACC fans would feel the same way. I admit, it does suck a bit for them to leave, since UNC, and, NCSU have been conference mates for the past 107 years. But, their dishonesty towards all of us has changed the view of them in this part of the country. Now, its more like, the sooner they are gone, the better.

If they wanted out, they should have been above board about it. Give proper notice, negotiate and then pay the appropriate exit fee, and, simply walk away. But, they weren't above board about it. Which leaves us where we all are now. Who knows how it all might play out?

I am not defending Maryland's actions; but, I suspect that a significant part of their 'deception' was aimed at internal parties and ACC was collateral damage. I see this a lot in M&A work in the corporate world that I am in. Basically, Maryland realized how bad shape they were in financially and the ACC could not offer enough money to help. Somebody within Maryland (likely on the academic side because perception wise, the B1G is the stronger academic conference) drops a dime to the B1G, who has had an interest in the DC market for years, who then rides in a white knight carrying a lot of cash. Maryland runs the numbers and realizes the B1Gc an save their financial necks; but, they know that a move from the ACC to the B1G will raise hell with the alumni network, which would negatively impact their two big current financial backers - private donors and the state government in Annapolis. Thus, a small group hammers out the move in a black box and then once it is ready, use a shock & awe campaign to get the deal done before anyone internally can react.

I honestly do not fault the ACC for losing Maryland. I think it was a done deal before the ACC even knew about the deal. I do fault the ACC for being very short-sighted by grabbing Louisville, a flash in the pan school with suspect long-term benefits (Strong/Bridgewater leaving, Yum Center bankruptcy, academics, etc.) and for allowing ND in as a partial member. Those two actions look very Big E'ish setting-up a member who only cares about itself (ND) and a split between football focused schools and basketball focused schools. Tat didn't work out well for the Big E. That said, due to markets and Austin politicians; I believe that the ACC has a stronger chance of lasting than the XII when this all shakes out to 4x 18x major conferences.

 

[HawkHusky]

I am not defending Maryland's actions; but, I suspect that a significant part of their 'deception' was aimed at internal parties and ACC was collateral damage. I see this a lot in M&A work in the corporate world that I am in. Basically, Maryland realized how bad shape they were in financially and the ACC could not offer enough money to help. Somebody within Maryland (likely on the academic side because perception wise, the B1G is the stronger academic conference) drops a dime to the B1G, who has had an interest in the DC market for years, who then rides in a white knight carrying a lot of cash. Maryland runs the numbers and realizes the B1Gc an save their financial necks; but, they know that a move from the ACC to the B1G will raise hell with the alumni network, which would negatively impact their two big current financial backers - private donors and the state government in Annapolis. Thus, a small group hammers out the move in a black box and then once it is ready, use a shock & awe campaign to get the deal done before anyone internally can react.

I honestly do not fault the ACC for losing Maryland. I think it was a done deal before the ACC even knew about the deal. I do fault the ACC for being very short-sighted by grabbing Louisville, a flash in the pan school with suspect long-term benefits (Strong/Bridgewater leaving, Yum Center bankruptcy, academics, etc.) and for allowing ND in as a partial member. Those two actions look very Big E'ish setting-up a member who only cares about itself (ND) and a split between football focused schools and basketball focused schools. Tat didn't work out well for the Big E. That said, due to markets and Austin politicians; I believe that the ACC has a stronger chance of lasting than the XII when this all shakes out to 4x 18x major conferences.

Don't forget the short-sighted wtf addition of Pitt as well. A professional sports city with a limited fan base and mediocre football/basketball at best. Another flash in the pan decision because they needed a team to add with Syracuse.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Don't forget the short-sighted wtf addition of Pitt as well. A professional sports city with a limited fan base and mediocre football/basketball at best. Another flash in the pan decision because they needed a team to add with Syracuse.

Pitt at least made academic and geographical sense for the ACC and added a school with football history, which appears to be very important in CR for better or worse. While Louisville has played football for a long time, which UConn has too, their football success has been primarily since 2000 under Petrino and Strong with a few other good years sprinkled in here and there (1990, 1972, 1957, etc.). Their academic issues are well documented and they are culturally more SEC than ACC. Plus, Louisville don't even dominate their small TV market (#50). UConn does dominate their market (Hartford/New Haven #30), which is more affluent (Hartford #7, Louisville #97) and seeps into both Boston and New York markets.

 

[billybud]

Pitt, and Louisville sit on the southern wall of the Big Ten...good fences make good neighbors.

 

[adbern7]

Don't forget the short-sighted wtf addition of Pitt as well. A professional sports city with a limited fan base and mediocre football/basketball at best. Another flash in the pan decision because they needed a team to add with Syracuse.

There's an echo chamber on this Board around UConn's attractiveness. You're a decent state school, a "flagship" (although UMass Amherst and URI can say the same), fine. You deride L'ville's academics like UConn is UVA or Michigan. Not so much. On the field? You went 3-9 in the AAC football. Maybe you're not stuck with schools like UCF and Houston, rather they're stuck with you.
A lot of the negatives about L'ville are true. It does seem like the ACC bought them high, and they're unproven without Strong and Bridgewater. They're not academically competitive. Every conference has the exception that proves the rule. P12 has Washington State. But they are much closer geographically to most of the ACC than Storrs, and align with the Appalachian push the ACC's made into VaTech, Pitt, and ND. Those schools, more centrally located than UConn, give the ACC more optionality for the next round of expansion when some B12 schools might be free agents. Posters here can talk about how stupid that strategy might be bc there are so many more "eyeballs" in the northeast, but this Board chronically overrates cable TV metrics as the be-all-end-all to school CR attractiveness (Rutgers being the exception that proves the rule here). At least if L'ville sucks on the field for awhile, the ACC powers that be won't be spending buckets on charter flights to play them. Can't say the same for UConn. And if you project out the next 5-7 years regardless of conference affiliation, most objective people would say L'ville football/b-ball has higher expectations than UConn.
None of this means UConn won't get some invite somewhere else eventually. Just that this "everyone else is so stupid for not taking us" vibe is a bit overwrought.

 

[HawkHusky]

There's an echo chamber on this Board around UConn's attractiveness. You're a decent state school, a "flagship" (although UMass Amherst and URI can say the same), fine. You deride L'ville's academics like UConn is UVA or Michigan. Not so much. On the field? You went 3-9 in the AAC football. Maybe you're not stuck with schools like UCF and Houston, rather they're stuck with you.
A lot of the negatives about L'ville are true. It does seem like the ACC bought them high, and they're unproven without Strong and Bridgewater. They're not academically competitive. Every conference has the exception that proves the rule. P12 has Washington State. But they are much closer geographically to most of the ACC than Storrs, and align with the Appalachian push the ACC's made into VaTech, Pitt, and ND. Those schools, more centrally located than UConn, give the ACC more optionality for the next round of expansion when some B12 schools might be free agents. Posters here can talk about how stupid that strategy might be bc there are so many more "eyeballs" in the northeast, but this Board chronically overrates cable TV metrics as the be-all-end-all to school CR attractiveness (Rutgers being the exception that proves the rule here). At least if L'ville sucks on the field for awhile, the ACC powers that be won't be spending buckets on charter flights to play them. Can't say the same for UConn. And if you project out the next 5-7 years regardless of conference affiliation, most objective people would say L'ville football/b-ball has higher expectations than UConn.
None of this means UConn won't get some invite somewhere else eventually. Just that this "everyone else is so stupid for not taking us" vibe is a bit overwrought.

Your post would be accurate if the ACC hadn't primarily targeted Syracuse and UCONN. It was clearly stated by everyone involved that Pitt was the backup plan to UCONN getting rejected.

 

[UConn9604]

Your post would be accurate if the ACC hadn't primarily targeted Syracuse and UCONN. It was clearly stated by everyone involved that Pitt was the backup plan to UCONN getting rejected.

In case he forgot...
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleg...icles/2011/10/09/power_move_by_acc/?page=full

The first target was Syracuse, which had been on the original ACC expansion list eight years ago. The Orangemen, like BC, were disappointed when they didn’t make the final cut, passed over for Virginia Tech and Miami.

Under coach Jim Boeheim, Syracuse was clearly one of the elite basketball teams in the country and would boost the ACC’s stature in that sport.

The second target was Connecticut, which was part of the Northeast footprint the ACC wanted, and was coming off the daily double of a BCS bid in football and a championship in men’s basketball (the third for Jim Calhoun).

In addition, the women’s basketball program under Geno Auriemma had established itself as the most dominant in the sport over the past 15 years.

With growing instability in the Big East, both schools were bound to accept any offers.

While Syracuse presented no problem, UConn did - to BC, which was still fuming over what it perceived to be vitriolic comments made when BC was finally invited to join the ACC and started competing in 2005. UConn and Pittsburgh filed a lawsuit against BC, and Calhoun made comments about never playing BC again.

DeFilippo does not deny that BC opposed the inclusion of UConn.

“We didn’t want them in,’’ he said. “It was a matter of turf. We wanted to be the New England team.’’

Turning to Pittsburgh BC officials argued that Pittsburgh, with a stronger tradition in football, as well as a long-established - though dormant - rivalry with the Eagles, would be a better fit.

 

[pj]

At least if L'ville sucks on the field for awhile, the ACC powers that be won't be spending buckets on charter flights to play them. Can't say the same for UConn.

Don't know what you are talking about here. From what ACC city is it easier to get to Louisville than Hartford? South Bend, yes. Then what? Blacksburg VA and Pitt are closest to Louisville at 6 hour drives. Pitt is also a 6 hour drive from Hartford, Syracuse is 4 hour, BC is 1.5 hour. There won't be a lot of driving to Louisville from any ACC member, but there will be from some to UConn. Commercial flights to Connecticut are going to be easier than to Louisville, as Hartford gets a lot more flights. You also have the option of flying commercial into Boston or NY and taking a < 2 hr bus from there; no similar option in Kentucky. All the non-charter options are superior to Connecticut than Kentucky.

 

[adbern7]

In case he forgot...
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleg...icles/2011/10/09/power_move_by_acc/?page=full

the old BC-screwed-us saw that just won't die on this Board. Of course the Boston Globe wouldn't have any spin on what happened, or to exaggerate BC's role. The reality is if UNC, UVA, and FSU wanted UConn in the ACC, you'd be in the ACC. Seems like BC didn't have to argue too hard.
Actually, looking at a map, it's not impossible the rest of the American might decide in a few years that dealing with UConn's attitude and obvious unhappiness with the AAC isn't worth having their women's soccer teams travel 1,000+ miles to play. This Board would really get interesting then.

 

[adbern7]

Don't know what you are talking about here. From what ACC city is it easier to get to Louisville than Hartford? South Bend, yes. Then what? Blacksburg VA and Pitt are closest to Louisville at 6 hour drives. Pitt is also a 6 hour drive from Hartford, Syracuse is 4 hour, BC is 1.5 hour. There won't be a lot of driving to Louisville from any ACC member, but there will be from some to UConn. Commercial flights to Connecticut are going to be easier than to Louisville, for the most part.

Cuse or Pitt didn't vote on L'ville (not that anyone else in the ACC would care if they did), and my post was about why Ville got picked ahead of UConn. L'ville is closer than Storrs to everyone else in the conference.

 

[pj]

[Louisville] aligns with the Appalachian push the ACC's made into VaTech, Pitt, and ND. Those schools, more centrally located than UConn, give the ACC more optionality for the next round of expansion when some B12 schools might be free agents.

If this is the ACC's strategy, it's a very risky one. Why would heavyweights like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas who will have their pick of SEC, B1G, Pac, or ACC choose an ACC that is geographically distant and pays less just because it has Louisville, Pitt, and VaTech, all distant and all rejected by the B12 as it considered expansion? They'll surely go with SEC, B1G, or Pac instead. If the ACC is picking Louisville over UConn because it hopes to pick up Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor, and TCU, well, God bless 'em, but they'd be better off with UConn, USF, UCF, and Cincinnati.

 

[HawkHusky]

the old BC-screwed-us saw that just won't die on this Board. Of course the Boston Globe wouldn't have any spin on what happened, or to exaggerate BC's role. The reality is if UNC, UVA, and FSU wanted UConn in the ACC, you'd be in the ACC. Seems like BC didn't have to argue too hard.
Actually, looking at a map, it's not impossible the rest of the American might decide in a few years that dealing with UConn's attitude and obvious unhappiness with the AAC isn't worth having their women's soccer teams travel 1,000+ miles to play. This Board would really get interesting then.

It wouldn't keep going on if you didn't post inaccurate information. UNC and UVA (along with Duke and Wake) wanted UCONN instead of both Pitt and Louisville..FSU and the southern ACC contingent (plus BC) were opposed. Most people on here won't say BC solely screwed us...we all know they have limited, if not minuscule, clout. The Boston article that was referenced wasn't to prove BC was UCONN's undoing...it was to prove your post inaccurate. If Pitt was such a superior expansion target, why was it the third option behind Syracuse and UCONN? (stated by more than just BC)

Please post accurate info next time.

 

[adbern7]

If this is the ACC's strategy, it's a very risky one. Why would heavyweights like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas who will have their pick of SEC, B1G, Pac, or ACC choose an ACC that is geographically distant and pays less just because it has Louisville, Pitt, and VaTech, all distant and all rejected by the B12 as it considered expansion? They'll surely go with SEC, B1G, or Pac instead. If the ACC is picking Louisville over UConn because it hopes to pick up Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor, and TCU, well, God bless 'em, but they'd be better off with UConn, USF, UCF, and Cincinnati.

Risk is relative. Is the ACC strategy above more or less risky than taking UConn but leaving Pitt and Louisville for the B1G/B12? Yes, I realize B12 passed over L'ville in 2011 but by 2012 that probably would've changed. Also for the next round of CR armegeddon, the individual ACC schools - not just the ACC conference - also need optionality. If the ACC and/or B12 were to blow up, say if FSU/Clem went SEC and UVA/UNC went B1G, then the remainder ACC schools would probably want some geographic rationale to at least talk to the Ok St's and Kansas' of the world. And - unfortunately for UConn - the perception is that UConn will always be there if needed.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

ACC reminds me of the old BE. Short-term thinking with zero long-term strategy. Like the old BE, ACC will be doomed once ESPiN decides it wants something better.

Good luck to the ACC. I seriously hope UCONN will never end up with that conference in the long term.

Like OSU president Gee said, B1G would never take a school like UL. Only other conference more duckked than the ACC is the B12. We will see who will blow up first when the time comes.

 

[adbern7]

ACC reminds me of the old BE. Short-term thinking with zero long-term strategy. Like the old BE, ACC will be doomed once ESPiN decides it wants something better.

Good luck to the ACC. I seriously hope UCONN will never end up with that conference in the long term.

Like OSU president Gee said, B1G would never take a school like UL. Only other conference more duckked than the ACC is the B12. We will see who will blow up first when the time comes.

L'ville was definitely a reactionary add. Doesn't mean it won't work out (VaTech when they were added to the BE in '91 was basically to get to 8 in football...but they ended up being a very strong BE football team), and doesn't mean they were a far worse choice than UConn. Story's still being written. A lot of the CR moves the past 5 years are looking like reaches for the conferences. I mean, the B1G added Rutgers, possibly the biggest dumpster fire of an athletics program this side of North Korea.

 

[thatguyed]

OK, let's get this back on topic.

Rutgirls role in the B1G is:

 

[adbern7]

OK, let's get this back on topic.

Rutgirls role in the B1G is:

 

[WestCoastHusky]

L'ville was definitely a reactionary add. Doesn't mean it won't work out (VaTech when they were added to the BE in '91 was basically to get to 8 in football...but they ended up being a very strong BE football team), and doesn't mean they were a far worse choice than UConn. Story's still being written. A lot of the CR moves the past 5 years are looking like reaches for the conferences. I mean, the B1G added Rutgers, possibly the biggest dumpster fire of an athletics program this side of North Korea.

Old BE failed because it was made up of bunch of schools that have little in common. Look at the ACC today and you got the same situation.

You got two state flagships in UNC and UVA. You got bunch of secondary state schools like Pitt, NC State, FSU, Clemson etc. You got bunch of private schools because Miami wanted some of them in the conference. All those schools will have different agendas when the time comes when one or two schools have wondering eyes. Also, ACC got the ND factor now just like the old BE. The only thing tying everything together is ESPiN with their exclusive ACC content contract. BE blew up because most of the schools all thought grass was greener on the other side. Schools were easy picking for other conferences because NO ONE trusted anyone else. Even Pitt and Cuse were added in complete secrecy. ACC operated like ninja at night. Swofford is one of the biggest slimballs in the CR but he knew what he was doing by playing schools off each other. Swofford basically told SU and Pitt that if they won't accept, other BE schools will etc. etc. BE was an easy target. ACC today with bunch of schools with different makeups, will go through this sooner or later.

B1G added RU because 1) it is a state state flagship 2) In the big media market 3) AAU. They are similar to other schools in the B1G. Yeah I agree RU sucks in everything but they might get B1G Network in NJ. Rest of the B1G schools can look forward to bunch of easy wins for years to come. I can't believe I am defending RU. I already feel ill from doing that.

Anyway, I would love to have UCONN in the same conference as UVA or UNC, but not some of the other schools. I hope our admin is doing everything we can to get into the B1G because that's a much better for us in the long term.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

the old BC-screwed-us saw that just won't die on this Board. Of course the Boston Globe wouldn't have any spin on what happened, or to exaggerate BC's role. The reality is if UNC, UVA, and FSU wanted UConn in the ACC, you'd be in the ACC. Seems like BC didn't have to argue too hard.
Actually, looking at a map, it's not impossible the rest of the American might decide in a few years that dealing with UConn's attitude and obvious unhappiness with the AAC isn't worth having their women's soccer teams travel 1,000+ miles to play. This Board would really get interesting then.

UConn's attitude and obvious unhappiness with the American? What is wrong with wanting a better home? Except for schools that got a change to be elevated (Tulane, East Carolina, Tulsa, etc.) everyone wants out of the American. USF and UCF are believed to be selling themselves to the XII, assuming Texas does not blow that conference up first. Cincinnati has been sending holidays cards to the entire ACC. West Virginia did get into the XII, though they may have committed financial suicide by doing do. Rutgers got into the B1G not because of the great sports product that they have; but, because they are 30 miles from Times Square and, to lesser degrees, are AAU and are a top football recruiting state. What do you think of them?

UConn did not get into the ACC for a whole of reasons, first and foremost was bad timing. UConn's inept AD made a bad football hire design to appease the natives, who have no idea what major college football is about. In addition, our HoF basketball coach managed to piss off the entire NCAA by winning his 3rd NCAA title after they slapped him around, so the APR rules were adjusted and seem to specifically hit UConn hard (not to mention, UConn at least has the academic pride to make it's basketball players take class and flunk them while other programs allow their players to take fake class and pass them, which apparently is not a violation). On top of that, UConn has to deal with a jealous wannabe ND East catholic school to the northeast who believes that it has rights to all 6 states in New England and a private college to the Northwest that has realized the only thing it can offer due to poor demographics up Upstate NY is being NYC's team, even though UConn and Rutgers are a whole lot closer.

 

[adbern7]

A team who's crowning achievement in 150 years of playing football is a 2006 share of the BE title and a win in the Texas Bowl. Building on their B1G momentum, and playing in their "backyard" of NYC, the Rutgers-NOTRE DAME Pinstripe Bowl got a TV rating of 3.3. Last year's Syracuse-WV Pinstripe Bowl got a 3.9.
And their football is clearly superior to their basketball.

 

[adbern7]

Old BE failed because it was made up of bunch of schools that have little in common. Look at the ACC today and you got the same situation.

You got two state flagships in UNC and UVA. You got bunch of secondary state schools like Pitt, NC State, FSU, Clemson etc. You got bunch of private schools because Miami wanted some of them in the conference. All those schools will have different agendas when the time comes when one or two schools have wondering eyes. Also, ACC got the ND factor now just like the old BE. The only thing tying everything together is ESPiN with their exclusive ACC content contract. BE blew up because most of the schools all thought grass was greener on the other side. Schools were easy picking for other conferences because NO ONE trusted anyone else. Even Pitt and Cuse were added in complete secrecy. ACC operated like ninja at night. Swofford is one of the biggest slimballs in the CR but he knew what he was doing by playing schools off each other. Swofford basically told SU and Pitt that if they won't accept, other BE schools will etc. etc. BE was an easy target. ACC today with bunch of schools with different makeups, will go through this sooner or later.

B1G added RU because 1) it is a state state flagship 2) In the big media market 3) AAU. They are similar to other schools in the B1G. Yeah I agree RU sucks in everything but they might get B1G Network in NJ. Rest of the B1G schools can look forward to bunch of easy wins for years to come. I can't believe I am defending RU. I already feel ill from doing that.

Anyway, I would love to have UCONN in the same conference as UVA or UNC, but not some of the other schools. I hope our admin is doing everything we can to get into the B1G because that's a much better for us in the long term.

Everything anyone needs to know about ACC viability is in these two statements:
1) UNC doesn't want to be in the B1G
2) The SEC doesn't want FSU

As long as those two things hold true, the ACC will stick together. UVA and UNC like being the big kahunas that they would no longer be in the B1G.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Everything anyone needs to know about ACC viability is in these two statements:
1) UNC doesn't want to be in the B1G
2) The SEC doesn't want FSU

As long as those two things hold true, the ACC will stick together. UVA and UNC like being the big kahunas that they would no longer be in the B1G.

Couple of things happened when ACC took UL:

1) UVA, UNC, Duke and Wake wanted UCONN but they ended up with UL.
2) FSU muscled in on the NC gang with mild threats of leaving if they don't get what they wanted. ACC panicked because with Maryland leaving, anything is possible.
3) FSU also did not vote for higher exit fee. My gut feeling is FSU is gone the minute it got a better deal elsewhere. I have no doubt FSU would take a B1G or SEC invite in a sec. The only thing prevented that is because B1G has made it clear they only want state flagship universities, which Maryland is a good fit. In the case of B1G, state flagship universities matter because they simply are worth more in the long run than commuter schools or secondary state universities.
4) By FSU forcing UL down UNC/UVA's throats, UNC/UVA is slowly realizing that the conference is no longer being run by them.
5) We will see how long UNC/UVA will like when B1G is getting close to double of revenue what ACC schools are getting. Those are probably the only 2 schools B1G would want in the long term.
6) UCONN, being in a nice media market, as a strong school academically, and as a state flagship university, will always be worth more in the long run than schools like UL, NC State, Wake, BCU, CUSE, Pitt etc. etc.

There will be consolidation going forward with FB going towards a bigger playoff format.

 

[adbern7]

Couple of things happened when ACC took UL:

1) UVA, UNC, Duke and Wake wanted UCONN but they ended up with UL.
2) FSU muscled in on the NC gang with mild threats of leaving if they don't get what they wanted. ACC panicked because with Maryland leaving, anything is possible.
3) FSU also did not vote for higher exit fee. My gut feeling is FSU is gone the minute it got a better deal elsewhere. I have no doubt FSU would take a B1G or SEC invite in a sec. The only thing prevented that is because B1G has made it clear they only want state flagship universities, which Maryland is a good fit. In the case of B1G, state flagship universities matter because they simply are worth more in the long run than commuter schools or secondary state universities.
4) By FSU forcing UL down UNC/UVA's throats, UNC/UVA is slowly realizing that the conference is no longer being run by them.
5) We will see how long UNC/UVA will like when B1G is getting close to double of revenue what ACC schools are getting. Those are probably the only 2 schools B1G would want in the long term.

There will be consolidation going forward with FB going towards a bigger playoff format.

Your scenario isn't impossible. Remains to be seen how this all unfolds. You leave out that L'ville is a strong b-ball school and the Carolina schools care about that. And UNC is a bit off its perch given its own academic issues about fake classes. Doubtful UVA moves unless the ACC is really falling apart. B1G has tried many times. They haven't forgotten they were the capital of the Confederacy, and like the southern-centric ACC. VaTech to the SEC might be the more likely domino to fall.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Your scenario isn't impossible. Remains to be seen how this all unfolds. You leave out that L'ville is a strong b-ball school and the Carolina schools care about that. And UNC is a bit off its perch given its own academic issues about fake classes. Doubtful UVA moves unless the ACC is really falling apart. B1G has tried many times. They haven't forgotten they were the capital of the Confederacy, and like the southern-centric ACC. VaTech to the SEC might be the more likely domino to fall.

NC State and VTECH would get SEC into two new states for their network. Only thing might save ACC's a** right now is because ESPiN own both networks and they already got ACC on the cheap so they might not give SEC the "revenue" incentive to grab those two schools. It will happen though once someone like FOX or COMCAST is involved in the future.

 

[SouthronCross]

This thread only now with the honesty coming out is refreshing....I wonder if CR is playing out along the lines of the civil war? Amazing after 150 yrs !! Flashpoint....Maryland !!

JMHO...Maryland's role in CR is playing out like it is because both their current president and athletic director came from B1G institutions. They had no idea about UMD's place in forming the ACC, or, how it would play going forward. Along with the Under Armour guy (a UMD grad), they made a plan to exit the league for the B1G.

They got what they wanted, much to the dismay of many alumni and supporters. Some of whom are still not onboard with the move. But, its a done deal, and, I wish them good luck going forward. They are going to need it.