The more I think about it, the blocking is probably BC and the Carolina schools

[06029]

The ACC is historically a Carolina centric institution. By adding Pitt and Cuse, they have diluted the power of the Carolina schools. UNC, Duke, NC State and Wake could be less than enthusiastic at this point about immediately adding Uconn. While Roy and K are okay with it because of the BB boost, the bigger picture and "Yankeefication" of the league may not sit well with the schools' boosters. I can see the VA schools, GT, MD and Clemson being fine with Uconn immediately before the Carolina schools. The FL schools might actually be okay with it as their programs are starting to come back in FB and they don't feel threatened by Uconn football.

 

[tzznandrew]

Well, they're already diluted--when there were 8-9, they could, as a 4 school block, effectively run things. At 12, and now 14, that's not entirely the case. But taking Syracuse and UConn (hopefully) gets them more basketball-centric programs that they could get to vote on their side.

Plus, Roy and K both have come out in favor of the 16 team conference. I wouldn't be shocked in its BC, UM, and FSU.

 

[uconnric]

The ACC is historically a Carolina centric institution. By adding Pitt and Cuse, they have diluted the power of the Carolina schools. UNC, Duke, NC State and Wake could be less than enthusiastic at this point about immediately adding Uconn. While Roy and K are okay with it because of the BB boost, the bigger picture and "Yankeefication" of the league may not sit well with the schools' boosters. I can see the VA schools, GT, MD and Clemson being fine with Uconn immediately before the Carolina schools. The FL schools might actually be okay with it as their programs are starting to come back in FB and they don't feel threatened by Uconn football.

Don't waste too much time on this, it's really all about BC. This addition was initially supposed to be us and Syracuse. Care to guess who got Pitt substituted for us?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Severely doubt this. Roy and K determine what UNC and Duke think, both are publicly in favor of this concept. NCSU is going to follow what they say, Wake as well, neither holding nearly as much weight as the former. If anyone, it's going to be from the BC/Clemson/FSU crowd.

Ric, where did you hear it was initially supposed to be us and SU?

 

[Icebear]

Severely doubt this. Roy and K determine what UNC and Duke think, both are publicly in favor of this concept. NCSU is going to follow what they say, Wake as well, neither holding nearly as much weight as the former. If anyone, it's going to be from the BC/Clemson/FSU crowd.

Ric, where did you hear it was initially supposed to be us and SU?

+1

 

[upstater]

The reason the Carolina schools are so gung-ho for more BE including UConn is that they see the old ACC 8 reconstituted. It will seem like a merger of the BE and ACC.

If UConn joins, I would not be surprised at all to see round-robin within one division and only four basketball games outside the division.

Football would be even crazier with 7 games inside the division and two outside. UConn might be playing Florida St. once every 3.5 years, or you'd see FSU at the Rent once every 7 years!!!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The reason the Carolina schools are so gung-ho for more BE including UConn is that they see the old ACC 8 reconstituted. It will seem like a merger of the BE and ACC.

If UConn joins, I would not be surprised at all to see round-robin within one division and only four basketball games outside the division.

Football would be even crazier with 7 games inside the division and two outside. UConn might be playing Florida St. once every 3.5 years, or you'd see FSU at the Rent once every 7 years!!!

Which may be one way to appease the southern football schools, in that they don't have to play us supposedly weak northern football schools all that often.

Though in the supposed southern eight, Duke and UNC would have Miami, FSU, GT, Clemson, NCSU, and Wake. Compare that with the supposed northern eight of UConn, SU, Pitt, MD, VT, UVA, RU, and BC, which on paper would appear to be stronger in basketball, especially if you change RU to ND. That would be an interesting scenario, it'd essentially be one giant Big East/ACC challenge in conference in all sports. Winner of the football conference championship game gets the basketball tournament on their home turf - MSG or Greensboro. Call me a genius.

 

[bmayuc]

The ACC is historically a Carolina centric institution. By adding Pitt and Cuse, they have diluted the power of the Carolina schools. UNC, Duke, NC State and Wake could be less than enthusiastic at this point about immediately adding Uconn. While Roy and K are okay with it because of the BB boost, the bigger picture and "Yankeefication" of the league may not sit well with the schools' boosters. I can see the VA schools, GT, MD and Clemson being fine with Uconn immediately before the Carolina schools. The FL schools might actually be okay with it as their programs are starting to come back in FB and they don't feel threatened by Uconn football.

No way Duke/UNC are behind this. All reports say they are the ones PUSHING uconn to the ACC.

 

[mattp]

i can't believe some of you think the ACC didn't want to add us b/c we dilute the total football of the league. you do realize they added syracuse, right? i don't think we're being blocked by anybody, i think the ACC just doesn't want to expand anymore right now. also whoever said it was supposed to be us and Cuse originally is talking out of their butt, so i wouldn't lend too much credence to it.

 

[jpm25]

The reason the Carolina schools are so gung-ho for more BE including UConn is that they see the old ACC 8 reconstituted. It will seem like a merger of the BE and ACC.

If UConn joins, I would not be surprised at all to see round-robin within one division and only four basketball games outside the division.

Football would be even crazier with 7 games inside the division and two outside. UConn might be playing Florida St. once every 3.5 years, or you'd see FSU at the Rent once every 7 years!!!

I think it would more likely be a 4-team "pod" system rather than 8-team round robin.

 

[HuskyHawk]

i can't believe some of you think the ACC didn't want to add us b/c we dilute the total football of the league. you do realize they added syracuse, right? i don't think we're being blocked by anybody, i think the ACC just doesn't want to expand anymore right now. also whoever said it was supposed to be us and Cuse originally is talking out of their butt, so i wouldn't lend too much credence to it.

I hope we all realize that it isn't coaches or even athletic directors making the decisions, it's the University Presidents. Most likely situation is that they are waiting. Assuming 16 is the max, if they add two now that's it. They are locked in. More difficult move to make than going from 12-14.

 

[IMind]

I think it would more likely be a 4-team "pod" system rather than 8-team round robin.

Actually there's been some press saying it almost certainly wouldn't be a north/south division set up... that there wasn't much interest two divisions that would ultimately just become the old ACC and the old Big East + Maryland and Virginia.

 

[mattp]

Actually there's been some press saying it almost certainly wouldn't be a north/south division set up... that there wasn't much interest two divisions that would ultimately just become the old ACC and the old Big East + Maryland and Virginia.

maybe they could go the Big10 route and name the divisions the "has beens" and the "never was"

 

[uconnric]

Severely doubt this. Roy and K determine what UNC and Duke think, both are publicly in favor of this concept. NCSU is going to follow what they say, Wake as well, neither holding nearly as much weight as the former. If anyone, it's going to be from the BC/Clemson/FSU crowd.

Ric, where did you hear it was initially supposed to be us and SU?

On the twitter account for the Globe's Mark Blaudschun today.
http://twitter.com/#!/blauds

 

[upstater]

I hope we all realize that it isn't coaches or even athletic directors making the decisions, it's the University Presidents. Most likely situation is that they are waiting. Assuming 16 is the max, if they add two now that's it. They are locked in. More difficult move to make than going from 12-14.

As much as people believe this is about university presidents, it isn't for a number of reasons. One, unlike in the north, the ADs in the south are powerful political figures themselves, and when it comes to sports, often their words Trump all others. They get the support of the trustees. Most presidents are probably thinking, go for the money and leave me alone. Up north they're thinking, "Holy cow, this thing may crumble beneath my feet."

 

[upstater]

On the twitter account for the Globe's Mark Blaudschun today.
http://twitter.com/#!/blauds

Here's an idea. UConn, Pitt, ND and Missouri to the Big Ten.

 

[Rumrunner]

Tell that to Holden Thorpe

As much as people believe this is about university presidents, it isn't for a number of reasons. One, unlike in the north, the ADs in the south are powerful political figures themselves, and when it comes to sports, often their words Trump all others. They get the support of the trustees. Most presidents are probably thinking, go for the money and leave me alone. Up north they're thinking, "Holy cow, this thing may crumble beneath my feet."

 

[upstater]

Tell that to Holden Thorpe

I did

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I personally believe that if UNC and Duke (more so their administrations than their athletic personnel) had the ultimate authority in the ACC that they spent the bulk of the past thirty years believing they had, we would have been the first addition before Pitt and Cuse.

 

[whaler11]

It is pretty clear that the schools against Connecticut are Boston College and Florida State. Duke wants another basketball centric school and UConn and UNC seem to have a good relationship. Nobody cares what Wake Forest thinks, and NC State seems to be very quiet across the board.

 

[UCDaveD]

And think what you will about FUCRE, if he was asked for his opinion, I'm 100% sure he'd go to bat for us. Not that it'd mean much, but it couldn't hurt at all.

 

[AtlantaHusky]

We probably already have the votes needed and they are waiting for some more chips to fall or potentially lure a big fish along with UConn. That's my uninformed agreement to that theory anyway. Until we know the truth, I'll just keep hitting refresh on the board til I lose my fingerprint...

 

[Stinger92860]

It is pretty clear that the schools against Connecticut are Boston College and Florida State. Duke wants another basketball centric school and UConn and UNC seem to have a good relationship. Nobody cares what Wake Forest thinks, and NC State seems to be very quiet across the board.

I agree on BC, but FSU is just a guess. If WF votes no then we do care.

 

[ctchamps]

We probably already have the votes needed and they are waiting for some more chips to fall or potentially lure a big fish along with UConn. That's my uninformed agreement to that theory anyway. Until we know the truth, I'll just keep hitting refresh on the board til I lose my fingerprint...

I don't think you're wrong. We just have to be patient.

 

[whaler11]

I agree on BC, but FSU is just a guess. If WF votes no then we do care.

The FSU rumors have been alive for a week. WF does what everyone else tells them so they get to stay.

 

[arnie3]

There's such vitriol on the Duke board for UConn by posters. There is a poll on the board by a poster asking if the ACC should allow UConn in, and the leader is "hell no", but one poster thought that it should be changed to "only in hell" so it's pretty easy to see where they're coming from. According to posters, somehow we have always recruited thugs, and only Caron turned out okay. They're a bitter bunch down there. Also, one poster pleaded that the ACC not take in any more Yankees (obviously not the team). I had to swallow hard not to up-chuck.