What if....Benedict to Hurley: “We’ll be in ACC by the final year of your contract” | Page 5 | The Boneyard

What if....Benedict to Hurley: “We’ll be in ACC by the final year of your contract”

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Sorry to not respond for so long. I had a family member who was very ill, and, he just passed away three weeks ago. So, it's been awhile since anything remotely approaching mormalcy has been seen in these parts. All of that said...

I DO believe that some in the ACC are having buyer's remorse concerning Louisville. Everything to do with Pitino, Papa John's, etc, have some saying enough is enough. But, I HIGHLY doubt that they'd be booted, at least not at this point. I know Carolina fans are the last folks to be caught dead saying this, but, if anything, the fallout from the academic scandal has, at the very least, forced many of the more egotistical nutbars amongst our fanbase to tone down their arrogance and rhetoric towards everybody else. Save for NCSU and Duke, of course. :)

We all know that UL's academics were not of ACC level, but, they were the only school that a majority of the league would vote to add at the time. And, even though they were...and, still are...a basketball-first school, their football success at the time was the deciding factor, and, we all knew it. Even though Swofford might've preferred UConn to UL, he did a very poor job selling his future vision for the league to the members who were less than enthusiastic about adding UConn. As one of your regulars here...maybe Fishy...correctly pointed out.
Why were they not enthusiastic about Uconn? Football? Also why not West Virginia? Academics?
 
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You're right that no ACC school "brings" $28MM to the table. The problem is that's what they're being paid.

Expansion is about increasing revenues.

UConn or any other candidate would need to bring more than $28MM to the table in the current environment. None of the ACC schools are going to vote to add anybody if it costs them money. They won't vote to add anybody to stay at the status quo.

The only ways the ACC adds UConn are:

1. Notre Dame decides to join and they need a dance partner.
2. If somehow the ACC Network does ever get off the ground, and there are metrics that demonstrate adding UConn will bring more money to the table.
3. If the sports media bubble has burst when the ACC contract with ESPN expires in 2030 and in order to make the same , or close to the same, they add UConn

As has been said before, being Notre Dame's dance partner is about the worst position to be in when it comes to Conference Realignment
If the ACC added Uconn and Navy, and gave Navy a pass in BB, like ND has in football, they would have the same number of teams in each sport, and could have northern and southern divisions.
 
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The ACC will probably never have Northern and Southern Divisions. Although many fans like the idea of regional divisions.

Although if they move to 16, there will have to be compromises. and there would be a tussle over Notre Dame. With Notre Dame still out there, I am sure there has been some noodling about what to do if they ever did go all in.

Currently, playing a non division opponent at home (except for the one permanent crossover) once every 12 years is almost like not being in the same conference with them. So a team like FSU travels to Boston and Syracuse while not seeing GT in Tallahassee but every 12 years. GT, their closest rival who also plays in the city with FSU's largest out of state fan base.

Two divisions of eight only compound that scheduling problem...it would be almost like having two different leagues whose champs play for a combined champion.

...ADs evidently do not want FSU and Miami to be in the same division. Programs fear not playing a Florida team would mean that Florida kids would grow up watching the southern division and would be more difficult to recruit. That may be one of the reasons that realignment of divisions has failed to carry the last three times it was brought to a vote.

...The density of ACC schools in Tobacco Road would mean that with FSU, Miami, GT, Clemson definitely in the South...and Cuse, BC, Pitt, Notre Dame definitely in the North....

...that the Tobacco Road teams of UNC, Wake, NC State, Duke, Virginia, VT would have to be split...they are densely packed in the center of the conference.

I think that, no matter what conference, going to a format of sixteen will cause scheduling problems and change the way that conferences are viewed...
 
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Once again, as long as ESPN keeps the ACC afloat, they will likely remain as they are at least until 2036, when the GOR expires. I doubt that any ACC teams will leave that conference. Assuming that college athletics remain as valuable as they are today to TV networks. Even if the ACC did divide into a north-south division, BC and Cuse would still likely keep UConn out. It is extremely unlikely ND joins full time and they are also bound, I believe by the GOR. I would say forget the ACC for UConn fans. Doesn't appear likely. I wish I was wrong, but I don't see it in the "Cards".
PS: Billybud you left off your darling Louisville in the above essay.
 
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Once again, as long as ESPN keeps the ACC afloat, they will likely remain as they are at least until 2036, when the GOR expires. I doubt that any ACC teams will leave that conference. Assuming that college athletics remain as valuable as they are today to TV networks. Even if the ACC did divide into a north-south division, BC and Cuse would still likely keep UConn out. It is extremely unlikely ND joins full time and they are also bound, I believe by the GOR. I would say forget the ACC for UConn fans. Doesn't appear likely. I wish I was wrong, but I don't see it in the "Cards".
PS: Billybud you left off your darling Louisville in the above essay.

Buddy...Not sure if Louisville is North or South...as a border with Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana....they could go north...as a border with Tennessee and Virginia, they could go south...
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

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Louisville has already gone south.
 
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The more likely scenario was Benedict said to Hurley to rebuild the program and I will take you to a P5 School.
 

Fairfield_1st

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Sorry to not respond for so long. I had a family member who was very ill, and, he just passed away three weeks ago. So, it's been awhile since anything remotely approaching mormalcy has been seen in these parts. All of that said...
I'm sorry for your loss. Hope you're doing as well as can be expected and that some normalcy is returning.
 
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UL's academics are now at the ACC level. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

Respectfully disagree. UConn's academic rep is not affected by associating with the likes of ECU, or, UCF. Nebraska's ranking does not affect anybody else's in the B1G, either.
 
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Why were they not enthusiastic about Uconn? Football? Also why not West Virginia? Academics?

At the time of the expansion that brought UL to the ACC, their FB program was having a good couple of seasons with Charlie Strong, while UConn was struggling. I really do believe it was that simple. Had the roles been reversed, UL wouldn't have gotten in, IMHO.

The ACC's refusal to add WVU goes all the way back to the '60s. And, that had nothing to do with academics.
 
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At the time of the expansion that brought UL to the ACC, their FB program was having a good couple of seasons with Charlie Strong, while UConn was struggling. I really do believe it was that simple. Had the roles been reversed, UL wouldn't have gotten in, IMHO.

The ACC's refusal to add WVU goes all the way back to the '60s. And, that had nothing to do with academics.
So what is the reason they don't want West Virginia?
 
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Respectfully disagree. UConn's academic rep is not affected by associating with the likes of ECU, or, UCF. Nebraska's ranking does not affect anybody else's in the B1G, either.
Well, yes and no. The B1G used to be able to claim that its members were all AAU universities which is a criteria it can no longer hold on to. So the B1G lost a little something there.

And let's be honest here, UNC has its own problems.
 
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Academics may have had a meaning in conference realignment, but likely it was fake advertising back when BC and Miami were touting academics as their reason for betraying the Big East. Academics are meaningless now in conference realignment, for any conference. So please let's just stop this. The ACC members are bound by a GOR until 2036. There is no need for them to expand. They are supported by millions of dollars courtesy by our beloved ESPN. I would not hold my breath waiting for the ACC. UConn is going to have to be top dog in the AAC and then hopefully, someone will come calling, or hopefully the whole system will collapse and start all over again.
 
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Maybe the nearest path is for the AAC to actually become a P6 conference....

Get a more competitive media contract this time around (possible multiple bidders?). Maybe don't sign a long term contract with short payouts.

Build more football buzz (UCF, USF, and Memphis need to continue winning against P5's)...Snag a BB national championship or two.
 
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Maybe the nearest path is for the AAC to actually become a P6 conference....

Get a more competitive media contract this time around (possible multiple bidders?). Maybe don't sign a long term contract with short payouts.

Build more football buzz (UCF, USF, and Memphis need to continue winning against P5's)...Snag a BB national championship or two.

The nearest path might be pushing for an AAC Media Deal that coincides with the end of Big 12's current contract. If that league implodes Uconn might be able to find a spot in a reconfigured combo of the two leagues. A real stretch for sure, but probably no less likely than the rest of the current P5 gifting The AAC with equal financial status.

The other alternative would be for the best of the rest to try to blow up their current situations and build a stronger national league for football. A league that through quality depth and interesting match ups is as worthy of P6 Designation as you can get. Maybe leave a little more leeway for schools to schedule their own Olympic Deals to control costs.

East- Uconn, Army, Navy, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, USF, UCF.
West- Tulane, SMU, UH, AFA, CSU, BYU, BSU, SDSU.
 

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The nearest path might be pushing for an AAC Media Deal that coincides with the end of Big 12's current contract. If that league implodes Uconn might be able to find a spot in a reconfigured combo of the two leagues. A real stretch for sure, but probably no less likely than the rest of the current P5 gifting The AAC with equal financial status.

The other alternative would be for the best of the rest to try to blow up their current situations and build a stronger national league for football. A league that through quality depth and interesting match ups is as worthy of P6 Designation as you can get. Maybe leave a little more leeway for schools to schedule their own Olympic Deals to control costs.

East- Uconn, Army, Navy, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, USF, UCF.
West- Tulane, SMU, UH, AFA, CSU, BYU, BSU, SDSU.

That league existed and the teams quit to stay in Mountain West.

Other than that it’s a great outcome!

If the great conference God allows a reset... maybe leave Tulane out this time?
 
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UConn is going to have to be top dog in the AAC and then hopefully, someone will come calling.
Ha, what a load of BS! UConn was the top dog in the Big East and look where that got us. Even FB won the league and got to a BCS bowl at a time of realignment. A Pasqualoni coached team beat UL on the road when the ACC was choosing between UConn and UL and guess who the ACC chose. If realignment was based on winning and being the top-dog how the hell is Pitt, BC, Cuse and especially Rutgers ahead of UConn?
 
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Ha, what a load of BS! UConn was the top dog in the Big East and look where that got us. Even FB won the league and got to a BCS bowl at a time of realignment. A Pasqualoni coached team beat UL on the road when the ACC was choosing between UConn and UL and guess who the ACC chose. If realignment was based on winning and being the top-dog how the hell is Pitt, BC, Cuse and especially Rutgers ahead of UConn?

True that UConn beat Lousville in 2012...but UConn had a 5-7 losing season (losses to NC State, Syracuse, Western Michigan, Temple, Rutgers, USF, Cincinnati) and Louisville went on to win 11 games including beating #3 11-2 Florida in the Sugar Bowl...maybe folks thought that louisville loss was a WTF game and didn't attribute that to UConn's prowess.
 

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