BT heading west to add SC and UCLA

[WoadBlue]

If this goes down, then we are headed to 2 super-sized conferences. Nobody else will matter.

Nike money at Oregon is too big to leave behind, so I expect Oregon would be next, along with Washington. The debate would get hot over whether to bother with Cal and/or Stanford. In many ways, it is better to have Arizona and AZ St.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Maybe the Terps can switch their yearly opponents OSU and PSU with the Bruins and the Trojans.

 

[WoadBlue]

The big question is: will there be only 2 Major/Power conferences, or will the ACC be able to survive?

I say that the ACC cannot survive as a Major/Power conference unless ND comes in for full football. And that also all but certainly requires that we cut Wake and perhaps BC, and add Cincy and WVU.

I would prefer that. I want no part of the Big Ten, ever. I would accept SEC with Dook and UVA.

 

[WoadBlue]

Lots of chatter on Twitter that Notre Dame has already agreed to join BT. If so, then UNC needs to get gone ASAP. When this dust clears, unless ND is fully in the ACC, the ACC will be a minor conference and there would be only 2 Major/Power conferences: SEC and BT.

The ACC failure decade after decade to properly pursue football greatness and to expand properly for football guaranteed this day. It was stupid to think basketball was greater than football even in 1957.

 

[blazers]

Acc football divisions are already morphing into something new. I hate to change the rivalry aspects too much, but at this point I wouldn't care if we were part of some super league.

And UNC is an attractive school, we won't be left behind. I'd hate to be app at, wfu or ecu, etc right now though.

 

[tarheel0910]

Going to be interesting to see if the Big and SEC try to continue building out the west coast (which the Big will have to get at least two more) or if they finally say **** it and go after a top ACC school. There's going to be a lot of money for both leagues coming in. Enough to negotiate a serious buyout. UNC needs to be filling people out behind the scenes to find out how quickly we can move. Unfortunately the ACC won't last as a power conference and we don't want to be the last to go.

 

[KVHeel]

You could make a good conference by joining the ACC with select remnants of the remaining Big12 & Pac10, even without Notre Dame. I’d argue it might be the be on par with the other two behemoths.

A “Pacific Division with (will have to get over their distaste for the smaller, religious-affiliated schools):
Oregon
Washington
Utah
Stanford
Arizona
Arizona State
Cal

“Central”
BYU (yes, I know)
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Houston
Baylor
TCU

“Eastern”
Syracuse
Boston College
Pitt
Virginia
vpI
WFU
Louisville

“Southern”
Carolina
mooU
dook
Clemson
GT
FSU
Miami

6 division games + 1 from each other division. Winners of each division play 2 game playoff ($$$) to determine champion. Tell the other conferences that you’re down with a 12 team playoff, as long as each of the 3 conferences get 4 teams included, there’s a 12 game regular season max, and that all break away football from the NCAA.

Quibble with the divisions, if you will. And I realize that it isn’t exactly a murderer’s row (that “Eastern” division is a particularly worrisome, except perhaps Louisville.) and this would likely be viewed as the weakest football conference of the three, at least for now. Added revenue from the new deal and an interesting pitch to recruits (nationwide travel and exposure) could change some of these programs pretty quickly. The “Southern” division has the potential to be on the same footing as the SEC West, if FSU and Miami get back to their former glory and we do…something. Plus, someone has to win every year anyway, right?

Is this ideal? No. Is this unwieldy? Absolutely. Still, it saves these teams from falling under the thumb of mouth-breathing, chest-thumpers, either of the deep Southern or Midwestern varieties.

I’d think it could draw comparable dollars to what those other two are going to be raking in, especially with national brands like Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Clemson, Miami, etc. It would a great inventory of potential matchups, a full day’s worth of games, from noon EST to well past midnight. Olympic sports (as if they matter in all this) would be outstanding, on par or better than the other two. It creates the best basketball conference as well, with Carolina, KU, Arizona, Louisville, Houston, Baylor, etc. Pretty damn good baseball too. Follow it up with a first-rate production/marketing/branding arm and you’re cooking with gas.

It’s a nice mix of small, private institutions and large, state universities; some pretty good AAU schools on there that might make it more interesting to some of the academic-types. It’s got some great travel destinations: Chapel Hill, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Charlottesville, Lawrence, Boulder, and more. And experiences? We’ve got’em. I mean, imagine the experience of a Wake fan walking into Autzen Stadium for the first time or a Stanford fan being able to smell what a shithole Durham is? Plus, it keeps regional rivalries and what little conference history remains intact, for the most part. A conference that big, with that many big brands and that much to offer, would get paid while blocking any major potential move of the other two conferences. Who’d they expand with that could add any value?

Oh, and I wouldn’t be shy about asking Texas, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame if they’d have any interest in joining. Seems like it might be attractive. If they said yes, slot ND in the “Eastern”, UT & OU in the “Central” (moving Colorado to the “Pacific”.) Then pick up the best available left in the South, maybe UCF. It might not hurt to kick the tires on Vandy, Scar, Florida, or Kentucky either. If the money is similar, who knows?

Pipe dream, I know. Just want to say f u to the sec and big. I hate this. None of this is for you, fellow poasters; it’s just to get it out of me. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all in Minnesota in late November ‘25.

 

[WoadBlue]

You could make a good conference by joining the ACC with select remnants of the remaining Big12 & Pac10, even without Notre Dame. I’d argue it might be the be on par with the other two behemoths.

A “Pacific Division with (will have to get over their distaste for the smaller, religious-affiliated schools):
Oregon
Washington
Utah
Stanford
Arizona
Arizona State
Cal

“Central”
BYU (yes, I know)
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Houston
Baylor
TCU

“Eastern”
Syracuse
Boston College
Pitt
Virginia
vpI
WFU
Louisville

“Southern”
Carolina
mooU
dook
Clemson
GT
FSU
Miami

6 division games + 1 from each other division. Winners of each division play 2 game playoff ($$$) to determine champion. Tell the other conferences that you’re down with a 12 team playoff, as long as each of the 3 conferences get 4 teams included, there’s a 12 game regular season max, and that all break away football from the NCAA.

Quibble with the divisions, if you will. And I realize that it isn’t exactly a murderer’s row (that “Eastern” division is a particularly worrisome, except perhaps Louisville.) and this would likely be viewed as the weakest football conference of the three, at least for now. Added revenue from the new deal and an interesting pitch to recruits (nationwide travel and exposure) could change some of these programs pretty quickly. The “Southern” division has the potential to be on the same footing as the SEC West, if FSU and Miami get back to their former glory and we do…something. Plus, someone has to win every year anyway, right?

Is this ideal? No. Is this unwieldy? Absolutely. Still, it saves these teams from falling under the thumb of mouth-breathing, chest-thumpers, either of the deep Southern or Midwestern varieties.

I’d think it could draw comparable dollars to what those other two are going to be raking in, especially with national brands like Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Clemson, Miami, etc. It would a great inventory of potential matchups, a full day’s worth of games, from noon EST to well past midnight. Olympic sports (as if they matter in all this) would be outstanding, on par or better than the other two. It creates the best basketball conference as well, with Carolina, KU, Arizona, Louisville, Houston, Baylor, etc. Pretty damn good baseball too. Follow it up with a first-rate production/marketing/branding arm and you’re cooking with gas.

It’s a nice mix of small, private institutions and large, state universities; some pretty good AAU schools on there that might make it more interesting to some of the academic-types. It’s got some great travel destinations: Chapel Hill, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Charlottesville, Lawrence, Boulder, and more. And experiences? We’ve got’em. I mean, imagine the experience of a Wake fan walking into Autzen Stadium for the first time or a Stanford fan being able to smell what a shithole Durham is? Plus, it keeps regional rivalries and what little conference history remains intact, for the most part. A conference that big, with that many big brands and that much to offer, would get paid while blocking any major potential move of the other two conferences. Who’d they expand with that could add any value?

Oh, and I wouldn’t be shy about asking Texas, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame if they’d have any interest in joining. Seems like it might be attractive. If they said yes, slot ND in the “Eastern”, UT & OU in the “Central” (moving Colorado to the “Pacific”.) Then pick up the best available left in the South, maybe UCF. It might not hurt to kick the tires on Vandy, Scar, Florida, or Kentucky either. If the money is similar, who knows?

Pipe dream, I know. Just want to say f u to the sec and big. I hate this. None of this is for you, fellow poasters; it’s just to get it out of me. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all in Minnesota in late November ‘25.

The SEC and BT each could expand to 24 or even 32 have enough fan interest to have 4 divisions and have division champs play eqach other like today's playpffs to win the Conference Championship, and then have SEC and BT champs meet for the CFB Super Bowl. And that would make them a fortune.

It is impossible for the ACC to do that because adding geography means next to nothing: see BC. No school worth anything big is going to join the ACC. If we booted Wake and BC and replaced them with WVU and Cincy, our football might be a bit better, and WVU would give us another school like VT with a small version of an SEC fan base, but that would raise our money only a little bit.

I do think that if we were not bound to that ESPN contract, that we could shop the ACC today and get more money from either CBS or NBC. The ACC trusted ESPN for everything because the ACC still had leadership that assumed that ACC basketball was too big to ever screw over. But SEC football to ACC basketball is like New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to Triple A baseball.

And now ACC football has offended SEC football. I expect that ESPN intends to make the SEC happy by helping it gut the ACC.

If UNC's leadership has brains it already has proposed what I think is the only plan that could save most of the ACC within a super-sized SEC.

All the way back to the days after Choo Choo graduated, UNC has had leadership that has acted stupidly in regard to football, over and over. If this bunch follows that pattern, UNC could end up in what amounts a new SoCon: minor league.

 

[midline]

Interesting times. And I can easily see Clemson, FSU, and Miami, becoming very serious about wanting to get into the SEC. It's a business and that is where the money is. Also would feel that at some point the SEC would come for UNC. But think UNC would want Big 10. Failing UNC, the SEC might go after State. This might be the beginning of the end of the ACC as any kind of relevant power conference. And in truth the ACC and the Pac 12 may have brought it on themselves. They voted against playoff expansion. So the direction of the business of college ball changed direction. We can wax romantic about the ACC all we want, but it doesn't stop reality. Tradition, loyalty, mean nothing. It is little more than a bottom line business, and schools and conferences will react accordingly.

 

[tarheel0910]

And now ACC football has offended SEC football. I expect that ESPN intends to make the SEC happy by helping it gut the ACC.

I don't see them helping it. They have to be smart enough to know teams they don't want to lose would go to the Big. They don't want Fox to have control of UNC and other big brand name schools. I think if they do anything, it will be to help the ACC in court when the GofR fight happens. They know they will lose some good brands at some point, so they'll want to keep them around as long as possible.

 

[Xlance]

Lots of chatter on Twitter that Notre Dame has already agreed to join BT. If so, then UNC needs to get gone ASAP. When this dust clears, unless ND is fully in the ACC, the ACC will be a minor conference and there would be only 2 Major/Power conferences: SEC and BT.

The ACC failure decade after decade to properly pursue football greatness and to expand properly for football guaranteed this day. It was stupid to think basketball was greater than football even in 1957.

If so you might want to go ahead and get your tickets to the State Courthouse in Greensboro, we're liable to see an epic trial or the ACC will walk away with a mega settlement.

 

[KVHeel]

The SEC and BT each could expand to 24 or even 32 have enough fan interest to have 4 divisions and have division champs play eqach other like today's playpffs to win the Conference Championship, and then have SEC and BT champs meet for the CFB Super Bowl. And that would make them a fortune.

It is impossible for the ACC to do that because adding geography means next to nothing: see BC. No school worth anything big is going to join the ACC. If we booted Wake and BC and replaced them with WVU and Cincy, our football might be a bit better, and WVU would give us another school like VT with a small version of an SEC fan base, but that would raise our money only a little bit.

I do think that if we were not bound to that ESPN contract, that we could shop the ACC today and get more money from either CBS or NBC. The ACC trusted ESPN for everything because the ACC still had leadership that assumed that ACC basketball was too big to ever screw over. But SEC football to ACC basketball is like New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to Triple A baseball.

And now ACC football has offended SEC football. I expect that ESPN intends to make the SEC happy by helping it gut the ACC.

If UNC's leadership has brains it already has proposed what I think is the only plan that could save most of the ACC within a super-sized SEC.

All the way back to the days after Choo Choo graduated, UNC has had leadership that has acted stupidly in regard to football, over and over. If this bunch follows that pattern, UNC could end up in what amounts a new SoCon: minor league.

Geography isn’t the reason that it won’t work; that’s ridiculous. If anything, a nationwide conference that focuses on and sells its regional divisions would be nothing but a positive. That really doesn’t matter now though.

No, the real reason it won’t work is because decisions are being made out of fear and desperation. The very thing that has led us to this point is the very thing you (and most folks I’ve seen) seem to be arguing we do again. Uh oh, things are scary, let’s blow everything up and save ourselves!! Quick, run hat in hand and beg Mississippi State or Rutgers for a place at their table. Lol it’s embarrassing to see our beloved University and fanbase so desperate. Football is a whore’s business and we’re frantically putting on our makeup before falling in line to see which john picks us. I’d rather be poor than turn tricks personally. Still, I can see the red light is on, Roxanne; I can see where this is going.

 

[tarheel0910]

Geography isn’t the reason that it won’t work; that’s ridiculous. If anything, a nationwide conference that focuses on and sells its regional divisions would be nothing but a positive. That really doesn’t matter now though.

No, the real reason it won’t work is because decisions are being made out of fear and desperation. The very thing that has led us to this point is the very thing you (and most folks I’ve seen) seem to be arguing we do again. Uh oh, things are scary, let’s blow everything up and save ourselves!! Quick, run hat in hand and beg Mississippi State or Rutgers for a place at their table. Lol it’s embarrassing to see our beloved University and fanbase so desperate. Football is a whore’s business and we’re frantically putting on our makeup before falling in line to see which john picks us. I’d rather be poor than turn tricks personally. Still, I can see the red light is on, Roxanne; I can see where this is going.

So you would rather see us in a mid major conference that can't compete with the major conferences? I fail to see how that's a better situation than joining the Big.

 

[sammyk]

Again football is driving this bus so UNC would fit in very well in the BIG

 

[blazers]

Again football is driving this bus so UNC would fit in very well in the BIG

For some reason I like the fit better bball-wise too. Maybe all the big10/acc challenges.

 

[WoadBlue]

Geography isn’t the reason that it won’t work; that’s ridiculous. If anything, a nationwide conference that focuses on and sells its regional divisions would be nothing but a positive. That really doesn’t matter now though.

No, the real reason it won’t work is because decisions are being made out of fear and desperation. The very thing that has led us to this point is the very thing you (and most folks I’ve seen) seem to be arguing we do again. Uh oh, things are scary, let’s blow everything up and save ourselves!! Quick, run hat in hand and beg Mississippi State or Rutgers for a place at their table. Lol it’s embarrassing to see our beloved University and fanbase so desperate. Football is a whore’s business and we’re frantically putting on our makeup before falling in line to see which john picks us. I’d rather be poor than turn tricks personally. Still, I can see the red light is on, Roxanne; I can see where this is going.

Back after the Choo Choo days when the UNC administration decided it wanted to rein in Tar Heel football to avoid 'professionalism,' it chose to go all in for the most professionalized basketball it could buy. The stance apparently was that as football was bigger than basketball, professionalized football would be less so and therefore perhaps tolerable.

What they achieved was not stopping professionalization of major college sports but of handcuffing the UNC athletics department and using those handcuffs to help keep ACC football in check.

And the result of that is what we face.

 

[tarheel0910]

Kinda telling that the ACC isn't mentioned in this article.

What we know about Big Ten rights negotiations

ESPN has pulled out of negotiations for one of the Big Ten’s packages. Where do the other options stand?

theathletic.com

 

[Archer2]

Back after the Choo Choo days when the UNC administration decided it wanted to rein in Tar Heel football to avoid 'professionalism,' it chose to go all in for the most professionalized basketball it could buy. The stance apparently was that as football was bigger than basketball, professionalized football would be less so and therefore perhaps tolerable.

What they achieved was not stopping professionalization of major college sports but of handcuffing the UNC athletics department and using those handcuffs to help keep ACC football in check.

And the result of that is what we face.

BS. Your hatred for basketball taints all your posts.

 

[WoadBlue]

BS. Your hatred for basketball taints all your posts.

I don't hate basketball. I simply know how much bigger football is and how much UNC over the decades has acted to make and keep basketball as the school's big sport.

 

[WoadBlue]

So you would rather see us in a mid major conference that can't compete with the major conferences? I fail to see how that's a better situation than joining the Big.

It's not. It would mean we lose a non-revenue sport or 2 or 3, as well as lose all standing in football and most of our standing in basketball (unless we played Big East basketball).

Now that ESPN losing all of the BT, ESPN should want to shore up the ACC.

 

[tarheel0910]

It's not. It would mean we lose a non-revenue sport or 2 or 3, as well as lose all standing in football and most of our standing in basketball (unless we played Big East basketball).

Now that ESPN losing all of the BT, ESPN should want to shore up the ACC.

I don't think they are worried about doing that right now because of the GofR. They probably have around five years before that is necessary. I think they would rather have the big ACC brands in the SEC instead of keeping the ACC as is. If they can guarantee that the big brands go there, that would be more beneficial to them.

 

[WoadBlue]

I don't think they are worried about doing that right now because of the GofR. They probably have around five years before that is necessary. I think they would rather have the big ACC brands in the SEC instead of keeping the ACC as is. If they can guarantee that the big brands go there, that would be more beneficial to them.

And that is the reason that UNC should be readying a group to choose the BT over the SEC and ESPN if ESPN strings us along for the slow kill.