Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

[bigbob]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Boise State has told the Big East it has no plans of changing their mind and staying with the Mountain West.

Boise State, which has been in recent talks with the Mountain West Conference about staying in the league instead of leaving next year, has reaffirmed its commitment to join the Big East, a conference official told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.

[capn_razzamataz]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

This has probably been posted in here already but the WAC is reportedly contacting east coast teams in a desperation move to keep the conference alive by forming an east division. They definitely contacted JMU, which likely means the other current-FCS/FBS-hopeful teams (App. State, Delaware, Liberty, etc.) were contacted as well.

JMU apparently already told them to eff off, but if you can get some additional larger east-coast FCS schools/forgotten FBS schools (think Towson, Jax State, GA Southern, etc., plus those listed earlier) on board, you could form a nice little reject FBS conference.

Sure, it would be pretty awkward (geographically) if it was primarily east coast with NMSU and Idaho as outliers, but that's not as bad as the Big East.

[superjames1992]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Sure, it would be pretty awkward if it was primarily east coast with NMSU and Idaho as outliers, but that's not as bad as the Big East.

I don't know. Having a conference that is known as the Western Athletic Conference primarily consist of teams from the Eastern Seaboard is about as bad as it gets. At least the Big East is still primarily anchored in the East, and really still the Northeastern United States, for the most part.

Of course, if the WAC changed its name, my point would be moot.

[capn_razzamataz]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I don't know. Having a conference that is known as the Western Athletic Conference primarily consist of teams from the Eastern Seaboard is about as bad as it gets. At least the Big East is still primarily anchored in the East, and really still the Northeastern United States, for the most part.

Of course, if the WAC changed its name, my point would be moot.

I was talking in terms of geographic footprint. But yeah, it would be VERY awkward to have an east coast-based conference called the Western Athletic Conference.

[superjames1992]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I was talking in terms of geographic footprint. But yeah, it would be VERY awkward to have an east coast-based conference called the Western Athletic Conference.

True.

Anyways...

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13419504/john-swofford-gets-yelled-at-by-a-prominent-acc-official

[p_rushing]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

True.

Anyways...

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13419504/john-swofford-gets-yelled-at-by-a-prominent-acc-official

The football schools will have to leave the ACC now with the new Big 12/SEC bowl game. The ACC has no one else to play now. They can play the BE winner and get even less money, further separating them from the top money earners. This also could for the ACC champion out of the playoff.

[TDenverFan]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I think the ACC will be fine. Their TV deal is pretty good, IIRC.

[superjames1992]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I think the ACC will be fine. Their TV deal is pretty good, IIRC.

Not really. The Big East might get a better deal than the ACC did when they negotiate for their new TV contract next year as the Big East will be able to go on the open market and court NBC Sports, ESPN, etc.

[SafetyGreen]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...text|FRONTPAGE more SEC expansion?? I've long been saying if NC State was smart they'd do all they can to get into the SEC. Football school among Bball schools. Good Baseball and rising basketball and football. Good markets in Raleigh and Charlotte. State?

[TheBrothers24]

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...text|FRONTPAGE more SEC expansion?? I've long been saying if NC State was smart they'd do all they can to get into the SEC. Football school among Bball schools. Good Baseball and rising basketball and football. Good markets in Raleigh and Charlotte. State?

NC State is a football school?

[p_rushing]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...text|FRONTPAGE more SEC expansion?? I've long been saying if NC State was smart they'd do all they can to get into the SEC. Football school among Bball schools. Good Baseball and rising basketball and football. Good markets in Raleigh and Charlotte. State?

The SEC will expand if the Big 12 does. The SEC has gone about it differently by wanting to expand their footprint. The Big 12 doesn't care about footprint, they want viewers. If the SEC continues with the same plan, they will most likely dilute the money as the ACC did because those teams don't add any even though they increase the footprint.

NC State would just give them a middle of the pack team just like the other 2 teams they already added. The SEC will need to go after the same teams that the Big 12 is trying to get from the ACC.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I can see FSU leaving for the SEC if that ever becomes an option, still don't think they will leave for the Big 12.

[lonewolf371]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I can see FSU leaving for the SEC if that ever becomes an option, still don't think they will leave for the Big 12.

I might be okay with that. They could fit in well.

[Hooe]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Not really. The Big East might get a better deal than the ACC did when they negotiate for their new TV contract next year as the Big East will be able to go on the open market and court NBC Sports, ESPN, etc.

With what assets might they be able to get a better television deal? What do they have that's worth fighting over? The vast majority of the most valuable programs the Big East has produced are now in other conferences, and before basketball is mentioned, remember that football drives the bus, so-to-speak (not even accounting for the ACC's own basketball tradition and assets). Does Boise State's football program alone really carry that much national weight to leverage that sort of TV deal?

As I cross-posted in the other thread having talked with my brother about this, the ACC arguably will be fine so long as their television deal remains intact with ESPN (who is likely pulling many if not all of the strings on conference expansion) and as long as the NCAA remains intact.

[Hooe]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Also, I offer a tangential point, specifically with regard to Virginia Tech being a target for the SEC - or any other conference - upon a conference expansion event (for lack of a better phrase). I've probably voiced this in this forum before, but it bears repeating.

Virginia Tech is arguably the top football asset in the ACC at this point, they've been the most consistent team in the ACC for at least the past half-decade and likely have as much national visibility as Florida State or Miami at this point. Thanks to state politics, however, they aren't going to be able to go anywhere unless Virginia's interests are also protected.

When the ACC was originally expanding by bringing in Miami and Boston College, you may remember that the original plan was for the third team to be Syracuse to give the ACC a presence in the northeast and specifically New York (rather than to have Boston as the one outlier school). The ACC did not have the necessary votes to back this, as Virginia would not vote for such a plan (all four Carolina schools were opposed to expansion, and Virginia was the fifth tie-breaking vote; the ACC had nine members at the time).

The reason Virginia would not vote for this expansion plan was that then-Virginia state governor Mark Warner threatened to cut off all public funding from the state to UVa should they vote for any ACC expansion plan that did not sufficiently protect (read: include) Virginia Tech. It's likely that, if Virginia Tech were to consider such a conference move that might damage UVa, the state government would once again step in.

Basically, the Hoos and the Hokies are likely attached at the hip, thanks to state politics, and this will be a thorn in the side of any expansion effort involving Virginia Tech's removal from the ACC.