Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see UMass in the Big East eventually.


Though I'd rather see ECU than BYU in the Big East. But we've lost all sense of geographical identity when firggin San Diego St. is in the Big East.

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

It's a sad day when BYU is the most logical choice for the big East....

What about ECU?

Yea, they make since and are a true and true football school first. Dowdy-Fickland is always packed with 50,000 strong compared to others who will be in the Big East.

[Blue]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I don't see the Big East staying with 13 teams when Navy comes along, they should add ECU then.

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Although I might be biased, what about UMass to the Big East? I'm sure Connecticut wants to have their annual 37-0 blowouts count towards the conference title.

UMASS should be an option based on current logic of grabbing football playing schools in or near large markets. I get the feeling BYU and Air Force are pipe dreams. BYU is taking well to Independence and I just don't think Air Force is all that interested. Otherwise Air Force who have accepted the first time. Besides, BYU wants the Big 12 more than anything because of the ability to keep their third tier rights and place them on BYUtv. Hell Navy might even back out in the end. 2015 is a looooong time from now.

But honestly, ECU really should be the pick in the end based on logic. However, this crap has never been based on logic. Nebraska to the Big 10, Texas A&M to the SEC, Colorado to the Pac-12 made sense on many levels. The rest of the moves lost me. LOL

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I don't see the Big East staying with 13 teams when Navy comes along, they should add ECU then.

I still think Navy may reconsider. People forget the diaster that was Army in CUSA. Besides, Navy could lose some rivalries that they deem important. Yes Army and Air Force will stay, but what about Notre Dame and Maryland.

[gordogg24p]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

I really hope Air Force doesn't join the Big East. I was heartbroken enough when Hans Mueh started talking about how he had to turn the Big 12 down for recruiting reasons. Seeing them do something ridiculous like join the Big East would simply be too much for my soul to handle.

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Notre Dame to the ACC in all sports except football. The Irish will play 5 Football games versus ACC teams per year.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8369070/sources-notre-dame-football-acc

Man, I know the Big East keeps arguing that they are still part of the Big six, but they keep hemorrhaging members.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Okay, I knew they had a three team deal with the Big East, so this makes a little more sense. They are virtually a football member with that many games, but they can keep their rivalries mostly in tact.

Southern California
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Navy
5 ACC teams
2 "Non Conference" games

EDIT: Here's a big part of the story:

"We are able to maintain our historic independence in football, join in the ACC's non-BCS bowl package, and provide a new and extremely competitive home for our other sports."

So Notre Dame gets to have its pie and eat it as well. I wonder if they are eligible for the ACC Football Championship.

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Okay, I knew they had a three team deal with the Big East, so this makes a little more sense. They are virtually a football member with that many games, but they can keep their rivalries mostly in tact.

Southern California
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Navy
5 ACC teams
2 "Non Conference" games

Yes, it is a win-win for both. However, it is a bit of a suprise on the behalf of the ACC. The ACC has repeatedly said that if the ACC sponsors a sport, you have to be a member of it including football. I thought the Big XII would have been the option if Notre Dame left the Big East.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Yes, it is a win-win for both. However, it is a bit of a suprise on the behalf of the ACC. The ACC has repeatedly said that if the ACC sponsors a sport, you have to be a member of it including football. I thought the Big XII would have been the option if Notre Dame left the Big East.

This is only conjecture, but I have a feeling that Notre Dame was shopping this around and the ACC just bit on it. That would be especially true if the Big XII was the other conference in the fight. Having Notre Dame five times per year is a big bonus for the ACC, and they've secured their right to be in the new playoff.

[TheBrothers24]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

One huge part of the story for the ACC is the fact the members all voted to increase the exit fee to 50 mil. Now if FSU, VT, GT or Clemson leave they will pay a crazy amount to switch conferences.

ACC gets the exposure form playing 5 games against ND and just made it extremely difficult(if at all) for it's big time football programs to leave.

[gordogg24p]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

One huge part of the story for the ACC is the fact the members all voted to increase the exit fee to 50 mil. Now if FSU, VT, GT or Clemson leave they will pay a crazy amount to switch conferences.

That means almost nothing when you get right down to it. Those bylaws are just best case scenario guidelines once the lawyers get involved. Between Texas A&M, Mizzou, Colorado, and Nebraska, Big 12 bylaws were asking $100 million for the exit fees. They actually paid less than $40 million. Not to mention how the Big 12's lawyers worked WVU right out of the Big East bylaws. If FSU, VT, GT, or Clemson wants to leave, they will and likely without incurring the massive penalties the ACC will try to force on them.

[coogrfan]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Anyone else find it curious that the good folks in Bristol, who are currently involved in negotiations with the Big East, failed to say so much as a word about this until it was a done deal? It's not like they've ever shown the slightest hint of reluctance to report the various rumors involving realignment in the past.

ESPN is the worst thing to happen to college sports in my lifetime.

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

Anyone else find it curious that the good folks in Bristol, who are currently involved in negotiations with the Big East, failed to say so much as a word about this until it was a done deal? It's not like they've ever shown the slightest hint of reluctance to report the various rumors involving realignment in the past.

ESPN is the worst thing to happen to college sports in my lifetime.

I agree to an extent Coogrfan, however the ACC has played its expansion targets very close to the vest. The Syracuse and Pitt stories broke on a Saturday morning while Marinatto was at a football game and they were members the next day and then this. I totally didn't see this coming. Like him or hate him, Swoffard has been a straight assassin when getting the members he wants and there are no leaks before hand. I am sure ESPN gave Notre Dame a heads up that it would sweeten the ACC's tv deal if they moved their sports over to the ACC. That is the only reason this went down. The ACC is giving up a cornerstone of it's founding principles of that all members MUST be a member in every sport and that includes football.

Yes, ESPN has been a thorn in the Big East side but they have only themselves to blame for this fiasco by not accepting a pretty good offer last year. Their leverage is getting less and less in negoiations and as much as the new commish is trying to sell the Big East, it keeps getting worse.

The Big East's hail mary was hoping that NBC would hop on and give them a huge contract that put them up there with the ACC and Big Ten in terms of money near 17-19 million. However, without Notre Dame, this puts this is major doubt.

NBC may be still interested so they can get more programming on NBC sports network, but the value took a hit when Notre Dame left because you had great synergy with Notre Dame football anchoring Big East games throughout the day on both NBC and NBC sports network.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

That's another point in that the Big East always had Notre Dame in a minor form of this agreement in the past. Now, the Big East is in dire straits, and they don't have a television deal to fall back on. Any football team that is still there is in a world of pain because their chances for inclusion in a national football playoff just went from rare to zero.

This is just amazing how Notre Dame and the ACC worked this out. I wouldn't be surprised if two more teams join within the next six months.