widerberg

Another article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130128/mike-aresco-big-east-school.ap/?sct=hp_t2_a9&eref=sihp Aresco wants 12 schools for FB and BB by 2015 when Navy joins. Multi-network TV deal possible, too.

I'm officially sick of thinking about the B12, the B1G, the ACC. At this point, I just want everything to be over and I think I've talked myself into liking the BE as presented in that East-West map (BE and MWC) from a few pages ago. The one that had Tulsa joining. At this point, I'd be happy with that configuration. No, it's not sexy. No, we'll never play for a NC in that conference. But, I think it would be a fun league with cool road trips and at least for a little while, the champ of that league would get the Access Bowl slot. Not sure we can hope for better than that at this point. Here's some news, too, about BE expansion and, apparently, the FB teams keeping the BE name after all: http://www.newson6.com/story/20731806/aresco-says-big-east-looking-to-add-12th-school On Aresco . . . "He said the Big East wants to keep its name as it rebrands, and no longer has any plans to expand further west than Texas." I'm hoping the 12th team will be Tulsa. It would be nice to get into OK for recruiting, and it's a state the BE doesn't have a presence in. Plus, it's close to the TX teams.

It would be nice, but why in the world would the Big 12 want to align itself in any way with the BE? One of the other "power" conferences, sure. The PAC-12 angle mentioned in the article made sense, geographically and in terms of strength of programs. But, for a "have" conference to get in bed with a "have not," especially one that it's already poached from, I just don't see that happening. If the multi-conference agreement angle actually does work out, then I think it would be good for us in that at least we'll finally have some stability. But, I think if all of the rumored poaching happens and the ACC gets left with only 4 teams (forcing them to reload with us and others from the BE/CUSA), I think we'd end up with the same stability anyway. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Ultimately, it sure looks and feels like it's going to be a Big 4/5 and the rest of us. However you slice it, we're going to be stuck in the "rest of us" side of that equation.

I'd be shocked if FSU and Clemson sit around and watch the ACC get raided again. I'm rather impressed they've hung around this long. It would be almost derelict of either administration to get allow another school to take a spot before them. Those two are the biggest prizes left in the ACC. Agreed. B1G, B12, and SEC all make more money than the ACC. Pretty much every team in the ACC but 4 (Wake, etc.) have reportedly been targeted by one of the Big 4 conferences. I think it's just a matter of time. There's no way FSU, Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech, etc. are going to be left out of the party, and they're not going to willingly sit out. They're Haves and will be scooped up before, or as, the Big 4 close the door on the rest of us.

College football is/was about tradition, largely. The Big East is not a very old conference, was never all that respected (in football), and has just been destroyed in the media over the last few years. I can't imagine why the ACC would give up its brand. Sure, it was never hugely respected as a football conference, either, but was always thought of as better than the BE. It would defy common sense for the ACC to disband and the BE (or whatever it'll be called after the selling off of the name to the C7) absorb it. To me, it's gotta go the other way.

in other words, NACC would pretty much be the old BE, with some retreads (BC, Cuse, Pitt), an ACC stragler (Wake) and a couple of former CUSA squads (UCF, HOU, SMU) thrown in. every team on that list would have been either a member or a prospective member of the BE except Wake. Not to be a ****, I genuinely don't understand. But, I keep seeing this posted on the boards. If the ACC loses just about everybody and we get an invite (and I prefer this to a merger, because I think the Big East name is poison at this point and the ACC name is worth more), why in the world would we still attach ourselves to UCF? I could see this if we were marketing ourselves to the Big12, because maybe to some we don't carry enough upside by ourselves. But, if we're going to the ACC, why bring UCF along? Let them stew in whatever is left of the Big East. Why force parity? . UCF wouldn't be tagging along with the permission of USF, if these scenarios happen to play out like mentioned. I think it'd already be a given. We both would either be in a big east that invites the remaining ACC schools, or the ACC remnants invite at least 8 BE schools and go to 12. Then they could possibly ask to add one or 3 of the C7 non-football (GTown, St. John's and Nova). Of course all of this is based on the speculative rumors, mentioned above. That's fair enough, but I still don't see why the ACC would need two Florida schools, especially two that apparently are considered mid-majors and not all that great. FSU and Miami, I can understand this. Both have large and very different followings. Lots of fans in both cases. Huge history and resumes in both cases. With USF and UCF, we have two cities: Tampa and Orlando. And that's it. I don't see why an ACC that's reloading would use up two conference slots to wrap up two cities in central Florida, an hour apart. It seems to me that the better money would be grabbing an unrelated school in a state where the conference doesn't already have a presence. Now between the two, I've got to think that USF gets the nod due to media market size and the fact that we've been BCS.

If the ACC is left with three or four teams, then, yes, I would think that USF would get an invite. Who else if not USF? With the Catholic 7 leaving, and possibly buying the Big East name, that brand is dead (to us and to football). In any case, I've always thought that the ACC was a better brand with more cache anyways. So, why would the ACC decide to fold or to merge with what used to be the Big East and start over under some inane name like Conference America or whatever? To me, it makes sense for the ACC to reload with the best available teams (and USF would have to be one, I would think) and carry on. There's no real indicator of this happening, but if you look at what's apparently happening, it seems to be the only reasonable outcome. I can't imagine the ACC would just call it a day and quit. And if they have to replenish teams, USF makes sense. Us over UCF at the very least based on our former BCS status. And the ACC would want, I would think, a Florida presence. So no. Well, yeah. Pretty much a no

If the ACC is left with three or four teams, then, yes, I would think that USF would get an invite. Who else if not USF? With the Catholic 7 leaving, and possibly buying the Big East name, that brand is dead (to us and to football). In any case, I've always thought that the ACC was a better brand with more cache anyways. So, why would the ACC decide to fold or to merge with what used to be the Big East and start over under some inane name like Conference America or whatever? To me, it makes sense for the ACC to reload with the best available teams (and USF would have to be one, I would think) and carry on. There's no real indicator of this happening, but if you look at what's apparently happening, it seems to be the only reasonable outcome. I can't imagine the ACC would just call it a day and quit. And if they have to replenish teams, USF makes sense. Us over UCF at the very least based on our former BCS status. And the ACC would want, I would think, a Florida presence.

I would hope we (as a conference) would try to emulate what the SEC is doing and move into new markets (at the state level) to try to get as much as possible out of our (crappy) TV deal. Granted, we don't "own" states like the SEC teams do, but USF would give the ACC a Florida presence and whatever carriage fees that would bring from cable companies. Why not move into another (eastern) state we don't have a presence in rather than double-dip Florida? Yes, Tampa and Orlando would mean more eyeballs than Tampa alone, but I would think, strategically, you want to add states where you currently have zero eyeballs.

in other words, NACC would pretty much be the old BE, with some retreads (BC, Cuse, Pitt), an ACC stragler (Wake) and a couple of former CUSA squads (UCF, HOU, SMU) thrown in. every team on that list would have been either a member or a prospective member of the BE except Wake. Not to be a ****, I genuinely don't understand. But, I keep seeing this posted on the boards. If the ACC loses just about everybody and we get an invite (and I prefer this to a merger, because I think the Big East name is poison at this point and the ACC name is worth more), why in the world would we still attach ourselves to UCF? I could see this if we were marketing ourselves to the Big12, because maybe to some we don't carry enough upside by ourselves. But, if we're going to the ACC, why bring UCF along? Let them stew in whatever is left of the Big East. Why force parity?

If all this goes down, then yes, obviously, I think USF is much better off than we are now. And once the Big 4 super conferences poach everyone they want, we should see some stability for a while. BUT . . . I doubt we'd ever sniff a national championship under this arrangement and isn't that, ultimately, way on down the line, what everyone who plays aspires to? With a four team playoff and four super conferences, that means no one outside the Big 4 will ever get the NC nod. Maybe that's fine, maybe it's not. I just don't like having a ceiling put on USF's potential. If we suck and never sniff an NC, that's one thing. But, if we're prevented from the NC, no matter how good we are, because of the "system," then that sucks. And with the Big 4 hoarding all their TV money and all the good bowls, why would they ever move to a bigger playoff? There would be no incentive if you believe that all of this was orchestrated so that the traditional power schools could consolidate all the money, power, and access. They've built a hundred foot wall between the Haves and Have Nots and we're never getting over, under, or around that wall now.

I agree. That's where we're at. I was just hoping that we might be able to sneak back to the big boy table while no one was looking. Now, ACC, BE, whatever, there won't be a place for us at the big boy table for years and years, if ever. I'd definitely rather be in the New ACC on the outside looking in than the New BE on the outside looking in. It's just not the fate I hoped for USF. In the back of my mind, I was still hoping we'd be up there with UF, FSU, and Miami one day. Now, with sooo much less money and sooo much less TV and sooo much less access, that fantasy is looking bleak.

Not really getting that happy feeling anymore if what's being tweeted pans out. Big12, etc. killing off ACC to leave only four super conferences to suck up most of the TV revenue. Even if we go to the (new) ACC, as others have already mentioned, we'd still be on the outside looking in and we'd still be making a fraction of the money the Big 4 conferences would make. If we stay in NBE or go to NACC, we're still minor league. And once the Big 4 load up with 16 teams each (or whatever), why would they need to expand again? We're hosed. Of course these tweets are just from one guy, but in general I don't think the ACC being poached is going to be quite the opportunity we'd hoped for. The ACC is dead man walking, just like the BE. Greg Swaim Show @GSwaim #BigEast had to go first, and #ACC next, to get down to four. Hoop conferences in a football world, is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Greg Swaim Show @GSwaim They had to blow up once conference to get to four super conferences, and the #ACC was always the obvious choice. Greg Swaim Show @GSwaim Of course it makes sense with TV folks having to deal with four major conferences instead of five. It's cheaper.

FSU, Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech apparently? That would be something. Greg Swaim Show â€@GSwaim @RustyHamiltonTX What I'm trying to find out is how #big12 adding #FSU, #Clemson, #GoCanes & #GT brings enough revenue to pay for itself?

Greg Swaim Show @GSwaim 8m @JustinMarcKeith What appears to be happening is #SEC, #B1G and #Big12 bowing up the #ACC...to no one's surprise outside Tobacco Road. Justin Marc Keith @JustinMarcKeith 5m @GSwaim So Your Gut #14 or #16 in the End ? Greg Swaim Show @GSwaim @JustinMarcKeith In the end 16.

This would make me incredibly happy. But i'm not so sure. Everything I've read seems to show us on the outside looking in. What makes you optimistic? (Not arguing, just looking to latch on to some hope if you've got something tangible)

I like Bull's PAC16 if for no other reason than to deploy the middle finger at the establishment. But, I actually like TCC, too.

The Big East name carries epic amounts of bad juju (at least for FB) now. I say go with something else. I really, really, really, really, really, really, reeeeeeally hope it's not something like Conference America, though. That just sounds really low rent and is way too close to CUSA. In fact, I don't like any conference name with USA or America in the name. It just feels too easy, too much pandering. I'd rather have something like Big 16 (or 14, or 20, or whatever), so something entirely different. Any kind of geographic association is shot, so I'd vote for just Big + however many of us there are.

Pretty safe to say, I would think, that every single school in the BE is trying their hardest to land in other conferences. Whatever the BE TV contract is going to be worth, I doubt it's going to be much more than the $60-80M being reported. I'm sure that's a lowball report as most everyone has stated (negotiations 101), but I don't see us somehow pulling $150M as a conference with those kinds of numbers being reported now and teams still jumping ship. So . . .the money is going to blow, the BE already has zero FB cred and will have less going forward, and we've been relegated to the Little 5 without a guaranteed bowl (only an "opportunity" or "access" to a bowl). So, yeah, whoever isn't trying to get out is just plain dumb.

Yeah, 14th school. Suuuuuuure. With our new TV contract apparently bringing in revenues of 14 cents a ball of lint, I'm not holding out much hope for the conference even holding together long enough for a 14th school to be added. I say that in jest, sort of. It sure feels like the sky is falling.

Yep. And at that point, I doubt the name ACC will exist either. If it truly comes to this, I imagine a new regional conference with a new name and new identity will be formed with the best pieces left. Again, we will still be on the outside of the contract bowls looking in, but with perhaps a better contract. I do not see USF ever being a member of the "ACC". Why do you think that's the case, re: a potential name change? The ACC has pretty good name recognition and is actually almost all Atlantic Coast-ish in terms of geography. Unless they lose their minds and start adding West Coast teams like the BE did, I don't see why they'd want to drop their name. The Big East with half the conference on the west coast is just stupid, but so long as it's east-ish teams that the ACC adds, I think the name makes sense and has history. No need to change it. I know tradition apparently doesn't mean anything in CFB anymore, but hopefully someone, somewhere has a sliver of nostalgia in them and decides not to torpedo every last element of traditional CFB.

That would make my day! Road trip to my second haunt, and some bibimbap at Hankook Taqueria!! Oh, and get to see Tech kill my Bulls. The upside is the Jackets and the Bulls are my two CFB schools so whoever wins and I'll be able to smile.

That's definitely the best scenario I see. What worries me, though, is stuff like the quotes from Nick Saban about there eventually being just 60-70 "real" FBS schools, a bunch of irrelevant ones that are background noise and largely don't play the big dogs, and then FCS. In essence, there'd be 1A, 1AA (us), and 1AAA (what used to be 1AA). In that case, it's pretty much relegation and I question whether we could build a healthy fan base in that situation. But, again, it is what it is. I do like the basketball side of it, though.

This. We don't have a chance. There's no way we're going to compete (for prestige, etc.) with the established powers. Every single person on this board now will be dead and buried by the time USF gets to a point where it's talked about in the same breath as UF and FSU, etc. Maybe if we start winning out consistently, and somehow end up winning a few NCs, we'll be on par with Miami in 20 years. But, the dream many had of USF becoming one of the Big Four in Florida? Not going to happen. And with the way the cards are falling, it won't happen for decades. The ACC is barely legitimized right now, and is always referred to as the lowest of the Big Five conferences. When all the decent football teams leave, the ACC will be the BE. We're too late to the party and we're not getting to the big boy table for another 50 years, if ever. It is what it is.

TV negotiations are on hold, apparently, but bowl tie-ins (such as they are) are still there. TV negotiations are going to pick back up as soon as the dust settles as there's still money to be made. Just hard to negotiate when the musical conferences music is still playing.