USF & Louisville to ACC?

[Guest]

I honestly don't think academics have **** to do with the situation. Nor does basketball.

This whole conference expansion, is ALL ABOUT FOOTBALL.

If the ACC were to lose FSU, they'd need someone from a large market, otherwise their TV deal with ESPN/ABC is gonna drop.

Well... the AD at NotreDame would beg to differ:

Among the myths growing in the information vacuum is that this is an athletic issue -- all about the TV revenue, right? The reality, Swarbrick said, is that this is being driven much more by the academic side of campus at most schools than by the athletic side. Presidents and chancellors see this as a rare opportunity to change their educational neighborhood and better their universities in the process.

"If there's anything about this I think is widely misunderstood, it's the extent to which academic decisions are influencing this," Swarbrick said. "They sort of underline the very discussion here in a way the general sports fan can't really appreciate."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=5267138

[Apis Bull]

to add to my point it is good to have an in conference in-state rival.  I believe with the good relations we have with miami, they would go to bat for us.  florida has wanted to add fsu for awhile now.  They understand the importance of an in-state rival.

The bigger issue for Florida is another home OCC game.  Moving FSU from non-conference to in-conference would free up another slot... probably for another  home game.

You would think that if these conferences went to 16, that they would increase the number of conference games.  If you have two 8 team divisions, I can't see them only playing each team in one's division and then only one from the other division.

[Guest]

to add to my point it is good to have an in conference in-state rival. I believe with the good relations we have with miami, they would go to bat for us. florida has wanted to add fsu for awhile now. They understand the importance of an in-state rival.

The bigger issue for Florida is another home OCC game. Moving FSU from non-conference to in-conference would free up another slot... probably for another home game.

You would think that if these conferences went to 16, that they would increase the number of conference games. If you have two 8 team divisions, I can't see them only playing each team in one's division and then only one from the other division.

Well, I'm not sure you could realistically do 10+ conference games per year without expanding the season from 12 to 13-14 games. I don't see that happening.

You could see the opposite - a 7-game season like the Big East - with no interdivisional play.

I think it will be 9 games - with one permanent cross-division opponent and one rotating cross-division opponent.

[Cow Pie]

So, people on the FSU boards that I read are talking about rumors they're hearing from SEC big boosters, saying that FSU and Clemson will join the SEC to bring the conference to 14 teams.

There was also a guy on the radio yesterday who said the ACC wants USF.

So maybe we'll see USF and Louisville head to the ACC when all is said and done.

I heard from a BIG Ga Tech booster that is in my family... I mean BIG booster (million dollar level) that the SEC is going to take FSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and one more school.

[MikeG]

to add to my point it is good to have an in conference in-state rival.  I believe with the good relations we have with miami, they would go to bat for us.  florida has wanted to add fsu for awhile now.  They understand the importance of an in-state rival.

The bigger issue for Florida is another home OCC game.  Moving FSU from non-conference to in-conference would free up another slot... probably for another  home game.

You would think that if these conferences went to 16, that they would increase the number of conference games.  If you have two 8 team divisions, I can't see them only playing each team in one's division and then only one from the other division.

Well, I'm not sure you could realistically do 10+ conference games per year without expanding the season from 12 to 13-14 games.  I don't see that happening.

You could see the opposite - a 7-game season like the Big East - with no interdivisional play.

I think it will be 9 games - with one permanent cross-division opponent and one rotating cross-division opponent.

that makes a lot of sense

In the end, I think USF ends up in a revised ACC when the dust settles. If both Pac 10 and Big 10 go to 16 teams, the Big 12 will be completely absorbed into other conferences (poor Baylor may end up in CUSA). That move may force the ACC and/or SEC to consider going to 16 teams also which would absorb the Big East and perhaps some others (TCU, BYU, Boise State etc). I have no problem with this since our conference setup is  a bit queer with 16 hoops teams and 8 football.

The SEC really doesn't need to increase in size-- they could stand pat and still be just as powerful as these other 16 team mega conferences. However adding a few teams might not be a terrible idea either if they are a good fit (Clemson and Georgia Tech perhaps).

The ACC might want to add 4 (or 6) more and if that is the case, I can see perhaps USF, UL, WVU, UConn, ECU, and Cinci heading that direction. 3 of the other 4 football schools will get absorbed into the Big Ten (most likely Cuse, Pitt, and Rutgers).

The teams from the Big 12 that are left could jump on to a new conference completely, using the stronger teams from the Mountain West etc.

I doubt that whatever happens, we end up in a worse situation than being in the often maligned Big East. But anything is possible with this many balls in the air. Throw tradition out the door in this money grab and be thankful we have a big TV market backing us up.

[bullwark]

Mike G, you summed up the current conference re-alignments correctly with "money grab".

[Mama_Bull]

Mike G, you summed up the current conference re-alignments correctly with "money grab".

That's why I always laugh as soon as somebody says something is not about the money.

[2000bull]

I was just attempting to explain that the $5 mil penalty to leave the conference is in addition to giving 27 months notice.

Of course, a school could negotiate with the Big East to leave sooner, but if it just decided on its own to go early to another conference then the Big East has the legal power to stop them.

The 27 months notice requirement was put in in order for the Big East to have sufficient time to get their ducks in a row, by adding other teams so that there would not be chaos within the conference during the transition.

Wasn't trying to sound like I was correcting you, as you are absolutely right about the legal ramifications.

Just pointing out what is more likely - a negotiated settlement of sorts.

Although, let me tell you, the left-overs in the Big 12 will get RICH over the next two years.  Anyone leaving must give up 50% of their conference revenue for two years - which is then split among the remaining teams. 

If the Big 12 requires more than 8 votes to "settle" any expedited departure, then Baylor, ISU, KU, and KSU hold some powerful cards... what they could earn in two years is more than what USF has earned from the Big East AND C-USA combined.

Well, I don't know the specifics about the Big 12. I do know, however, that there have been a number of recent articles suggesting that because of the great number of expected defections, the Big 12 will be forced to disband and schools leaving therefore won't be required to pay the hefty penalties that they would otherise be required if it remained intact.

I read in another article that the move would be in 2 yrs, 2012-2013

and they give up 1/2 their conference earnings.

[smazza]

as i knew all along

[SRQ]

it has got to bite to be Iowa State