USF/Big East Realignment Discussion Thread

[SRQ]

Big Ten is the last,best chance for USF to get in a super conference if there are only four.  This round is all about 'footprint' and TV dollars.  Big10 could see the Florida market as very attractive and take the Bulls as their 16th member.

[79 Bull]

What really sucks in all this is that Pitt's Nordenberg is chairman of the BE exec committee and he keeps his school's intent from the comish??  I'm no lawyer, but the guy should be sued for orchestrating his school's move out and putting the TV contract negotiation on hold without disclosing it to all BE members as a conflict of interest.  Now we all know why he did it.

[Raetus]

Unfortunately, I remember reading that the Big East doesn't have any rules that say a member must notify other members that they are applying to another conference.

[79 Bull]

Unfortunately, I remember reading that the Big East doesn't have any rules that say a member must notify other members that they are applying to another conference.

Yeah, but c'mon - the chairman of the exec committee keeping a secret from the commissioner and the other members to up his stock and revenue for his team.  It's like friggin insider trading by a board chairman and the CEO/President of the company has no clue.

[79 Bull]

So it's official.

http://www.theacc.com/genrel/091811aaa.html

Sept. 18, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to accept the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University as new members. The invitation followed the submission of letters of application from both universities.

“The ACC is a strong united conference that is only going to get better with the addition of the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University,†said Duke University President Richard Broadhead, chair of the ACC Council of Presidents. “Both schools are committed to competing at the highest level of academics and athletics. We welcome them as full partners in the ACC.â€

“The ACC has enjoyed a rich tradition by balancing academics and athletics and the addition of Pitt and Syracuse further strengthens the ACC culture in this regard,†said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford. “Pittsburgh and Syracuse also serve to enhance the ACC’s reach into the states of New York and Pennsylvania and geographically bridges our footprint between Maryland and Massachusetts. With the addition of Pitt and Syracuse, the ACC will cover virtually the entire Eastern Seaboard of the United States.â€

“This is an exciting day for the University of Pittsburgh. We have a long history of competing and collaborating with the distinguished universities that already are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and have enormous respect for both their academic strengths and their athletic accomplishments,†said University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg. “In looking to our own future, we could not envision a better conference home for Pitt and are grateful to the Council of Presidents for extending an invitation to join the ACC community.â€

"We are very excited to be joining the ACC. This is a tremendous opportunity for Syracuse, and with its outstanding academic quality and athletic excellence, the ACC is a perfect fit for us," said Nancy Cantor, Chancellor and President of Syracuse University. "The ACC is home to excellent national research universities with very strong academic quality, and is a group that Syracuse will contribute to significantly and benefit from considerably. As a comprehensive, all-sports conference, the ACC provides Syracuse tremendous opportunities for quality competition and growth in all sports, while also renewing some of our historic rivalries. This move will also bolster our continued efforts to look outward, engage, and extend Syracuse’s reach to key areas of the country, including the southeast, as we grow and expand our national connections to alumni, partners and the students of the future. We are pleased that Syracuse adds a New York City dimension to the ACC, a region in which we have built strong identity and affinity, and we look forward to bringing ACC games to the Big Apple. Overall, for Syracuse, this opportunity provides long-term conference stability in what is an uncertain, evolving, and rapidly shifting national landscape."

“This is a very significant day for all of our student-athletes, coaches and staff at the University of Pittsburgh,†said Steve Pederson, University of Pittsburgh Director of Athletics. “The strength and quality of the ACC is highly regarded by everyone at Pitt. When we set high expectations for our student-athletes in their academic, athletic and personal goals, it is important to provide every opportunity and resource to enable that success. Joining the ACC and the outstanding institutions in this conference will give every Pitt student-athlete the chance to achieve their highest aspirations.â€

Daryl Gross, Syracuse University Director of Athletics said, "Today is a day that we will remember for years to come. We are truly excited that academically and athletically we will be a member of the ACC, one of the nation's premier collegiate athletic conferences. As New York's College Team, we plan to compete at the highest level across all of our sports and help to enhance this great conference."

[deters-]

I think USF will be fine when it's all said and done. We have won multiple big games to showcase what we are capable of as a very young school that will only get better and are in a huge TV market. We will be fine guys.

[Held_AccountaBull]

we're screwed.

[macphisto]

Big Ten is the last,best chance for USF to get in a super conference if there are only four.   This round is all about 'footprint' and TV dollars.   Big10 could see the Florida market as very attractive and take the Bulls as their 16th member.

Unless we get into the AAU, the Big Ten won't look at us.  The Big Ten also likes the idea of having all its state's connected geographically.  They're far more likely to take Mizzou and KU (though they wouldn't be thrilled about getting KState) from the Big XII.  That's why Pitt and Rutgers drew their interest from the Big East.

The best thing to do is try to find a way to buddy up with West Virginia and make USF/WVU a package deal for a conference.  Doing that would target the SEC.  I could see the Florida Legislature putting some pressure on UF to try to sell us.  Same would go for FSU if the ACC was an option, but it's not unless FSU bolts to the SEC (don't think that's happening).

[cophbulls]

Remember that Baylor and Iowa St want to come to the BE if the Big 12 falls apart. Outside of that, I think that our best hope is that BE pulls a major coup and yanks 5 teams from the big12 (Kansas, Kstate, Baylor, Iowa St, Mizzo) otherwise we are screwed. I guess there is always the chance that the NCAA might also give CUSA an auto bid if we end up back there. I think the big thing here is how well do we travel, more so than how many big wins we had or how high we are ranked. We don't travel well outside of Florida and that is not something that is going to get us invited to another conference.

[bullsbucsfan426]

Big Ten is the last,best chance for USF to get in a super conference if there are only four.   This round is all about 'footprint' and TV dollars.   Big10 could see the Florida market as very attractive and take the Bulls as their 16th member.

Unless we get into the AAU, the Big Ten won't look at us.  The Big Ten also likes the idea of having all its state's connected geographically.  They're far more likely to take Mizzou and KU (though they wouldn't be thrilled about getting KState) from the Big XII.  That's why Pitt and Rutgers drew their interest from the Big East.

The best thing to do is try to find a way to buddy up with West Virginia and make USF/WVU a package deal for a conference.  Doing that would target the SEC.  I could see the Florida Legislature putting some pressure on UF to try to sell us.  Same would go for FSU if the ACC was an option, but it's not unless FSU bolts to the SEC (don't think that's happening).

The legislature will not help. They're a bunch of UF and FSU grads. Why would they take up the cause of a team that is a threat to their own?

If we want anyone on our side, it's the Board of Governors and Governer Scott. Scott doesn't have any emotional ties to Florida and the Board of Governors is obligated to see to the interests of it's members.

Moreover, Chancellor Frank Brogan was president of FAU. You think he wants to see his old team get marginalized? I guarantee he has some emotional ties back to FAU.

We want to save USF, we have to go to these guys. Don't bother with the legislature, they'll be of no help.