ACC needs an expansion plan–right now
Bear Bryant used to end his Sunday night television show with these words: “Don’t forget to call your Mama. I wish I could call mine.” I was lucky to be with my Mama on Sunday in Madison, Ga. Hope you had a great Mother’s Day as well.
The ACC Spring Meetings begin today at the lovely beach-front Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Amelia Island. Think the Big Ten’s possible expansion plans will come up? Yes it will because there are some athletics directors who are going to sit in the day’s first meeting with commissioner John Swofford and want to know three things: 1) What do we expect the Big Ten to do? 2) How do we expect the SEC to react? 3) What is our plan if No. 1 and No. 2 both happen?
It wasn’t that long ago that the ACC was expanding and dipping into the Big East for three teams (Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech). The ACC was the aggressor in an effort to expand to 12 teams and bulk up its status as major player in football.
It hasn’t been a failure as some detractors would suggest, but neither has it been the rousing success that the football forces in the ACC had hoped. Florida State and Miami, which were placed in separate divisions to maximize their punch, are still struggling to get back on the national stage. The conference championship game has been a mixed bag, depending on the matchup. The ACC remains the only conference of the Big Six not to place two teams in BCS bowls in the same season. The landscape of college football has changed dramatically since the ACC last expanded.
The ACC did get a good initial TV contract from expansion but that contract ends after the 2010-2011 season. The ACC is in the midst of its negotiation for a new football deal and the numbers that are being offered, I’ve been told, are not particularly good given the marketplace, where the economy is down and the Big Ten and SEC are sucking up about 50 percent of the available dollars. Don’t be surprised if the ACC brings on another TV partner, like Fox or the NFL Network, hoping to generate more revenue.
The fact is that the ACC is as vulnerable right now as the Big East was back in 2003. Here’s why:
If the Big Ten expands to 16 teams the SEC may feel the need to follow suit. The SEC could look to the ACC and take some teams (like Florida State) to solidify its Southern footprint.
Here is another item that should concern you as an ACC fan. My buddy Blair Kerkoff of the Kansas City Star reports that the Pac-10 and Big 12 are having discussions about the possibility of forming an alliance and negotiating their TV deals as one unit. Together they would have more clout (and more television sets) than individually.
Here are the facts, folks, and I hope my friends in the ACC are reading this down in Amelia Island. If the Big Ten goes to 16 teams, the Big East is going to be out of the football business. The SEC and the Big Ten dominate the marketplace. They will get their money while the Pac-10, Big 12, and ACC are going to be scrambling for what’s left.
If those three conferences don’t already have contingency plans in place, they had better put them together—and fast. I know that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has said his expansion plans are still in a 12-18 month window. I don’t believe that and there are some very smart people who work in this business who don’t believe it either.
Because once the Big Ten makes its move, this thing is going to move very quickly. It’s going to be like a high-stakes game of musical chairs and somebody may get left without a quality seat, financially speaking, at the college football’s Big Boy table. And that could be our friends at the ACC.
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416 comments Add your comment
Joel
May 10th, 2010
12:16 pm
Problem with the ACC is the North Carolina centric decisions made by Swofford.
Dawg man
May 10th, 2010
12:19 pm
To the Real SugarHill Dawg–I agree we should be National Champs the next 6 years with all these “super” qbs we’re getting. I heard 3-4 teams are thinking about forfeiting to Richts dawgs instead of being run off the field by them. Go dawgs–get the trophies ready!!!!!
GT man
May 10th, 2010
12:21 pm
Casey, forget Miss. State in the ACC, they’re academics are worst than UGA’s.
Eric in Ohio
May 10th, 2010
12:22 pm
If the Big 10 takes teams I would like to see the ACC take in this order (whomever is left). FOcus on Big East Schools.
1. UConn (huge upside with football, expands market in Northeast, and good sports all around)
2. Syracuse (name recognition, and big on hoops, and good fit in Northeast)
3. Pittsburgh (Quality school, strong football and basketball)
4. West Virginia (Great for sports though lousy for academics)
5. South Florida (replaces Miami and Florida St in market though not really on par)
6. Louisville (like athletics but not great geographic fit)
7. Cincinnati (see Louisville and not good academics)
8. Rutgers (won’t be there but you wouldn’t want them..they add nothing)
LSUMike
May 10th, 2010
12:23 pm
Florida is in for a very long year. Get ready Florida fans its coming wheather you want to admit it or not. The rampant drug problem on the team will be exposed.The Gators will lose at least four maybe five games.Meyer will implode and coaches will leave the program at the end of the season because of him.Its gonna happen.
WVMountaineer
May 10th, 2010
12:24 pm
2006 Sugar Bowl:
West Virginia 38 Georgia 35
2007 Gator Bowl:
West Virginia 38 Ga. Tech 35
Anyone else in Georgia we can play?
16 NOT
May 10th, 2010
12:25 pm
The media needs to get off this whole 16-team mega conference kick. Won’t happen. Not now, not ever. When it’s all said and done, Notre Dame will be introduced as the new and only addition to the Big Ten, Eleven….Twelve…whatever.
GT man
May 10th, 2010
12:28 pm
16 NOT, no way Notre Dame goes to Big 10. They would not gain anything–being an Indepedent, no sharing of money, they are a sellout with whomever they play. Notre Dame,alone, makes more off football revenue than 3 of the big 10 schools combined.
Paul in RDU
May 10th, 2010
12:28 pm
I agree with Ted Striker @10:56.
There is something fundamentally wrong with big time college athletics and the mission of the universities has been lost in the clamor for money in sports. We have conferences looking to get on TV —–> get better players ——> win more games —-> maximize revenue —-> spend more money on facilities and coaches —-> etc
It’s very lucrative for the coaches and AD’s but the people making it all possible (the student-athletes) are getting a tiny fraction of the revenue that is being generated.
Navigator
May 10th, 2010
12:31 pm
A team that no one seems to be talking about, but could affect the SEC is Kentucky. They may only represent an average football program, but a plum when looking at the basketball. Pittsburgh is a natural, already a rivalry of Penn State, but don’t forget West Virginia, also a rivalry of Pitt, but is close to Ohio State. That would bring the east up to speed, but wait they want a balance in the west. Look for the Big ?? to go after Missouri, Nebraska, maybe Iowa State for a western balance. In one accumulation of teams, the Big ?? could become the most prolific conference in the country. This would force the SEC to respond by going after Oklahoma and Texas, giving great strength to the west and maybe forcing Alabama into the east. Obviously they would look at a couple at FSU to give Florida competition (large stadium) in Florida. The ACC actually shrinks to 10 teams, cutting Boston College out of the fold and moving back to their strength basketball with Miami, VaTech, GaTech, and North Carolina carrying the football banner. They loose the playoff game, but not much else, excepted a guaranteed Major bowl (assuming an additional one won’t be created). The Big 12 is gone, but the remaining good teams will unite with BYU, TCU, Boise St. to form a block between the Big ?? and Pac 10, who has a guaranteed major the Rose Bowl has no reason to change, especially with no dominant basketball school.
If the ACC wants to expand and is looking the best candidates and can hold serve with the existing teams, look at a run to get West Virginia and Pitt which brings a balance between football and basketball.
reebok
May 10th, 2010
12:31 pm
Blend the ACC and SEC football conferences. 24 teams in 4 conferences, play 2 semi-final games one saturday each year and then the superconference champion the next Saturday. 3 post-deason games instead of one. Let the big 10/Televen/16/whatever chew on THAT!
Brock
May 10th, 2010
12:32 pm
cattle dawg
May 10th, 2010
10:12 am
cattle dawg
May 10th, 2010
10:12 am
When the acc produces on the field results, I will give the acc the props it deserves. The sec can have a subpar year on the field and still be a better conference. The fact that you brag about preseason rankings in May just proves how pathetic of a league you are in football.
Unless you’re a dog fan then it’s ok (ie. 2008)
From the Future
May 10th, 2010
12:34 pm
Jan. 19th, 2013
AP — Just hours after claiming its sixth consecutive BCS Championship, 18 months after forming the Football Axis with the Big 16 (formerly Big 11) conference and 3 years after canceling all advanced academic programs, the SEC has directed the might of its football-industrial complex southward in declaring war on Mexico, citing the country’s sizable soccer stadiums as targets for its spring JV league (formerly the ACC) and its disdain for Mexicans’ use of the word “futbol” in reference to their national sport. With the Big 16’s declaration of war on Canada only a week earlier, the move essentially opens a two-front conflict in the Football Axis’ bid to control all North American land and sports television contracts.
Read the full article at http://www.greedisgood.com/thecolorofmoney&turf.html
Matt the Brave
May 10th, 2010
12:36 pm
If the Big 10 moves, then the Big 12 moves. If they move, watch and see how quickly Arkansas bolts for the new Big 16. If that happens, SEC has to get 5 teams, not 4. They would raid the ACC like the ACC raided the BIg East. Gone would be GT, FL St, the U, Clemson, and probably Carolina (because they would love to match up against Kentucky year in and out in basketball). You could look at UVA as well since they’ve played most of the SEC schools for years before conferences really took hold, but I don’t know if they’d want to break up that interstate rivalry again with VT.
Delbert D.
May 10th, 2010
12:36 pm
Reducing the number of conferences is a start toward a possible playoff. 8 X 16 = 64 teams.
consider the following
May 10th, 2010
12:36 pm
the ACC doesn’t need expansion, it needs replacements.
the Big East is low on teams especially with Rutgers, Syracuse, and others possibilities to go to the Big Ten. so… swap maybe North Carolina with West Virginia, or Boston College with Rutgers, perhaps Duke with USF, the Big East will crumble in a matter of years so why not play them out of a few decent teams instead, it could REALLY help the prestige of the conference. imagine Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia for the ACC Championship, I would watch it for the first time in about 4 years. and maybe then I would drop the A-She-She moniker
HugoStiglitz
May 10th, 2010
12:37 pm
West Virginia will never end up in the ACC or Big Ten because they are a Tier 3 school. Maybe the SEC will take them. They would be a pretty good fit there.
Lane Kiffin
May 10th, 2010
12:38 pm
What is the deal with every article or blog now that TB writes, he has to pay homage to The Drunk at the criminal tahd???????????? Good Lord!!! Enough already! You’re knees have GOT to be getting sore Tony boy.
Coach Hewitt..
May 10th, 2010
12:40 pm
Here’s what I see happening… If the B-10 gets Missouri & Nebraska and Colorado moves to the Pac10 like a lot of the rumors are projecting, that pretty much kills the B12.
SEC takes Texas, T. A&M, Oklahoma & Ok. St…. move the Bama schools to the SEC east, then you have…
SEC West…
Texas
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Okla. St.
Arkansas
LSU
Ole Miss
Miss. St.
SEC East…
Bama
Auburn
UGA
Florida
Tenn.
S. Car.
Kentucky
Vandy
Fairly geographic footprints for both Divisions, You pick up the Texas & Oklahoma T.V. markets. These would be two bad-azz, evenly divided divisions strength wise. You would also keep the traditional Bama-UT, UGA-Auburn yearly match-ups. Go to 9 conference games, play 7 in division & 2 from West each year so you play everybody in West twice every eight years. One drawback would be 5 home – 4 away conf. games 1 year, then 4 home – 5 away the next…
ECDawg
May 10th, 2010
12:40 pm
Tony – The 14 or 16 team super conferences will be a financial drag on each and every conference that engages in it; plus any semblance of winning a conference championship on the field goes out the window with 8 conference games in a 14 or 16 team league.
I still believe that this all is Delaney’s attempt to get Notre Dame to cave and join the Big Ten. For the Big Ten, SEC and all the major conferences, expanding beyond 12 teams can quickly become a financial drag, and all but end intersectional non-conference games……..
consider the following
May 10th, 2010
12:41 pm
@Lane Kiffin
its a blog…not that big a deal…if he wants to mention it he can…1st amendment doesnt account for irratence
Matt the Brave
May 10th, 2010
12:43 pm
Reebok, I love that idea. That would freak people out major if that were to happen. Can you imaging in basketball season, too? Or baseball? All the other conferences would crap their pants!
BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (5/10/2010) | NBE Basketball Report
May 10th, 2010
12:45 pm
[...] Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-constitution feels the ACC Needs an Expansion Plan – Right Now as the ACC Spring Meetings begin today at the lovely beach-front Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Amelia [...]
RDR
May 10th, 2010
12:46 pm
Clemson and FSU would be welcome to the SEC – Clem to the East and FSU to he West. They’ve historically both been competative football schools with B’ball taking a back seat. The ACC can keep the rest of the schools which are primarily either non-competative at anything (NCS, MD, GT, WF) or basketball schools (UNC and Duke).
Paddy
May 10th, 2010
12:46 pm
Eric in Ohio….I must disagree. U. Cincinnati has a fine academic record and has had for 40 some years, maybe longer but I can only go back so far!
Ultimate SEC Fan
May 10th, 2010
12:46 pm
Guaranteed–ALbama will win the National Championship for the next 27 years. I know no one’s ever done it before, but he’s that good folks.
Tomsjeep88
May 10th, 2010
12:50 pm
This is all a facade as the Big Ten just wants Notre Dame to be their 12th member, and in the end will bully the Domers into joining (or risk losing scheduling Purdue, Penn St, Michigan, MSU). The Irish will cave, and the compromise will be that the Big Ten will not touch ND’s NBC money or their $14M BCS payout when they go 8-4.
Dave In Tampa
May 10th, 2010
12:51 pm
You people on here taking cracks at TB for what he wrote are morons! His job is write articles(blogs) to get people fired up to get on and par-take in the discussion. He does it on purpose good grief! Congrats, you fell for it as I did.
CFB is nothing but about money. If what is mentioned above then CFB will suffer immensely. The some of the ACC fans that think the ACC is better than the SEC in football, that is about as stupid as a SEC fan stating that the SEC is better than the ACC in basketball.
I’ve also read where people are making excuses for not selling out the ACC CG because of location. Sorry, that is a weak excuse. Maybe Charlotte will help, but I would bet that if the SEC CG was played at the Rose Bowl it would be a sell-out with all SEC fans from their school. The passion is just not there for the ACC fans in football as it is in the SEC. It’s that simple. The passion that you see during a Duke/UNC basketball game IS the same as any SEC football game, but that is the only comparison you have between the two leagues.
Eric in Ohio
May 10th, 2010
12:51 pm
Paddy… if fine academics means Tier 3 school then not sure what you are getting at.
RDR
May 10th, 2010
12:53 pm
Dave in Tampan. Execellent analogy, i.e., Duke UNC basketball is about as close as it gets to SEC football in terms of passion.
Bruce mac
May 10th, 2010
12:57 pm
I certainly hope the leaders of the A SHE SHE are as stupid as the fans but I doubt it. It is about the money DA’s and your conference is on shaky financial ground. Do nothing and you are done in the world of big boy football, period. But you can always play 1AA football where most of your teams belong anyway.
16 NOT
May 10th, 2010
12:58 pm
GT Man you’re wrong. The Big East will not stand for another “raid” by another conference. They would much rather give up Notre Dame basketball than lose the conference all together. The Big Ten will initially go after Syracuse and Pitt in the Big East and either Nebraska or Missouri in the Big 12. That threat alone will result in the Big East dumping Notre Dame….and Notre Dame knows that once the Big Ten expansion hits, the domino effect will result in them having no choice BUT to join a conference….and no conference..not even the SEC makes more money than the Big Ten. Not even the holier-than-thou administrators are going to risk giving up that kind of money.
Gordon
May 10th, 2010
12:58 pm
I would like someone, Tony or anyone else, explain how they think a football schedule would work in a 16 team conference. I’m not saying it wouldn’t work, but I just don’t see how. You either have more than 2 divisions and only the top 2 division winners play in a championship game, or you play people in the other division once every 16 years at your place, or you don’t play everyone in your division every year.
How would it work, no matter which conference you are talking about?
Grey Ghost
May 10th, 2010
1:00 pm
All of this super conference expansion is dumb and bad for college football. Unfortunately it is going to happen with the useless Big 11 lashing out at everything that moves. Notre Dame is going to receive an ultimatum from the Big East by early June that they have to become a full member including football or loose thier basketball and other sports membership rights. That will force ND to join the Big 11 and give that conference 12 teams and the option of picking up Missouri and Nebraska. The Big East has a daunting, very timely and expensive clause that will prevent any current member from leaving for 3 years. That will make Pitt and Rutgers think twice from bolting and cap the Big 11 at 14 teams.
The ACC will come up with a better television deal than Tony envisions and placate FSU with a conference realignment that favors the Seminoles geographically. GT and Clemson will not leave the conference without FSU.
SEC members Mississippi, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina will wake up and see that a super expansion will hurt their already slim competitive chances in football and work behind the scenes to torpedo Slive’s bluster.
The Pac 10 will add Utah, Colorado and BYU and the Big 12 will add TCU, and two other schools to keep 12 members.
It also wouldn’t surprise me to see the ACC go after South Carolina if they decide to expand.
This super conference idea sounds good on paper but it’s headed to the courtroom and only the attorney’s will enjoy the process. Remember the BIg East has already hired a super attorney who knows a thing or two about super conferences, Paul Tagliabue formerly of the NFL. See you all in court.
college is forever
May 10th, 2010
1:02 pm
Here’s hoping that the SEC remains the main conference in collegel football.
Dave In Tampa
May 10th, 2010
1:02 pm
Tomsjeep88 – Good Post. That’s definitely the main reason of the big discussion. Big Ten is just trying to get ND in their league. Trying to throw some weight behind it.
Slick
May 10th, 2010
1:03 pm
It’s time to create a new division in CFB. We need to get rid of the lowly teams that never have a chance to win anything. Vandy needs to go, Wake Forest, La Tech, Wash St., Northwestern, etc. can all go away and MANY more. We shouldn’t have more than 40 – 50 teams that have a chance for the top-tier MNC. That way we can have our playoff and the morons can have their meaningless bowl games. Idaho is not a legit contender, nor is GT for that matter…..Time to let the big boys play.
http://collegelunchboxes.com
May 10th, 2010
1:03 pm
check out the UGA classic tin lunchbox. Perfect for Fathers’s Day.
Reptillicide
May 10th, 2010
1:04 pm
I may be in the minority, but I’m in love with the idea of a 16-team SEC.
jarvis
May 10th, 2010
1:06 pm
Memphis?
Why not say Wafford? They bring about as much to the table. What does Memphis have to offer that would justify splitting the purse with them?
GT man
May 10th, 2010
1:07 pm
16 NOT, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but I just dont see Notre Dame ever joining a football conference. They would have to play a conference schedule and give up those 4 or 5 games that they always schedule in other regional areas. The Big East is a laugher anyway, especially when some small class football team thinks they are a BCS school, such as Cincinnati and gets romped by Florida. I still wish this conference expansion had never started–I miss the old Southwest Conference.
Delbert D.
May 10th, 2010
1:08 pm
The picture looks better for most conferences at 14 teams (the Big “10″ and PAC 10 have their own special thing going, anyway.) With 7 teams per division, that’s 6 games against all division opponents, and 3 from the other division. That makes the championship game relevant.
OOC games would be 3 instead of 4, but looking at the 2010 SEC and ACC schedules in detail over the last 2 days, at least 1 of the 4 is a “gimme” game, 2 for several teams, and 3 “gimme’s for a couple (Auburn in the SEC and UVA .)
observor
May 10th, 2010
1:12 pm
LOL at the people that actually ask Tony a question and expect an answer. The guy is the classic drive by blogger. He posts his blog and then completely ignores it for the rest of the day, unlike the other writers. Tony simply does the bare minimum. Nothing more, nothing less. So don’t ever expect a reply or answer to any inquiries from the self proclaimed “Mr. College Football”.
Hugh Wang
May 10th, 2010
1:16 pm
SEC fans are a bit insecure on here. ACC is a steady conference, but has not reached the SEC level, yet. It’s funny to read about the SEC not wanting to allow FSU, Clemson or GT in their conference, yet they talk about how good the football is in the SEC. Either of those 3 schools would easily knock out USCe, Vandy, Kentucky, Miss State, and Ole Miss even lower in their program status, and given considerable competition to the stronger SEC programs.
FSU = Free Shoe University? Wow. Originality has been lost for nearly a decade on that one. Try looking at UF, UT and UGA if you want to see schools with very serious off field incidents.
RDR
May 10th, 2010
1:28 pm
Hugh Wang
May 10th, 2010
1:16 pm
SEC fans are a bit insecure on here. ACC is a steady conference, but has not reached the SEC level, yet. It’s funny to read about the SEC not wanting to allow FSU, Clemson or GT in their conference,
NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND. See my 12:46 post.
Tide Rising
May 10th, 2010
1:32 pm
HugoStiglitz
May 10th, 2010
12:37 pm
“West Virginia will never end up in the ACC or Big Ten because they are a Tier 3 school. Maybe the SEC will take them. They would be a pretty good fit there.”
Hugo,
I believe this tier 3 school has you call it has more bcs bowl game wins in the 2000s (2) then the entire acc (1) if I’m not mistaken. They’ve also had 3 11 win seasons in the 2000s which is more than any ACC team. They also made a final four appearance this year in basketball and did fairly well last year for such a tier 3 team.
If you believe that having more bcs bowl wins in the 2000s then your entire ACC conference put together makes West Virginia a tier 3 team than you have a mighty strange way of determining tier status. If we won the bcs title last year then what does that make us? 4th tier?
The Real SugarHillDawg
May 10th, 2010
1:33 pm
Glad you Techie NERDS enjoyed those rings in 2008…
Our Dawgs are getting a new kind of ring this year…for being the…
2010 National Champs!
Aaron Murray is the best QB in the Country and might win the Heisman!
gdawginkalamazoo
May 10th, 2010
1:35 pm
This is all to get ND into the Big Ten. Nothing else. 14 teams would be too many. And ND will make more being in the Big Ten than staying independent.
DaveDawg
May 10th, 2010
1:43 pm
FSU and Clemson will end up in the SEC. WVU and UConn will jump the Big East’s sinking ship and land in the well-suited ACC (along with any member of the Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers trio passed over by the Big 10). If Arkansas bolts the SEC (which is unlikely), Georgia Tech is invited into the SEC and accepts as well and Bobby Dodd stadium is sold out for every game going forward.
Kool aid drinker
May 10th, 2010
1:47 pm
The Real SugarHillDawg,
Aaron Murray is the best qb in the country and might win the Heisman? Really? Judging by spring game stats in which about half the dawg fans thought Mett performed better its quite a leap to say Murray is the best qb in the country and may win the Heisman. Or that the dawgs will win the 2010 national title for that matter. Statements like that are the reason other fans call the dawg fans delusional. The kid is a freshman and has never played a down of college football yet you proclaim him the best qb in the country. Pass the kool aid please.