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
Gt4ever
May 11th, 2010
11:22 am
Oh, I get it, your a UGA graduate masking as a UF graduate,,,,, Very Good, you had me for awhile…. lol…
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
11:34 am
Atticus, I’m telling you it would be more natual for the SEC and ACC to merge than the SEC and Big 12. Schools from both the SEC and ACC were together in the Southern Conference.
BigTimeTECHFan
May 11th, 2010
11:39 am
ACC should pickup
UGA and Florida – That gives Tech and Miami, FSU rivals all together
C Florida and South Florida
Then ACC south =
Miami
C Florida
S Florida
Florida
Florida St
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Clemson
ACC North =
UNC
NC State
Wake
Duke
Va
Va Tech
BC
BigTimeTECHFan
May 11th, 2010
11:42 am
Or I say the SEC and ACC partner up, keep conf as is but have champions play after their conf championship game for BCS bid
so it would be a 3 round playoff for bid to BSC game semi’s.
Gt4ever
May 11th, 2010
11:43 am
agree 100 percent OB-1
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
11:43 am
Bigtime, that could work to.
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
11:45 am
igtime, ACC will not take C Florida or South Florida, there academics aren’t what the ACC is looking for.
Delbert D.
May 11th, 2010
11:51 am
Central Florida and South Florida are Tier 3 schools. The ACC presidents would not admit them.
wesleywhatwhat
May 11th, 2010
12:04 pm
this won’t happen but i would love to see the country move toward a playoff in the following fashion:
round 1:
pac 10 champ plays the big 12 champ
big 10 champ plays the big east champ
sec champ plays the acc champ
2 at large teams play each other
round 2:
winners move on and play each other in the semi finals
then those winners play for a true national championship, not just a popularity contest.
locations? maybe they rotate among the 4 big bowls (orange, rose, whatever) for the first round on new years day, then the semi finals are played on both coasts the weekend after new years day.
and bring the finals to atlanta the following weekend, just because.
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
2:00 pm
WesleyWhatWhat,
Play-ins
MAC/C-USA
MWC/WAC
Quarter Finals
ACC vs SEC (Atlanta)
Big 10 vs Big 12 (St Louis)
Pac 10 vs MWC/WAC (Denver)
Big East vs MAC/C-USA (New York)
Semi-Finals
ACC/SEC vs Big East/MAC/C-USA (Charlotte)
Big 10/Big 12 vs Pac 10/MWC/WAC (Phoenix)
Championship rotates in L.A./Dallas/Chicago/Washington D.C.
You will notice that all cities have a NFL stadium and no city receives 2 games.
HokieRon
May 11th, 2010
2:32 pm
you are all missing this point. when we (virginia tech) joined the acc, the acc didn’t want us there and if not for the governor of Virginia politicking for it, then we would not have been. I would love to see us leave the A she she for a real football conference like the SEC because the conference as a whole is garbage in football,outside the likes of us. it would make the most sense because the SEC is a prodominantly football conference, just like we are a prodominantly football school.
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
2:51 pm
HokieRon, and what makes you think you could keep up with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and LSU year after year. You say yourself you have a cake walk in the A she she and YOU STILL CAN’T MAKE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. If it hadn’t been for the governor of Va. You’d still be wasting away in the Big Least. Heck if it hadn’t been for FSU, Miami, and Boston college all falling off the map at the same time you wouldn’t even be competed for the ACC championship. Also with Mike London taking over at UVA don’t think you’re going to take all the prize recruits from the southside. Al Groh gave you that area on a silver platter. So shut-up, sit down and only speck when spoken to.
OB-1
May 11th, 2010
2:57 pm
Sorry that would be speak when spoken to.
Gt4ever
May 11th, 2010
3:18 pm
Hokie Ron
GT would be the only REAL football program coming out of the ACC….
Yankee Down South
May 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
Haha Bull Gator…he can’t a Florida grad, can he? No offense to Florida, it’s a fine school, but the “Harvard of the South” and all that is a little over the top. If so, I don’t hold anything against other Gators fans.
If he is…well, I don’t really know if Florida is known “around the country” by that moniker. I would expect Vandy to be known by that, or even Duke. Keep dreamin’ if you are serious Bull Gator.
Yankee Down South
May 11th, 2010
3:32 pm
I forgot to mention the irony in it all. “The University of Florida is where the brightest students in America persue there dreams.” I hope those same students choose to PURSUE a minor in spelling.
If it were a typo, I wouldn’t have pointed it out…but c’mon man. Can’t argue in favor of academics when you can’t spell first. Once again, apologies all around to Gators fans if this is in fact a rival just trying to make you look bad.
Milky
May 11th, 2010
3:34 pm
This is all dumb. The real solution is to just make more bowl games so every team gets to go, no matter the record. And then take all the money, and divide by the number of teams equally across america. This even includes d1aa schools too. We have to be fair. We should even get away actually winning and losing a game, and just let everyone “tie” and have fun. That’s the politically correct way.
Mark
May 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
Why do you think they cancelled the gt bama game. Because it will be right when schedules change from expansion this year.
Jason
May 11th, 2010
5:11 pm
If the SEC were to pursue 4 ACC teams…here is the logical moves. FSU, NC.State, Clemson, and Ga.Tech. Each of these teams fit the SEC mold (Football first).
GO HEELS
May 11th, 2010
6:11 pm
Ormewood… excuse me for using abbrebiation for the university of South Carolina you must be one of those angry drunk SEC fans….
Steve Spurrier wants to win now and his team will be more competitive in the ACC besides Butch Davis and Frank Beamer he will be a high profile coach and creep out of the shadows of the Sabans and the Myers…. Still like ECU with the coaching changes and stadium expansion that could generate alot off attention… along with the addition of Pitt W.VA and Vandy could make for some good football…
Coastal
UNC
VA TECH
PITT
VA
W.VA
DOOK
MIAMI
ATLANTIC
SC
CLEMSON
VANDY
NC STATE
ECU
WAKE
MARYLAND
BC
elixir
May 11th, 2010
11:34 pm
The ACC should go after vandy, georgetown, northwestern, rice, notre dame, syracuse and baylor
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
6:57 am
Jason, one problem with your idea with the exception of NC State they don’t bring anything new to the SEC. Let’s start with FSU – UF is in Florida so it doesn’t open up a new state, really doesn’t give them a bigger footprint. Then GT, same thing as FSU except that it would be UG, and lastly Clemson see above except put USC in place of the other teams. So that would leave NCState, where do you get the idea that they’re a football first school? NCState won’t go without UNC or Duke. For the SEC to expand their footprint it would only be logical for them to go after Texas and either Okalahoma or OK State. Watch for that to happen if the Big 10/11 is able to take Nebraska and Missouri from the Big 12. SEC takes two and the PAC 10 takes two. The opinion that Texas and Okalahoma are to far away from the SEC is not true, if you get Texas and Okalahoma you pair them up with Arkansas, LSU and the two Mississippi schools and it would be no longer a trip than what South Carolina would have to go to play Arkansas.
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
7:09 am
This time I will take two of you on;
Go Heels, The ACC will not accept WVU for academic reasons, you might substitute U Conn for WVU and you might have something there. USC was once in the ACC so they will fit and the academics at both Pitt and Vandy are certainly in the ACC range.
Elixir, where to I start with your post, Vandy – good choice, Georgetown – good choice for Basketball but no Football and the ACC won’t go the way of the Big East. Northwestern and Notre Dame although they fit academically they don’t fit in the geographic’s of the Atlantic Coast so would Baylor. Rice see reason for not taking Georgetown. Vandy would be good, except they’re sports won’t bring anything to the table. See above comment to Go Heels for ideal schools
Football Folly
May 12th, 2010
8:58 am
If I were the ACC I would go out right now and invite West virginia, Louisville, South Florida and either Memphis, UConn, Notre Dame or Syrcause to join. Be proactive, protect the basketball product, up the football product and give the current members a feeling of security and a plan of action. Sure the SEC may come after some schools but a move like this might give those schools second thoughts before jumping. Texas & Texas A&M are a pipe-dream for the SEC. The Big XII could lose up to 4 schools and all they would do is replace them (likely with TCU, Colorado St., BYU and SMU, Tulsa or Houston). Texas wants nothing to do with the SEC. They would rather make the Big XII work and be king of the roost. Look for some sort of “agreement” with the PAC10..thats waaay more likely to happen.
I look for the Big Ten to nap up Missouri, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syrcause and either Notre Dame, Nebraska, UConn, Boston College or Maryland.
The SEC will most likely get some combo of Florida State, Miami, UVA, Va Tech, Clemson and East Carolina.
The PAC 10 will probably go out and get Utah, Boise State, Hawaii, UNLV or maybe Colorado…but I really doubt that last one.
The funny thing is that C-USA may come out better than anyone. Look for them to lose one or two schools which they will replace and then they will probably get 4 addational schools as well. Look for schools like Cincy, Navy, Temple, La Tech, Air Force, Army, North Texas, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Utah State all to be in the mix for them and if things get really crazy and the Big XII starts to crumble look for Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor and Iowa State as possible C-USA members…wouldnt that be a kick in the head???
The Real SugarHillDawg
May 12th, 2010
9:30 am
Dawgs are gonna win the 2010 National Championship in Football!
Mark it down you idiots and nerds!
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
9:55 am
Football Folly, it is folly if you think the ACC would consider WVU, WVU is not in the academic range of the ACC which has no Tier 3 schools, the same goes for South Florida and Memphis. As far as the other three U Conn and Syracuse would be good fits while ND being a good fit academically geographically it would be a challenge, I believe the ACC had learned a lesson with Boston College.
The Big 10/11 want football power in Nebraska and Missouri, and the market shares of NYC that Rutgers could give them and the “name” ND would bring. U Conn would bring the Connecticut market, Boston College would bring Boston but I don’t see that due to the problems they have in the ACC in distance, and Maryland would bring D.C. but would they leave the UVA rivalry, don’t know for sure.
The SEC going after FSU or the U no reason to with FU in Florida, their footprint doesn’t open any new areas, same with Clemson in South Carolina. East Carolina not big enough yet, won’t wait for them to grow. Now the UVA and VT would give them new areas and would have them looking more intently at it. In the end I believe that they would grab 2 from the Big 12 if the Big 10 is able to.
The PAC 10 would look at Colorado and maybe Boise State. Utah, UNLV, and Hawaii will not bring anything to the PAC although Hawaii would make it interesting.
C-USA could pick up some of the others but don’t look for Army and Navy, independents, nor Air Force as they are part of the WAC. If the Big 12 loses the schools I think they could they then would merge with WAC, MWC, or C-USA but would retain the Big 12 moniker.
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
9:58 am
Sugarhill, to guarantee that UG will win the NC now just shows your ignorance.
The Real SugarHillDawg
May 12th, 2010
9:59 am
Y’all ready to see my boy Aaron Murray win the Heisman?!?!
UGA will win it all this year in football….
It’s on… Oh and Gators…we’re coming for you! We’ll hang 50 on Florida and Tech this year on our way to the National Championship!
GO HEELS
May 12th, 2010
10:48 am
I knw W.VA doesnt meet academic standards of the ACC, the same may be said about ECU… But you have to admit that will make for some good football a draw alot of national attention imgaine the conf games alone….
W.VA VS VA
W.VA VS VA TECH
ECU VS UNC
PITT VS BC
SC VS CLEMSON
VANDY VS WAKE
ACC comissoner said the current members are content at 12 teams and have no interest in leaving the ACC but the ACC may take action after seeing what happens in the nxt 6 months….. READ STORY @ TarheelTimes.com
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
11:09 am
Heels that would be true.
BigDawg
May 12th, 2010
11:19 am
I agree with SugarHill…Dawgs have a good shot at a National Championship this year….
Not sure about Aaron Murray for heisman….but who knows?!?! He could be amazing….
Either way I think we’ll beat Florida and Tech by a lot this year as well…..
Reggie Ball's #1 Fan
May 12th, 2010
11:20 am
UGA = 2010 NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPS!
I promise there’s no team better in the SEC this year! Bama sucks and so do the Gators….
Dawg in North GA
May 12th, 2010
11:21 am
Hell yea fellow Dawg fans….let’s show these techies how to win a NC!
THIS IS OUR YEAR!
JB
May 12th, 2010
11:24 am
Not sure I agree with y’all on the National Championship….but I do think the Dawgs will definitely win the SEC and kick the snot outta tech. Aaron Murray is the real deal. Also, Mark Richt will put together a great gameplan. I have faith in our team this year. I really think there’s a possiblity of BIG things!
Gator Hater
May 12th, 2010
11:27 am
Name me one team in the SEC who’s better than UGA this year?
YOU CAN’T. Also, nerds.. I bet we beat you by 47 this year!
Hey "GO HEELS"
May 12th, 2010
11:28 am
24-7
GEEZ
May 12th, 2010
12:18 pm
you know if you inbreds who walk around beating your chest about how great and tough the SEC is, you may want to think about kicking out the following: Ole Miss, Miss St, Vandy, Ky(even though they beat UGA) and I would raise a serious eyebrow to SC. Also, what the he!! has happened to TN and Auburn? Your conference presently SUX but yet you all seem to think it is a step above all others, make your conference more attractive if you want others to join it
Murry for Heisman my @ss
May 12th, 2010
12:21 pm
J O S H U A N E S B I T T for HEISMAN, take that dogpoops and shove it…oh yeah that’s right, your game plan will be to injure him but by the time the two teams meet up, it will be too late…
OB-1
May 12th, 2010
12:53 pm
Go Heels, thank you for the link, I read the whole article with John Swoffold and he spoke like the ACC will not lose any school. That would seem to put to rest any talks of the SEC trying to raid the ACC which would have them looking west like I have been saying.
GO HEELS
May 12th, 2010
1:46 pm
(QB-1) No problem QB-1.. After I read the article I starting thinking that if the ACC had a good mind to they could draw SC and Vandy into the ACC bout teams want to win especially Spurrier and SC, both teams can be competitive in the league and will gain more TV air time…. Then SEC the so calld power conf will be trying to draw in the likes of Texas ect… which i doubt will happen I would love it… But someone tell me why the Big Ten are not inviting Boise State they deserve it and it will add strenght of schedule to the conf its a win win… the only problem maybe stadium cap @ Boise…
GO HEELS
May 12th, 2010
1:55 pm
(MURRY FOR HIESMAN) Theres no way on GODS Green Earth will Nesbitt win the Hiesman you guys lost 3 starting O Lineman playing he’s playin in the best defensive division in the ACC… He has to face the best defense in the nation with my Tarheels not to mention the Va Tech’s, Miami’s then a game against GA….
I think u better reconsider that post….
Hey "GO HEELS"
May 12th, 2010
2:39 pm
1000 Yards Rushing and 1700 Yards Passing with 18 Total TD’s last year as a Junior…
Yea, he had some real trouble. Hey how’d he and Tech do against “the best defensive line” last year?
Oh yea….I remember…24-7!
UNC = Over rated every year!
May 12th, 2010
2:50 pm
Here’s your stellar D choking as usual….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4XWOD7ZQhc
GO HEELS
May 12th, 2010
5:44 pm
Mel Kiper doesnt make mistakes 9 NFL players on his board 4 projected first round….. Men Lie Women lie numbers dont lie…. Top 25 in every stat department…..
Nesbitt is a bum he lost his leading WR who only ran go routes all season and the entire left side of his O line not to mention thier leading rusher who you had to key on…. Teams will key him way more this season…..
GO HEELS
May 12th, 2010
6:16 pm
OVERATED RATED??????????????
FOR CONFORMATION OF STATS/ http://www.Tarheelblue.cstv.com
Only 84 FIRST DOWNS ALLOWED
ONLY 10 PASSING TD’S GIVING UP
17 INTS/ 4 TDS THATS A 10/17 TD RATIO
7 FORCED FUMBLES/ 2 TDS
5 LOSSES THAT TTL 37 PTS
RETURNING 9 STARTERS FROM THAT DEFENSE
RETURNING EVERY SKILL PLAYER ON OFFENSE AND LOST ONE O LINEMAN
COME ON LETS BE SERIOUS B/C YOU CANT BE….. PLZ STOP DOIN THIS TO YOURSELF UR ONLY BLOWING HOT AIR…. DONT RESPOND TO MY POST UNTIL YOU LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT FOOTBALL…..
Expand This! The ACC Should Look North «
May 13th, 2010
1:58 am
[...] So what the hell does all this mean for the ACC? [...]
Bevo’s Daily Roundup – May 13, 2010 | goutlonghorns.com
May 13th, 2010
4:02 am
[...] The ACC needs an expansion plan right now. [...]
OB-1
May 13th, 2010
7:27 am
The question was asked “What does all this mean for the ACC”?
My take is IF the SEC comes knocking they will not be after Miami or FSU, market is covered by UF so wouldn’t open any new markets. They will not go after GT or Clemson for the same reason just insert UGA or USC instead of UF.
That takes us to the state of NC with Duke, NCS, UNC, and Wake which the most intriguing being either Duke or NCS; Duke for their Bball who I believe won’t leave w/o UNC and NCS they would want for the Charlotte market, there again I doubt they would leave w/o the other NC schools.
Then further north you get VA with UVA and VT, VT would give them an opening into VA markets and they are good in Football and BBall, UVA would open up the VA and DC markets and they are rebounding in both football and Bball along with National Championship caliber Baseball, and some other “minor” sports as they have 7 ACC Championships this year with the best shot of winning the Baseball Title also. Although it’s my opinion that UVA will not leave with out VT.
Then Maryland with UM and another shot into DC which brings many of the same upsides as UVA but I think the SEC will not go that far north over both NC and VA to pull in a team and the same would be said about Boston College.
With all that the most logical schools to receive invites would be UVA and VT.
OB-1
May 13th, 2010
7:45 am
The ACC needs an expansion plan!
Let’s look at the best scenario, the ACC looses none but “needs” to expand by two. The ACC will look again at the Big East with an eye to expand into markets keeping in mind the schools academics. With Rutgers gone to the Big 10/11/12 (or whatever they name themselves) that would leave Pitt, Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville WVU, South Florida, and Cincinnati. The last four you can drop as they don’t match the academic criteria. That leaves three schools, Pitt, Syracuse and Connecticut. Pitt would be a good fit with football expanding the power base and the Pittsburgh to Cleveland market, Syracuse would give a decent football and Bball teams and open the NY market, and Connecticut would give an opening into NYC market with great Bball in both men’s and women’s plus there football is very decent and would give Boston College another school close by.
Down side to each; Pitt not really Atlantic coast, Syracuse also pretty much inland, Connecticut don’t see a down side.
Conclusion; Connecticut with Syracuse over Pitt as the ACC had looked them before whether Syracuse would accept because of the same reason is up to them.
If the ACC went to sixteen then add Pitt and an invite to Vanderbilt of the SEC. If the ACC looses one or two, look to the above to get to fourteen.
OB-1
May 13th, 2010
7:47 am
All along I’ve said a merger of the SEC and ACC, or some kind of alignment between the two.