Update: Maryland’s departure leaves ACC with 13
UPDATED, 12:56 p.m. with John Swofford statement: Maryland has left the ACC to join the Big Ten. Rutgers is expected to follow suit, leaving the Big East.
Maryland will reportedly begin Big Ten play in 2014-15. Until the ACC can find a replacement, it leaves the conference with an uneven 13 teams. Maryland was a charter member of the ACC at the league’s formation in 1953. It is just the second school to leave the ACC since its founding in 1953, following South Carolina in 1971.
“Our best wishes are extended to all of the people associated with the University of Maryland,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “Since our inception, they have been an outstanding member of our conference and we are sorry to see them exit. For the past 60 years the Atlantic Coast Conference has exhibited leadership in academics and athletics. This is our foundation and we look forward to building on it as we move forward.”
The athletic department has faced considerable financial stress, cutting seven teams over the summer. The Big Ten’s television revenues were undoubtedly a factor. The Big Ten distributed $284 million to its 12 teams for the 2012 fiscal year, a per-school average of $23.7 million.
ACC teams will receive $12.3 million in the current fiscal year, although the league will re-do its ESPN deal as a result of Notre Dame’s contract to play five ACC games annually. (It’s likely Maryland’s departure will also figure into negotiations.)
Consider this: According to reports from ESPN and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in May and June, Big Ten newcomer Nebraska did not receive a full share, drawing about $14 million while the other 11 schools took $24.6 million.
While the addition of Maryland and Rutgers will likely cause the Big Ten’s television deals to be re-done, were the math to hold, Maryland would receive more in a partial share as a Big Ten member than it would as a full ACC member.
There is the matter of the $50 million exit fee, instituted in September, to leave the ACC. It is interesting to note that Maryland president Wallace Loh voted against the fee increase, from $20 million, on “legal and philosophical grounds.” Florida State was the only other school to vote against it.
Loh told the Post that he disagreed with “punishing people if they simply exit a relationship.” The article also stated that Loh repeatedly praised the school’s relationship with the ACC and that it would continue to be a part of the league for years to come.
The obvious possibility to fill the 14th spot would be Notre Dame, which entered a deal with the ACC to join the conference for every sport but football and play five games annually against ACC football teams. The rise of the Fighting Irish on the football field likely lessens that possibility. Given the team’s declining stature in recent seasons, the school’s bargaining power with both the BCS and NBC had likely shrunk. However, with Notre Dame (at least for this season) a national title contender, its viability to remain an independent with a seat at the BCS table and to command a better television contract (presumably from NBC) than it could as a full ACC member has probably improved.
From a competition standpoint, how the ACC handles 13 teams, particularly in football, is going to be a bit of a challenge. The Big Ten was not separated into divisions when it was an 11-team league and did not face the predicament of one division with seven teams and the other with six, which would be the ACC’s lot starting in 2014 if it cannot find a 14th member.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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171 comments Add your comment
J to the G
November 19th, 2012
2:41 pm
Hmm, the internet ate my last comment. Anyway, as others have pointed out: Penn State isn’t going anywhere, the ACC has nothing better to offer. It seems more likely the B1G is lining up schools 15 and 16.
Florida State *might* hang in the ACC for academic reasons, but this is football + Florida we’re talking about here; it doesn’t take much imagination to see them sacrificing integrity for $$$.
Dadgum.........
November 19th, 2012
2:41 pm
jbright……I said they were an upgrade over the ACC. Slight upgrade> Lets not get carried away. Also the contiguous states thing didn’t bother the Big 10 back in 2010. Guess we will see but one thing is certain. Things are going to get messier before they are clearer.
Bill
November 19th, 2012
2:44 pm
jbright….that “continguous state ” thing is just talk by the Big10 before they strike at their next target. Ironic…if ND did join the Big10, none of this would happen. Again, like when ACC poached BC, Miami and Syracuse( yes, before VT was mandated into ACC), the conference had started another wave of expansion by adding the Irish.This one couild be mortal if the ACC doesn’t act wisely and quickly.
Bill
November 19th, 2012
2:51 pm
OMT…don’t you think the Pac12 and SEC are already discussing their next move to counter the BIG? The ACC and Big 12 are in play. Think Texas has chosen to stay in the Big 12, means the ACC may be in serious trouble as we know it. ACC better hope Texas, Ok and Ok St want to join the Pac 16..otherwise, FSU is in serious playfor the Big 12…..count on it.
The more you think about it from the other conferences’ perspective, the ACC is in serious trouble.Doubt very much Pac 12 will hold at 12….ACC’s fate may come down to what Pac 12 decides to do with Ok, Ok St and Texas.
WnE
November 19th, 2012
2:56 pm
GT screwed up again!
GT should have tried to snake Md’s spot in the B1G Ten and hopefully upgraded their FB schedule by getting away from the crappy ACC.
Also there are lots of Big Ten alums in the Metro Atl area that would help sell out BDS@HGF since we can’t do it with our own fans.
Staying in the ACC will eventually KILL GT’s Athletic Program!
But it will kill it slowly so many of the GT fans refuse to see what’s happening by staying in the crappy ACC.
Anything to get away from the ACC!
JoeFan
November 19th, 2012
3:01 pm
Ohio State Board is reporting there is a vary strong possibility that an invitation is going out from the Big10 to GA Tech
Peach Fuzz
November 19th, 2012
3:14 pm
JoeFan, if Ohio St fans said it, it must be true. Remember what Tressel said, equiv to I did not have sex with that woman.
Terpman
November 19th, 2012
3:27 pm
Is interesting that this story on Terps possibly joining Big 10 broken around 7 pm Saturday night, in less than 48 hrs, was a done deal…Now let the fun begin, no way GT goes to Big 10…Rutgers supposedly goes Tuesday AM
Terpman
November 19th, 2012
3:31 pm
The ACC is a 4 school Carolina conf , first and foremost….Basketball first , football an afterthought….is all about the TV market, rumor was Big 10 was after Terps back in July, why do think Maryland did NOT agree to that BS exit fee of $50M
billyBobjacket
November 19th, 2012
3:40 pm
Vandy not likely to leave the SEC unless kicked out. The SEC splits on obscene amount of money between its members with all the bowl tie-ins and seemingly annual national championships in multiple sports.
www
November 19th, 2012
3:41 pm
terpman, enjoy playing northwestern, indiana, illinois, iowa, purdue, minnesota, etc in football.
let us know how much fun lincoln, nebraska, is in december!
buh bye for now.
JoeFan
November 19th, 2012
3:51 pm
Big10 supposedly eyeing 16 teams with GA Tech being one of the additions giving them entry into the southeast.
John Martiin
November 19th, 2012
3:54 pm
I will miss the ACC – attended Maryland in 1953 when the conference started. I will miss the basketball rivalries and the lacrosse NCAA championships which have been ACC dominated.
5150 UOAD
November 19th, 2012
4:04 pm
Under Armor owner is a FOOL……….get PENN ST.
gt4ever
November 19th, 2012
4:06 pm
@WnE
GT is still an option for the Big 10… It’s not over yet…
Delbert D.
November 19th, 2012
4:06 pm
The rumor from the Big Ten last year was that they wanted Notre Dame, plus 2 of these 3: Maryland, Georgia Tech and Rutgers.
If Louisville or Memphis is invited, I might abandon the ACC.
The only opposition to UConn will be from Syracuse.
5150 UOAD
November 19th, 2012
4:07 pm
TECH will not join the Big10……..No Fans will travel to the games after the end of September past the 1st ever visit to see the stadium and campus. I will not pay to sit outside and freeze……thank GOD for the GA DOME……
gt4ever
November 19th, 2012
4:09 pm
@UOAD
We should be in the SEC… If we can’t get back to our roots and history, then the Big 10 is the best place. The ACC is just terrible. Period.
Ken Sugiura
November 19th, 2012
4:13 pm
don’t use other people’s handles. come on.
consider this a one-time warning.
MDFan
November 19th, 2012
4:20 pm
While this was a bit of a surprise as a Maryland fan, there is no more loyality in college sports when so much money is on the line. In fact, there isn’t a school in the ACC who would not have taken the call from the BIG Ten and seriously considered the increase in money that a move would provide. Anybody who doesn’t believe that has obviously forgotten the distaste that was left in the mouths of Syracuse administrators after their school was initially passed over when the ACC expanded with the likes of Va Tech, BC, and Miami. Moreover, one only has to look at the sheer panic that ensued at Big East schools like West Virginia, UConn, and Rutges when the ACC made its most recent acquisitions. These schools were burning up the phone lines trying to secure a spot in the ACC and a share of the revenue and would have done ANYTHING to get it. West Virgina got theirs in the Big 12 and Rutgers is gonna get theirs in the Big Ten. For the most part the ACC can call anybody it wants from the Big East and the lesser conferences to add to their ranks. However, as long as there is more money to be had, the ACC is now the favorite conference to pluck from. It’s all very disappointing but such is the reality of collegiate sports in the 21st century.
Delbert D.
November 19th, 2012
4:21 pm
51 – The weather isn’t that bad. Besides, the Big Ten schools don’t hurt for attendance. Most of them have large fan bases for football that travel, unlike most of the ACC. Wake Forest, Duke and Miami have lower undergrad enrollments lower than Georgia Tech (4,000, 8,000, 10,000 with Tech at 13,000). Northwestern is the only school in the Big Ten smaller than Tech.
5150 UOAD
November 19th, 2012
4:23 pm
gt4ever the SEC is scared of GT. It would make most every other SEC school look stupid. The Georgia Regents is full of MUTTS and will never let that happen. TECH being able to get SEC talent that actually has a BRAIN would make the SEC run for cover. Look what Vandy is doing and how the Mutts are now MAD and fear VANDY.
Eddie Lee
November 19th, 2012
4:34 pm
Rutgers is a NJ state school and not that great academically….i dont think the ACC would look twice at them and am surprised that the Big 10 would. Likewise Memphis, USF and Louisville dont represent great TV markets for the ACC, nor are they academically or athletically attractive.
Delbert D.
November 19th, 2012
4:35 pm
Rutgers is a fine academic school and a member of the Association of American Universities.
yeller bug
November 19th, 2012
4:38 pm
The best thing for the ACC is to win some football games—winning produces good TV contracts—can start this Sat with FSU-UF, GT-UGA, Clemson-SC, and WF-Vanderbilt. Start winning more of these SEC-ACC matchups then the TV money will come.
ramblingbuzz
November 19th, 2012
4:41 pm
I hope GT doesn’t go to the Big 10. It may make financial sense and college FB is a business, but the thought of GT playing those midwestern teams leaves me cold.
CM
November 19th, 2012
4:53 pm
The ACC should add Towson University so they can maintain the Baltimore/Washington television market. They would also provide about the same level of lackluster competition as Maryland without the hideous uniforms.
Saban never sleeps
November 19th, 2012
4:54 pm
The weakest always get eaten first!!!
Bill
November 19th, 2012
4:59 pm
EddieLee,you are a fool when you say Rutgers isn’t that great academically. It’s one of the most highly accredited institutions in the USA. It’s an AAU member school…Tech just got admitted to that very select group in 2010. In fact, the BIG won’t even consider adding a school that isn’t among those highly respected institutions in the AAU.You seemingly confuse academics with athletics in this case.Fact ACC didn’t jump into NJ/NYC market is most strange fact of all of this. They obviously could have since Rutgers was pleading to join ACC just like UConn has been since Pitt and Syracuse were added.ACC must have been scared off by Rutgers football, but this will backfire on Swofford when BIG 10 adds them Tuesday.
Thing people don’t get is that adding Memphis or S Florida is like adding another school like Clemson. Great athletics, but doesn’t have stellar academic resume. No offense to them, but if ACC wants to seperate itself from SEC, it has to do so academically when adding other institutions.Adding Memphis would be a disgrace in that regard.
When the Big 10 took in Nebraska, they took a lot of heat from the academic folks. Every other BIG10 school is an AAU member, so they are pretty much set on taking only new members that are AAU certified. ( BTW, Pitt is, Syracuse isn’t ACC fans).Means UVa, UNC, Duke and GT are the only other AAU ACC schools.You can draw your own conclusions from there.
GTBob
November 19th, 2012
4:59 pm
I hope GT doesn’t go to the Big 10.
I am with you. That would pretty much kill college athletics for me. I would still support Tech, but I can’t say I will be all that excited every Saturday.
ACC BBall Fan
November 19th, 2012
5:04 pm
Bye, bye Terps: May the door hit you in the butt on your way out. We know that you are leaving because you’re crying that the Terps basketball team is no relevant in the ACC. You can’t beat Duke/UNC and we got Pitt and Syracuse coming with their better basketball programs and the Terps can’t stand it.
WOW!!!
November 19th, 2012
5:07 pm
One of Maryland’s primary reason for leaving is because they cannot fill the football stadium. What they are missing is if they had a better football product the stadium would be full. Mistake!!!
Mike
November 19th, 2012
5:08 pm
But think about this, if GA Tech does go to B1G, they can get more money from them then ACC and getting away from the Tobacco Road Mafia. I believe that GT needs to stay in ACC but this could be like a TAMU situation and how good they were still day one.
SansWorld
November 19th, 2012
5:08 pm
What does the Big 10 gain from this?
Delbert D.
November 19th, 2012
5:12 pm
Bill – “When the Big 10 took in Nebraska, they took a lot of heat from the academic folks.”
The AAU kicked Nebraska after they joined the Big Ten. Too much of their research was agriculture-related.
GTville
November 19th, 2012
5:13 pm
This opens the door for 3 more ACC teams. ND, TX, and OK
eddie Lee
November 19th, 2012
5:17 pm
I am not a fool and but I am confused from time to time…I was simply misinformed about Rutgers. But thanks for your kindness and happy thanksgiving to you as well.
d1reality
November 19th, 2012
5:17 pm
Terps 3-12 record in ACC football last two years. Good luck in Big 10.
GTBob
November 19th, 2012
5:21 pm
But think about this, if GA Tech does go to B1G, they can get more money from them then ACC and getting away from the Tobacco Road Mafia
I would rather stay in the ACC for less money. Not only would we be playing an extremely weird football schedule but it would cripple a lot of our other sports. The money isn’t worth it.
thomas
November 19th, 2012
5:22 pm
Lets get the numbers right this is all about tv markets and money maryland did”nt want ot leave but maryland will make 2times what they would have made in the acc, but if you think theb acc w it’s terrible tv contact adds up to the big ten think again all of you for that kind of money would do the same thing, so dont be upset with maryland be upset with John Swafford and the petiful tv deal he and the other presidents constructed for there tv deal
GTBuzz85
November 19th, 2012
5:23 pm
I understand it is all about money. But this is still disappointing. I have many fond memories of the Maryland / Tech rivalry games against Lefty Dresell. Wow how we loved beating him! Money continues to trump tradition.
Dadgum.....
November 19th, 2012
5:23 pm
The Big 10 gains a huge shot in the arm into the Southern tier schools with a school par excellence. Rich football history and a tough as hell opponent. GT recruiting will get a shot in the arm for sure. Big 10 took Maryland, they would get three times the member in GT and the South market.
BC, Pitt, Syracuse, Wake, Virginia, NC State, Duke…. Do I need to give you anymore weak sisters as ammo to leave the ACC. The Big 10 sure has its share but nothing as bad as the ACC. I haven’t even started on basketball yet. Oh my……Big 10. Money to boot!
Bill
November 19th, 2012
5:24 pm
Tech would be four hours fromm the closest BIG10 school. Can’t see Tech leaving unless they get a southern partner….means UVa would be only real partner since Duke and UNC aren’t going anywhere….of course, you never know.BIG10 gets a southern market like Atlanta, which would be intriguing Remember, when ACC went into Boston…same as if Tech went into BIG10.
Why doesn’t the ACC look at NAVY as an associate member for Football? Gives them a better alternative than most of the other names. Seriously, Navy fits . Allows Ga-Gt, Clem-S Car, etc to still be season ending games. Navy-Army doesn’t disrupt anything.. unless you really want UConn to join Pitt,Syr and BC as a Northern ACC pod.
Think it would be a very hard sell for Tech football fans to play Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, NW and Purdue. Playing Mich, Ohio St, Mich St, Nebraska,Pa St and Illinois( maybe Wisconsin) would draw. Hoops would draw interest…but poor Danny Hall….playing a few Big10 schools is fine, but the Baseball program would take a HUGE hit.
Delbert D.
November 19th, 2012
5:24 pm
What the Big Ten gains is:
1) TV markets. The Midwest is losing population, and the East is adding.
2) Research dollars. The Big Ten schools (all AAU members, except for Nebraska) collaborate on bids for federal research funding.
BigTimeTECHFan
November 19th, 2012
5:25 pm
ACC will get Texas to replace Maryland
Dadgum.....
November 19th, 2012
5:28 pm
GTBob……name me one GT sport the Big 10 would cripple. It would help all of them. Baseball would get a huge boost. Track and field I am not sure. Football, bball, baseball all would be better for it.
Just Saying
November 19th, 2012
5:30 pm
WHO THE BLANK CARES?
Bill
November 19th, 2012
5:30 pm
Delbert, the BIG10 did take heat about Nebraska. That was my point. Missouri thought they were going to go. Nebraska shocked many folks
.Doubt they would take anything less than a school that would give them A) AAU membership.B) a new market..C)a large market that gives them a footprint into a new region and D) a school with a tradition of athletic excellence.
fuzzybee78
November 19th, 2012
5:31 pm
Get UConn now, they fit academically and that’s a must. Then wait on ND and PSU down the road for a 16 team super conference. Ill trade UConn for the Terps and call it even.
Buzzsaw
November 19th, 2012
5:33 pm
Ken – If the ACC starts to crumble via possible exits of FSU and Clemson, where does that leave Tech? Will they look to leave the conference? If so, what is the best fit? It seems that they may be stuck. Maryland may set precedent by negotiating a lower exit fee but could Tech even afford to leave? This conference could be very weak before all is said and done. Based on the treatment of FSU in the BCS, it would seem likely that they would look elsewhere. Both FSU and Clemson with one loss and still ranked no higher than 10. Not much respect. If FSU were a one loss SEC team, they would be right in the mix. Good argument for leaving.