Would Syracuse Be Better Off In The ACC?
by Sean Keeley on Apr 20, 2010 1:21 PM EDT
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PrintOn Lost, the topics of fate, destiny, time and free will are batted around in almost every episode. One of the major devices that's a part of this is the idea of course correction. That, even if you went back and made different choices in your life, eventually you would find yourself at the same major events and happenings that you do in your current life.
On the show, no matter how it happens and what events transpire, John Locke will always end up in a wheelchair. It's part of his destiny (for now, at least).
If you watched the rebooted Star Trek, you saw a James Kirk with a different upbringing and life than the one from the old mythology. And yet...he still ended up as captain of the Enterprise. The details were different and he's a different kind of guy...but the universe course corrected what it needed to in order for him to do what he's meant to do.
Maybe that's why Syracuse might end up in the ACC after all.
Lest we forget, that was originally going to be us, not Boston College, jumping ship back in 2004. We stayed and cursed the Eagles for their transgression. But maybe, just maybe, we were supposed to go after all. Maybe there's an alternate universe out there where we dominate ACC basketball and go to many an Emerald Bowl to play low-level Pac-10 teams. And now, with the Big Ten swooping in to take a big chunk out of the Big East, the universe is course-correcting once again.
The hot rumor du jour is that UConn is definitely going to go to the Big Ten. This rumor's only source seems to be Colin Cowherd so take it with a freighter's worth of salt. (Cowherd mentioned something about the Cleveland Plains-Dealer reporting this but there's nothing on their site about it, only this article from January favoring such a move).
But it raises a good point. There is a chance that once again another conference could raid the Big East and once again Syracuse could be one of the teams left behind. If the Big Ten wants to consume NYC, they might decide grabbing UConn and Rutgers accomplishes that better than bringing in SU. And if the Big Ten were to snag UConn, Rutgers and Pitt, the teams left over would begin a mad dash to the southeast to see if the ACC and SEC would be interested in their services.
Assuming both conferences would expand to start matching the Big Ten, Syracuse, South Florida, West Virginia and Louisville would get gobbled up pretty quickly. In fact, you could make the case that all four would be a good fit for a 16-team ACC.
Specifically for Syracuse, however, there would be some benefits.
- Rivalry with Boston College fast-tracked to front-burner.
- Rivalry with Virginia Tech & Miami re-kindled.
- ACC Basketball (in theory) better than Big Ten Basketball.
- Yearly games against Duke, North Carolina, Maryland, BC and others will attract crowds.
- Syracuse football has a much better chance to compete then in Big Ten.
- Better geographic fit in terms of travel and recruiting bases.
- Assuming West Virginia, Louisville & South Florida come too, or at least some of them, built-in rivals.
- How's this for a lacrosse conference: SU, Virginia, UNC, Duke and Maryland. Wow.
Obviously, this is a couple steps ahead and we're not even sure anyone will be taking the first step yet. But consider it something to keep in your back pocket.
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We should go independent,
get a giant TV deal, and suck in football. Unless someone else has already beat us to this?
by jgrupposo on Apr 20, 2010 1:24 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
+1
I always enjoy digs at Notre Dame :)
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Well sounds like a good plan
just gotta find another conference to mooch off of in other sports.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 20, 2010 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
How does it feel to be an asshole, Neidermeyer?
… sorry, it’s an atavism to complete that quote
by Trapped_In_ACC_Hell on Apr 20, 2010 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'd prefer the Big 10
But we’re a better fit in the ACC. I guess that’s because I’m more of a football fan than a basketball fan, and playing in the Big House or at the Horseshoe every other year gets me more fired up than playing at Duke or North Carolina every year (although that is pretty cool too). Either way, we’d better hope we’re going somewhere. When the music stops and the megaconferences consume the sports landscape, we had better not be left without a chair.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
That’s exactly why I feel the opposite way. As a basketball fan first, I would much rather go to the ACC if we have to go anywhere. I’d rather see the basketball program continue to grow and compete at a high level than see the football team get crushed worse than they already are.
Go, fight, and win.
No, it is a size of school question
Which school size can we compete with, in the Big 10 with 30k enrollments or in the ACC with 15k enrollments?
Go Orange(men)!
people
not to mention all those scary people from the Midwest. They’re like people from Buffalo and Western NY, only significantly weirder.
Orange you glad it's not football season?
From a perfectly selfish standpoint
I’d prefer the ACC, as I’d be able to watch the teams play live much more often. Agree with the consensus, though, that if it’s pretty much inevitable that the Big East will soon be a no longer viable football conference, re-aligning with someone else is of paramount importance.
by Trapped_In_ACC_Hell on Apr 20, 2010 1:30 PM EDT reply actions
That's the beauty of it....
Out basketball team would, for the first year or two, just run those other teams out of the gym. Maybe football could catch up.
However, ACC basketball and lacrosse does sound tasty.
I agree
Who says B10 Basketball is boring if Syracuse is playing it? Meet the zone defense and transition offense, boys.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 20, 2010 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually like the ACC idea better than the Big 10.
We’d be over-matched and not in our element in the big 10.
Always seems more of a Mid-West league; than an East Coast based league.
Plus, I can drive up to N Car from N Florida easy peasy.
Meaning tweetups with twitterati who seem to be accumulated in NC.
I agree completely
but Syracuse’s first choice would still probably be the Big Ten based on dollaz.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 20, 2010 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
ACC
In no particular order:
1) I live in ACC Country so it would mean I could see my alma mater play in person more often.
2) I think it would be good for Syracuse to keep it’s focus Eastward (even if it’s mostly southeast).
3) I like Syracuse, BC, VTech, Miami being in the same conference again.
4) Would be great if UCONN and ’Nova went ACC (with ’Nova going FBS for football within 2 years).
5) At the geographic extremities, away games in Florida in November beat away games in Wisconsin or Minnesota in November.
6) Basketball would be awesome.
7) Lacrosse would be awesome.
Orange you glad it's not football season?
continued...
Oh and I forgot to mention that I’d love to see Syracuse renew football relations with U of Maryland. Let’s hope WVU comes with SU to the ACC.
Orange you glad it's not football season?
ACC for sure.
Cuse has tons of alumni up and down the atlantic coast – especially in Florida (see: Gators game in Tampa where there were as many Cuse fans as UF fans). How many Cuse fans live in Minnesota or will make the trip there? Zero. ACC is a much better fit in that regard. Not to mention, Big 10 basketball is so damn boring I cannot stand to watch it, even if Cuse would immediately jump in at the top of the heap. Further, the fact is, I could see Cuse football recovering to compete in the ACC – but I just don’t see it happening in the Big10 with OSU and Michigan (who is down now, but won’t be forever).
basketball first
We are a basketball school. The ACC makes the most sense. Think of the road trips in the big east now. Philly, DC, at least three games in NYC. Think of the road trips in the Big 10? Madison, West Layfayette, Ann Arbor? ACC makes so much sense for so many reasons.
God, I can’t believe we are going to give up the Garden. For football. The Big East Tournament. for football
And it was originally supposed to be us instead of Virginia Tech and not Syracuse. Then, Syracuse said no thank you to any further discussions and promised UConn they would stay in the Big East. Boston College said this too, then, while the BC school president was on the panel negotiating the Big East’s television deal, he was also secretly trying meeting with the ACC people trying to get into the ACC.
It was very underhanded. And then Diamond Ferri had 2 picks and 2 rushing TDs to keep BC out of the BCS. Coach P’s shiningh moment.
Definitely the ACC
But there’s no way in hell the administration would (or really should) pass up the opportunity to join the Big 10 if it’s offered. Can’t risk being left behind.
Big 10
I can not overstate how unappealing Big 10 basketball is. It is ugly, it is choppy, it is hard to watch.
The ACC solves the possible basketball recruiting problem the Big Ten presents.
My biggest concern with a Big Ten move is losing DC/ Baltimore area recruits and the coaching staff having to go blind into Chicago in the hopes of maintaining a strong program. Going to the ACC means this wouldn’t be an issue as the regions would stay relatively consistent.
I also like the move from a football standpoint. I think we have a shot at becoming a force in the ACC, but I do not see that ever happening in the Big Ten. Would playing in those awesome stadiums be cool? Sure, but we’d pretty much be losing in them every year without fail. I’d rather have the chance to win and grow, then of becoming another Northwestern.
The ACC would provide us with a great basketball schedule in line with our recruiting base and style of play (neither of which can be said of the Big Ten) as well as a monster lax conference. It would also mean our football team will have the opportunity to move back into the national picture, something I don’t see happening in the Big Ten.
LOST
A move to ACC would be the parallel universe that is in some ways ‘normal,’ and somewhat pleasing, but also eerily unsettling and not-quite-right.
And f**k Duke.
UConn
We have to bring UConn with us. We can’t lose UConn and Georgetown and Boeheim. It would be insane.
I hate change.
I voted for the Big 10 for the sole reason that I think the football would be better
I don’t know if there’s any causation here, but Miami was considered one of the best programs of all time in the early aughts, then they jumped to the ACC and have been mired in mediocrity ever since. We’re no Miami and there are different circumstances to be sure, but is the under-achieving ACC really the best fit for us?
Plus, the Big Ten makes poop-loads of money as it is, and if they expand and add a conference championship game, that may be upgraded to a fuck-load of money. I’m sure we’d make more money in the ACC too, but not as much as the Big 10. Thinking holistically, with our endowment taking a hit and tuition going up, I think the administration should take that into account.
by Rocket Ship Science on Apr 20, 2010 2:06 PM EDT reply actions
I apologize if the technical terms
were over anyone’s head.
by Rocket Ship Science on Apr 20, 2010 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
agree
on basketball recruiting. going to the acc would be the best.
if i want to watch SU play in those bigger football stadiums, i’ll fire up the PS3 and play ncaa ’10 or whatever version is out now.
plus i live in nc, so i’d get to watch us play more. always a bonus.
Yeah, as a south Floridian, getting to see them play more would be a bonus of the ACC. Heck, with how terribly games are attended at Miami’s basketball arena (and with the alumni base ’Cuse has down here), the Miami games would be about half orange (our orange, not their orange)
Home away from home.
We could probably out number the home team fans like we did at the Verizon Center here in DC when we played G’town this year.
Orange you glad it's not football season?
I'm also a Floridian now
SU in the ACC would outnumber all 3 of the other Florida schools for basketball. Realistically, the ACC will probably have 2 of 3 with Miami, FSU, and USF. The SEC will take FSU or Miami, IMO.
Also, that game in Tampa last season was sweet. Easily 50/50 there, but SU fans were louder and obviously more insane.
surprising number of cuse alums in n fla
i’ve seen more than a few otto and orangemen decals driving around.
we rep well.
ACC
even though I would get lots more opportunities to see Cuse play live in the Big 10, I just can’t stand to be lumped into the same conference with these people here. I get satisfaction that I went ‘out east,’ to a private school away from the Big 10. For no real reason really, I now have a wee bit of disdain for most Big 10 alumni here in Chicago. Not because I didn’t get in or anything, I almost enrolled at Illinois. I don’t mind Illinois, Northwestern, and Penn State all that much, it’s those other ones.
Let the chips fall where they may, but I personally would be much happier watching Cuse on TV in the ACC than taking trips to Madison, Champaign, and Indianapolis.
on the other hand, maybe I’d be able to find a better job around here someday because some people like to hire based on schools in the region that they see on TV all the time. Let me give you a hyperbole of a fictional employer’s thought process right now, “Hey this resume is from Iowa, and this resume is from Syracuse. I know about Iowa football, so the school must be good, let’s hire this Iowa guy, then on Mondays we can slob each others knobs about Iowa football!”
/rant
"It's not drinking alone if you is on webcam, remember that!"
ACC is absolutely a better option
But if the Big Ten offers (and that is still going to be worth more than anything the ACC can do for us, monetarily), we can’t stay waiting at the altar for the ACC.
Syracuse '12
Billboard
Can we make the poll image into a billboard and plant the thing right outside DR. Gross’s office window? And send postcards of it to Delaney and Swofford…
Orange you glad it's not football season?
I can nail it on the front door of the Big Ten offices
I will play the part of Martin Luther.
"It's not drinking alone if you is on webcam, remember that!"
It's only a matter of time
before our annual game against UCONN is one of the marquee matchups of the Big 10 – ACC Challenge. Who woulda thought?
From a fan perspective of course the ACC.
Geographically, rivarly wise, and “type of school” wise it makes a shit-ton more sense to be in the ACC versus the B10, but financially speaking the B10 wins. And in these ind of situations money is all that matters, not the fans or rivalries or appropriate competition.
Though if they do go to the ACC, there will be at least one game every year where I will be essentially divorced from my wife.
Go Orange(men)!
Arguments of ACC over B10:
- Average enrollment: B10 – 30k; ACC – 16k; SU – 13k (obvious where we belong)
- Rivalry b-ball: B10 – Mich St., Ohio, Michigan; ACC – Duke, UNC, BC (again, obvious who would be more fun to watch us play)
- Rivalry football: B10 – Mich, Ohio, Penn St; ACC – VT, BC, UM (remember those games)
- Rivalry lacrosse: B10 – ????; ACC – Virginia, Duke, UNC (so obvious it hurts)
- University type: B10 – State schools; ACC – Private/Tech schools (where do you think SU fits in?)
- Geography: B10 – Midwest, Great Lakes area; ACC – East coast (starting to get the picture)
- Student Body: B10 – Midwesterns, small towns; ACC – Boston, NYC, Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami (do I really need to go further?!?!?!?)
If I had to choose which conference (and the BE was going away) then the choice is clear. SU is already an ACC school (so are GT, UConn and probably Nova). The only real argument that the B10 has over the ACC is money. And as a fan I think that is an awful argument.
SU to the ACC! SU to the ACC! SU to the ACC!
Go Orange(men)!
As a fan it's a bad argument
but as a student or an alum it’s a great one. Personally, I think Syracuse needs to go to the Big Ten if asked, but if that somehow falls through, I’ll be stoked about the ACC for all the reasons you mentioned. And there will still be a financial gain!
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 20, 2010 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Drive away the fans will eventually drive away the money.
Alum and fans will tire of being completely outmatched financially in football and of the awfully slow game that will happen in basketball.
Yeah it will be more money in the short run, but I think we will suffer in the long run financially.
Go Orange(men)!
I don’t think home football games against Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame will “drive away the fans.” Now, we have to win some of those to keep those fans, but that’s looking like a bit of a problem regardless of conference affiliation haha.
In an ideal, sports-based vacuum where basketball and lacrosse count the same as football, ACC is a better choice despite the money. But things being how they are, the Big Ten is the right choice if such a choice arises. As Sean linked, the economy’s down and the University’s endowment is tanking. And unless I am mistaken the Athletic Department generally runs on a deficit.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 21, 2010 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions
So, you thikn we would have equal opportunity beating
Ohio St, Michican, Penn State year after year as opposed to VT, Miami & BC? Really?
Year after year those B10 schools are good to dominate, you can do this in football when you have 30-40k enrollment. You can not do it if you’re VT, Miami or BC with 10-20k enrollments. The ACC teams that are good change each year, where as the B10 has the dominate teams and Northwestern. We would be like Northwestern and suck every year. EVERY YEAR.
See football is not like b-ball or lacrosse. To be good at football consistently you need LOTS of $$$$, to be good in b-ball and lax you need some $$ and lots of good scouting. Hence why small schools can compete successfully in both b-ball and lax as compared to football. That’s why there are 100 football D1 programs and over 300 D1 b-ball programs.
Being another Northwestern is not going to bring in fans and money in the long run compared to being a contender every once in a while against schools similar to our size/enrollment.
Go Orange(men)!
Huh?
What does $ have to do with football success? Indiana makes more money off football than Notre Dame. Think about that for a moment.
And that refutes part II of your analysis—if you join the Big 10, you get the money. With an extra $20 million… methinks you suddenly can justify incurring a lot more expenses, such as coaching and airplanes.
As for competitiveness… is there a difference between Ohio St. and Cincinnati right now? Penn State and West Virginia? “Michican” and South Florida? If anything, I think there are more teams at Syracuse’s level at the bottom of the Big 10, such as Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue.
Does the ACC work for Syracuse? Sure. However, turning down the Big 10 because the ACC might expand is foolish. If the ACC wants to expand, they should try to beat the Big 10 to the punch.
If I was the Big 10, I would want Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and UConn. Adds about 25% of the population to the TV footprint. Conversely, if you are the ACC, you should want to add Syracuse, UConn, West Virginia, and Rutgers and really grab the NE states.
now there's something to aspire to...
Is it a goal of the Syracuse University football program to be the next Indiana in Big Ten football? I hope not!
Orange you glad it's not football season?
What does money have to do with football success?!?! Are you kidding me?
From facilities, to equipment, to staff, to logistics. Everything costs substantially more for college football versus other sports (say like b-ball).
Joining the B10 makes us another Northwestern, aka we will suck year after year. Again we will get more money in the short term but being a joke of a team in the conference will lead to less ticket sales and less alumni donations in the long run.
Go Orange(men)!
The Top 3
of the Big Ten is tough, yes. The middle and bottom are not much different than the Big East. Just look at how well we played against our Big Ten opponents this year. Then we finished in the bottom of the Big East. Think about that.
The Destruction of History
I honestly don’t want to join any other f-ing conference. I love the big east, I love the name, the venue’s, the tradition. Football use to be great, but we are now a basketball school and to abandon the big east is a slap in the face to Jimmy B. How can we honestly give up the big east tournament in the garden? We were part of the greatest basketball game ever and we are gonna just throw that away for football? Count me out on that. I am perfectly happy with mediocre football and great basketball. The conference needs to figure out a way to increase the football programs in the conference from the basketball only schools, why can’t we get notre dame football? Everyone wants to jump ship like there are no other options. Sounds like nothing but babies. Instead of giving up, come up with new creative ideas other than to be the grab bag for other conferences. I hope JB uses his clout to help make basketball become the front runner for any reason we do anything. JB needs to say its another conference or him, because both are not going to happen.
Ultimately if the conference is disbanded, i’d rather go to the acc, but we better get the damn garden for the conference tourney! Big 10 sucks at everything! Big 10 football is so overrated, its disgusting.
We can hope for all the creative solutions we want.
Many of us have presented them in a public forum. But the powers-that-be in the Big East see no need to adjust the status quo. That is a losing stance and whether or not you or I like it, the Big East will get raided again and this time, won’t survive it. The BET is awesome, but it won’t survive anyway, so why be stubborn and stick around? The writing seems to be on the wall for the BE and if I have to choose between Syracuse staying alive athletically or BE loyalty, I’m choosing Syracuse every time. If the BE looked like it had any backbone in all this, it would be different, but it’s pretty clear the BE is either too naive or too scared to do what needs to be done to survive.
Big East commish says
“Big East has never been stronger.”
Uh. OK.
Check back in a few weeks when 1-5 teams are gone.
JB is nearing retirement so if it came down to him or another conference
he loses. Onto the next one (Hopkins! unless they screw that up too) Plus he wasn’t in favor of forming the Big East back in the day either, wanted Cuse to stay independent, and look where we are now. I too would prefer to stay with the Big East, but realistically that’s not gonna happen. Can only hope we merge into the ACC with some of our better basketball rivals (Gtown, UCONN, Nova) than end up in the Big Ten where we have nearly zero chance of competing in football. I don’t even want to think what would become of our basketball games. And does the Big Ten even have lacrosse? Seems like we may have to go back to being independent there. Of course ACC solves that problem. If only the powers that be would let us fans vote on this…or take what we say to heart. What would Syracuse be without the fans?
Sums it up
Pete Bell (Nick Nolte in Blue Chips) said it best when he said:
“This ain’t about education, it ain’t much about winning and it sure as hell ain’t much about basketball. Its about money! Just goddamn money.”
It’s an awful situation. Lose the history and prestige of the hoops program and relegate the football program to doormat status by joining the B10 for boatloads of cash, or run into the waiting arms of the godless ACC. I agree the ACC is a better fit for the school (and not just in terms of athletics) but the prospect made me ill in 2004 and it makes me ill now.
http://cusecountry.com
Dead Duck
It really seems like the Big East is already a dead duck. It’s sad that it’s come to this, but it could be even more sad if some rump Big East tries to go on without the football schools; better just to disband the conference and preserve what you can of its legacy.
Part of what is so frustrating with this whole process is the waiting for the shoe to drop. It’s long been time for the Big Ten to just announce what their decision is or vote already. Continued speculation only drives Big East stock lower and makes life for the rest of college football America that much more troublesome. Is Delany milking this to get more media attention for the Big Ten, more plugs for his Big Ten Network? Enough is enough, get on with it!
One word keeps coming to mind as discussions of Big Ten expansion drag on and on… hubris.
Orange you glad it's not football season?
I'm from Ohio
So I had to vote Big Ten, if just because it makes Syracuse/Ohio State games happen a lot more.
ACC Guy Here
Went to UNC and from where I stand I’d love to get Syracuse in this whole shakedown that is anticipated. WVU, USF, Cinci wouldn’t have much a shot at getting into the ACC but Cuse, UConn, Pitt, Rutgers would all be great fits in terms of university prestige, programs and size.
Everyone knows about the Big 10’s AAU membership and the Pac10 research tag but folks often omit the ACC’s academics. They aren’t as stringent as the other two league’s but they still exist. That and the TV market deal wouldn’t mae much since with WVU or USF. We already have the Tampa market with FSU.
I feel lie this is going to happen whether folks want it or not so we might as well start readying for the movement.
Yeah BoYeeEEeeE
After reading all of your comments...
…I think I’ve been swayed towards the ACC, for a host of reasons (SUMonkey did a great breakdown, IMO). Especially if we get to take a couple of other Big East schools with us.
The rivalry with Georgetown won’t die, it just won’t be a conference game anymore. It sucks, but as it has been said, the Big East is a dead man walking, so why not accept that and make the best of a bad situation? Of the “traditional” Big East basketball programs that don’t play FBS football, only Villanova and Georgetown are even relevant anyway. Who gives a shit about Providence or St. John’s, even on the basketball front? Their day is long since past.
An ACC affiliation would restore our heated football rivalries with Va Tech and BC (and to a lesser extent, Miami), and the basketball rivalries would be intense (and should appease those of you who only care about basketball and not about football). Joining the ACC for lacrosse would be SICK!
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
That's all well and good
But from the sound of it, the college landscape will turn into the Big 3 for conferences. The SEC will raid the ACC leaving nothing but historically basketball-centric schools.
Hmmm, sound familiar? Ya’ll want to go through this all over again? I don’t. But at least if we don’t get the Big Ten invite, we should have a home in the ACC.
You're probably right
and the future ACC will be a lot like the Big East of today… but, eh, that’s alright. Syracuse will still be in a BCS-affiliated major conference where it will have a chance to win a few games in football. It will continue to rock faces in basketball and lacrosse. Like you said, at least we have a home, and one that will be more viable long-term because all the schools play both sports.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 20, 2010 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
And then...
THEN in 10-20 years, when the BigTen and SEC decide they want to go from 16 to 20 teams, guess where they’re going to take from? We would be afterthoughts then when they can take schools like Duke, Virginia, and UNC instead.
Reading almost literally a million posts about Big Ten expansion has made me question my belief (that I’ve had since the early 90s) that Syracuse fits great in the BigTen. “They” sure don’t seem to appreciate private schools. But when all is said and done, I’d much rather have the security of being in the BigTen. We will do okay in football. We will do great in basketball. I personally think Hopkins will be a great replacement for JB. I don’t really buy the “BigTen is boring basketball” argument. We will still play Syracuse basketball no matter where we are. We will most likely have a new stadium. We will most likely have a hockey team. Lacrosse will be fine (and may even be the flagship for some new BigTen Lacrosse league). Just all around, my gut tells me we really need to sneak into the BigTen right now.
Yep
I think we fit with ACC better, but the Big 10 is too good to pass up. Plus, Syracuse’s ability to deliver NY and some of NYC makes it more valuable to the Big 10 right now (as a network owner) than it is as part of a conference selling its wares to a network.
Man, the Big 10 schooled everyone by starting a network. Should have been the Big East. All those markets, too little imagination.
Yeah
It’s the right move. Like I was saying, more secure footing in the Big Ten. Who knows if it will be an option…
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 21, 2010 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't agree totally
I think that to assume the SEC raids the ACC is to not see the politics of the universities. Florida isn’t going to just “let” FSU, USF or Miami in the SEC. They’d fight that tooth and nail. Same with Clemson and Sakerlina or Georgia and Georgia Tech. GT got out of the SEC once and their higher ups have an utter disgust for the league. The Virginia legislature worked hard to get VT into the ACC, from where I sit I don’t think they’d skip out following that push for inclusion.
I’m assuming that Clemson, Miami, VT, FSU and Georgia Tech are who you had in mind when “raiding” was mentioned but there’s a bit more to it than that.
Yeah BoYeeEEeeE
by InTheBleachers on Apr 21, 2010 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
ACC makes more sense athletically and the Big Ten makes more sense financially. I’d be fine either way. The only thing I would not be fine with is 2003 Redux: staying behind with East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Temple, and Cincinnati and the rest to make the Anti-Voltron Conference. That would be irresponsible and completely fricking stupid but I have faith in DOCTOR Gross because he doesn’t have the same parental ties to the Big East that Crouthamel did.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
Good Point
If the Big East, more importantly the member schools, don’t look after their own interest it will be an ECU, Memphis, UCF, Temple party if they’re raided by the Big Ten.
Yeah BoYeeEEeeE
by InTheBleachers on Apr 21, 2010 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to say
Everyone is a lot more confident about the ACC expanding than I am. Why would they go above 12 teams? Just because the Big 10 does? I am missing the logic in this train of thought.
The Big 10 is minting money. If they add schools, it will be to increase their TV footprint. They are partnered with Fox and perhaps Fox is nudging them in this direction. As a minority owner, Fox can do this. it is in the Big 10 Network’s best interests for the Big 10 Network to expand.
The ACC has no such automatic increase in revenue with the addition of teams. What if they just say… “screw you, Big East teams, we will let you be irrelevant.”
In that case, the Big East ends up adding Memphis, Central Florida, East Carolina, etc,., and become a glorified C-USA. I don’t want Syracuse being a part of that just to maintain the BCS bid that we seem to have not qualified for in forever. And that assumes this watered-down Big East even keeps its bid.
No, the worst case scenario is not the implosion of the Big East. It is the “flesh wound” from The Holy Grail. No arms, no legs. Still alive. Bleeding everywhere.
Agreed..
The only way I would feel confident is if the ACC forms their own network. But honestly, I would put the odds in that favor.
They already have their own loose network broadcasting all of their games, Raycom-Jefferson Pilot. I don’t know the history behind it, but anyone who lives in the south sees their games broadcasted by that shadow company on the local networks. And this is not the shady Big East Network, which is just glorified ESPN Regional coverage. This is fully independent of other broadcasting networks.
So they already have much of the infrastructure built, they just have to get the channel.
Oh, I don't have confidence in the ACC expanding
I have the desperate hope of a fan about to see his team go where it don’t belong (B10) for money and little else.
Tiny private school that still values academics will look ridiculous paired with 30-40k public schools with 100k stadiums.
Go Orange(men)!
The ACC may expand just to stay at 12 teams
once the SEC tries to emulate the Big Ten’s business model by stealing Big XII and ACC teams.
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Apr 21, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I am not so sure that Syracuse will dominate in B10 basketball. The team in the big east that seems most like a B10 team to me is Pitt. And our basketball dominance of them is going… poorly.
From a personal standpoint, SU to the Big 10 would suck on an absolutely epic level for me because it would put my graduate school and undergraduate school in the same conference.
How would that be a win-win? I’d far rather have my grad school and undergrad school almost never play each other so I don’t have to root against my grad school very often. I don’t want them to be rivals. That’s why I didn’t go to pitt, or apply to UConn and Georgetown.
loyalties
do you really build up the same loyalties to your grad school as your undergrad?
Orange you glad it's not football season?
No. Did I say I did at any point? Of course not. But I will still be rooting for their teams for the next few years. Still have a degree with their name on it. Still have tons of merchandise from them. So, of course, I will still be a fan of them. And I’d still rather have both of the schools that I will have attended have a shot to win their league instead of having to root against my grad school all the time.
Stop and think for a second!
If we were in the ACC – GP2 could never have played for us! Most school wont grant a release for a player to transfer within their confrence! If we jump ship, what are we going to do when scheyer wants to play qb for us?
ACC is where I predicted they will go 3 months ago
I feel that SU will eventually go to the ACC as it makes sense for so many reasons. It seems to me that Rutgers will the pick from the Big East along with Pitt. Follow that up with Missouri from the Big 12, it gives the Big Ten 14 teams. All of them are AAU members and meet academic standards of the Big Ten, plus bring in new markets (except Pitt). Still able to call themselves the Big 10 (states – NJ, IN, PA, OH, MI, IL, IA, MN, WI, MO) and nice line up with East/West Divisions
UConn and SU will be invitied to the ACC forming 14 schools and bringing either the YES networks or MSG network to partner with Raycom Sports to form a competiting network in bigger markets than the BIG10 network.
SEC could pick off some ACC schools, but I am not sure they bring anything to the SEC. Plus with the added TV contract it will be harder to move. SEC could just pick up WVU and Louisville, to increase the basketball power.
Conf-USA brings back Cincy and S. FL. Thus killing the Big East. The non-football schools will form a catholic league with ND staying put to maintain their football independence as well as avoiding the restrictions of the AAU and research grants.
Big 12 replaces Mizzou with TCU.
Pac 10
I am not sure the Pac 10 will get the Buffs. If they do, they have to take one more. Utah or BYU? Don’t think so. The Buffs only make sense if they have a PAC 10 channel set up. The only one I know of for the west is the MTN West channel. I think the PAC -10 says we are good the way we are and don’’t make any changes.
Collusion
What if the ACC commish is colluding with the Big Ten commish to reduce the number of Div-IA football programs in the eastern United States? Suppose the Big Ten grabs three schools from the Big East, then the ACC and SEC do nothing – no expansion, simply let the remaining rump big east implode into a bunch of independents, spurned by the big time football conferences to eventually go FCS because they can’t complete for recruits and the fiscal burden to support these dead duck programs forces universities to reconsider FBS affiliation.
Seems to me the ACC would prefer fewer football programs in the east, the SEC I’m sure could care less but who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Southern conference commissioners…
Orange you glad it's not football season?
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