Hey, look at John Marinatto, everyone! He's speaking out in defense of his conference, getting tough on the issues surrounding it and openly trying to save the Big East. So glad he waited until after the s**t hit the fan to do all of that.
Marinatto told the New York Times that he intends on holding Syracuse and Pitt to the contractually-obligated 27-month timetable for teams leaving the conference.
Marinatto said in a telephone interview that he planned to hold Syracuse and Pittsburgh to their 27-month contractual exit obligations, meaning that they would not be able to leave the Big East until June 2014.
"We have a track record of coming out stronger than we did before," Marinatto said, referring the A.C.C.’s raid of three Big East teams in 2003. "We may even hold the opening round of our basketball tournament in Greensboro," a frequent site of the A.C.C. tournament, he said in jest.
Well done, John. Who knows, maybe if you'd acted this tough at any point in the decade preceding this, we'd still be there.
And so, what was a business decision is now being made personal by everyone reacting to it. It probably didn't help matters that ACC commish John Swofford started talking about the ACC Tournament in MSG already, but, considering what the ACC has done to the Big East in the past decade (swipe five of its top schools), what's to make the ACC think they can't just keep steamrolling the Big East?
So what if we're stuck with this 27-month timeline? That means Syracuse and Pitt will remain lame duck Big East members until January 2014. So the earliest we would likely play in the ACC would be the 2014-2015 season. Does that mean Jim Boeheim won't be here by the time we make the jump? Still a long way to go in this saga but if that timeline holds, it's something to think about.
You've already heard how excited Boehem is about his Syracuse Orange and their impending move to the ACC. Now see Boeheim's lack of enthusiasm and low-simmering contempt in action! (via Chris Pollone).
Meanwhile, there's a bunch of people who have taken this buiness decision and made it oh so very personal...
Former Big East commish Mike Tranghese sounded off on the state of college athletics:
"College athletics is controlled by football and controlled by money," he said. "I don’t blame conference commissioners, I don’t blame schools, we have presidents supposedly in charge but we’ve lost all sense of loyalty, all sense of fairness, all sense of integrity, it is absolute chaos. It is [conferences] getting bigger when they are doing very well and don’t need to get bigger. There is no one in charge."
You're right, Mike. There is no one in charge...of the Big East. That's why we were smart enough to leave now before your Providence crony completely ruins it.
The interview itself is pretty amazing as Tranghese basically goes on to throw every Big East football school under the bus and reveal his true colors as a basketball-only guy. He's stuck in the 80's and can't even begin to grasp the way the NCAA world works now.
If there's any one school that no one is going to feel sorry for in any of this, its Notre Dame. They can't ever complain because they're the ones who always had the power to solve this issue. That won't stop AD Jack Swarbuck from sounding off...
"How do you vote as a collegiate president on something that has the potential to provide some benefit for your institution and the conference you're affiliated with but has a very negative consequence for a host of other members of the academy, as presidents like to call it?
"I'd like to know how much of these discussions are: What's right? What is the best thing for the larger enterprise, and how many other schools would be adversely impacted?
Let's be honest, Jack. You're pissed off because this inconveniences you, not because you're worried about what this does to DePaul. This throws off your perfect plan of using the Big East as a waystation so you can remain football-independent until the day comes you decide to finally join the Big Ten...and then you'd do the exact same thing to the Big East. Please do go F yourself.
Here's the point. If you're going on TV or doing an interview and talking about the "greed" and "lack of integrity," you probably need to shut up right now. Because either you've already made a decision that fits that criteria before or you will very soon. Especially if you're a college AD. And don't even get me started on ESPN personalities calling us out.
Just know that if you are calling us out for it, we're now assuming you will never, never make a decision in your life that contradicts those beliefs. Because we're watching. And we're going to call you out on it. Promise.
Syracuse Athletic Director Dr. Daryl Gross on Syracuse's move to the ACC (Podcast)...Syracuse.com
Former Syracuse Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel on Syracuse to the ACC (Podcast)...Syracuse.com
SU basketball fans lament the loss of Syracuse in the Big East Tournament...Donna Ditota
Syracuse University coaches looking forward to new tests in ACC...Linsday Kramer
Did Syracuse's New York City connections make Orange attractive to ACC?...Donna Ditota
A house divided: Sources say differing agendas led to the departures of Syracuse and Pittsburgh from the Big East...Mike Waters
Move to ACC to change Orange traditions, fandom...Daily Orange
Students, staff react to Syracuse decision....Daily Orange
With Pitt And Syracuse Headed To ACC, Will Big East And Big 12 Merge?...SB Nation