Unverified Voracity says Die ACC Die!
I spoke to my former colleague who now lives in Chicago over the weekend and got a little bit of a window into what is latest strategy from the B10.
Note: This is about as unverified as "voracity" goes. I don't have the means to independently verify anything and am actually hoping this post might or might not jive with what Brian has been hearing and that would provide some clarity on this.
As of EOB Friday, the UT to B10 scenario looks as bleaks as it gets. UT does not want to move to B10 without bringing someone "who will be strongly in their corner in the B10". The B10 presidents (not all but a solid bloc of 4 to be precise) have laid down the law to Delany that no more non-UT B12 members are welcome. This includes A&M, not that they even want to come here in any case. Key point to note is that unlike what we have been hearing from MSM, the Texas legislature is the least of the problem here. They are actually not in the picture at all. The talks between B10 and UT have been bitter at points and this has led some of the presidents to take a hard line on them as they feel if they give in too much to accomodate UT they will always be a demanding/disharmonious member and the B10 just does not need that kind of headache. In short, EFF EM.
Given this bleak picture, the dominant view in the B10 is to look elsewhere and leave the B12 the hell alone (apart from what is done of course). Two presidents who have been sort of "helping" in the vetting process, have come up with two names I have not seen mentioned at all until now. Boston College and Georgia Tech. Delany immediately replied saying both have actually vetted by us already (as in we checked them out, they made no moves whatsoever to initiate it) and low intensity conversations did happen. Jim's point of view is that both would be acceptable fit's but he prefers BC and expects that they would be a easier+better get. Couple of reasons for this:
1. GT is insisting on (ala UT) that they get to bring at least one of the buddies along to provide some voice in their corner.
2. BC is also of a similar view but has said that they might be open to waive that requirement if ND were to be a part of the conference when they join.
Neither of these are particularly likely to happen or at least in a short time frame since the farthest things have gotten with ND is talking extensively about a semi-conference member sort of wierd arrangement. It would go something like this:
ND would get to retain their "independent" status but would commit to playing 7 B10 opponents every year (3 of those being in SB). They would agree in principle to come under the B10 TV contract within a reasonable time frame (as in not immediately but within a given amount of years that is TBD).
My buddy says there is virtually no talk at all about any Big East member anymore and he isnt exactly privy to the inner sanctum of negotiations to know if this is because we have lost interest or if the talks have progressed to such an extent that absolute need to know basis only has been declared.
Besides being the wrong fit there is a zero point zero percent chance either school would even consider a switch to the B10. UNCand Duke (right or wrong) view themselves AS THE ACC. ACC basketball is king down here and football is an after thought.
I am with you guys. From Triangle viewpoint, UNC, NC State, Duke and to some extent Wake Forest are the linked core of the ACC. Of those football is king only at NC State (and maybe Wake Forest). I'd sure love a Big Ten / ACC Challenge in football to drive some games through here on occasion, but I can't see how it would work moving one or two of thsoe to the Big Ten.
As I said above, realignment is barley on the radar here, and the press contains nothing on any of the local schools possible moving.
Of course, there could be hurdles in this, namely, for instance: (1) whether the NC legislature would get involved for NC State,
They would. And they would block it. Or....they would threaten to block it and everyone would run crying to mama.
BC has been a failure for the ACC (not just the championship game as we've discussed), why would the Big Ten repeat the same mistake?
... in the Big 12 "Lite":
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1094038
The focus shifts to A&M, if they stay, then realignment slows down. Big Ten is now 12 and Big 12 is now 10.
Big Ten probably regroups; still like the add of Nebraska.
Update: ESPN says Pac-10 still in the mix:
We're on for 16-team super-conferences...
My guess would be:
SEC: Texas A&M, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech
ACC: UConn, Pittsburgh, West Virginia (this would only get them back to 12)
Big Ten: Notre Dame, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Missouri
Left out: Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri?, West Virginia?
So in reality, of your "left out" teams, one will go to the Pac-10 (10 teams, plus Colo, Texas, Texas Tech, OU, OK St) and four would go to the ACC.
I think you'd have to add "Utah" to the left out contingent since they could easily fill the Pac-10's last remaining spot.
Seemingly ACC would go after Cinci, Louisville, USF, and... Mizzou/Pitt.
Just my two pennies.
Agree with your points except the ACC isn't going to take Cincinnati, Louisville, and USF. There's been a lot of debate about academics and Missouri, but Ohio State might as well be Oxford compared to those three.
especially after the way the governor did VPI a solid by even getting them into the ACC
The difference is, UVa would love to see VT leave.
that may be, im saying that the state govt is going to want to get both of their schools in on any sort of payday coming VPI's way
Depends on who you talk to at UVA. Living in Charlottesville, I don't see a lot of passion either way towards VT. Seems most of the venom comes from Blacksburg. I'm guessing the Academics at UVA may be the only anti-VT folks.
You don't hang out much on UVA message boards, obviously.
It just seems a little strange that Texas A & M would go to the SEC without any other B12 school. From a SEC perspective, it gives them a foothold in Texas (huge state) without costing them too much. However, now they're going to need another team to balance the conference with 14 teams. If everybody else is going to the PAC 10, where does that other team come from? The SEC has already said that they're not looking at Miami, FSU, GA Tech or Clemson.
Missouri is a natural geographic rival for Arkansas -- Fayetteville is not far from Columbia. Also, the state of Missouri borders on Tennessee and Kentucky.
Missouri isn't a bad choice. Yes, the northern half of the state is basically Iowa, but the bottom half is basically Tennessee. I'm just not sure Mizzou would want that unless it's a last resort.
Atlanta TV market would be a good footprint in the south east. BC would make sense for the northeast market.
While Georgia Tech would be a good add how many fans do they have in Georgia? I thought the vast majority of fans in Georgia were Georgia fans. I might be wrong but it would be nice if we got a team with a really big fanbase so we get more viewers.