ACC might as well fold up shop

[SUinNYC]

At least that's the sense you get from reading Twitter today. Sports reporters eulogizing the league because we didn't create our own new bowl game.

Sigh. Out of the frying pan.

 

[arbitragegls]

Wait...there is still time...in fact, if you tie up two bowls we will provide a 3rd at a lower cost...What...the Northeast and Southeast are just left out. Can't see that happening. So here is my view:
1. ACC signs bowl with ND (as long as ND not in ACC and must be top 25 team to participate in bowl 1
2. ACC signs bowl with any other top conference pitting #1 or #2 or #3 from ACC against no team from other conference ranked less than #4 in that conference
3. ACC signs with BE with no less than #4 in ACC and #3 from BE

Now might not get as much hype as the SEC/Big 12 or Pac 12/B1G...but may just out view them being from NE and Southeast.

If we can get ND to sign on for this it would be a means around the other conferences and would be great!

 

[SUinNYC]

I think we're going to be fine. It's just annoying to listen to.

 

[kcsu]

Are you kidding me. The entire east coast and its millions of viewers left out i think not

 

[omniorange]

People need to take a deep breath. Orange Bowl could sign a contract with the ACC Champion (or #2 if the ACC champ goes to the playoffs) and the BiG #2 or 3 for a January 1 early afternoon Bowl game. I'm sure the BiG wouldn't mind getting out of the dump Citrus Bowl that is badly in need of repairs.

Does that then suddenly make the ACC a power conference again?

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Townie72]

Are you kidding me. The entire east coast and its millions of viewers left out i think not

Ahhhh, KC.

It may come as a surprise, but more East Coast viewers watch SEC games than watch Big East games.

 

[kcsu]

we are not talking about big east games we are talking about acc games

 

[Townie72]

we are not talking about big east games we are talking about acc games

Same response. SEC games outdraw ACC games.

You'll never understand any of this unless you understand that the SEC is successful because its games outdraw the others.

You are way overstating the regional propensity to watch local games versus "National" games.

 

[normaliswear]

Same response. SEC games outdraw ACC games.

You'll never understand any of this unless you understand that the SEC is successful because its games outdraw the others.

You are way overstating the regional propensity to watch local games versus "National" games.

But if the entire NorthEast has no school at the Big Boy table interest in the sport as a whole in the region will drop. If fans in the area can't dream of their team being on the same field then they aren't even really playing the same sport. Now compared to the rest of the country college football isn't as big in the NorthEast anyway, but its still significant just by the sheer number of people.

 

[44PRIDE]

Sad thing is that Penn State and Notre Dame could carry the Northeast on their own.

If ND goes to the B1G, the ACC is flucked...

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Haven't you heard all the rumors ... the ACC is already flucked:

NC State and Va Tech to the SEC

Clemson, FSU, Miami, Ga Tech, Louisville, and Notre Dame to the Big XII

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke to the B1G.

I'm glad somebody has it all figured out. :crazy:

 

[Townie72]

But if the entire NorthEast has no school at the Big Boy table interest in the sport as a whole in the region will drop. If fans in the area can't dream of their team being on the same field then they aren't even really playing the same sport. Now compared to the rest of the country college football isn't as big in the NorthEast anyway, but its still significant just by the sheer number of people.

I know you won't believe this, but just about everything you just wrote is wrong. It's wrong because you think that a significant part of the Northeast roots for local schools and identifies with them. They don't. Instead they watch whatever the best games are and usually that's the SEC or the Big Ten. Just like the rest of the country.

Northeast TV viewers in general don't really care about the schools in the geography because other than Penn State none have them ave been part of the College football top tier for decades. Interest in college football won't drop enough to matter if people can't find Temple or BC or UConn or Rutgers or even SU on the dial.

 

[Stern]

Sad thing is that Penn State and Notre Dame could carry the Northeast on their own.

If ND goes to the B1G, the ACC is flucked...

If ND did go to the Big 10 and we see 4 Super Conferences (with the ACC left out and schools looking for new homes), college football will go the way of NASCAR! Southern/Mid-Western based sport with the Northeastern part of the country ignored.

Now, I don't think this will happen, but IF it did College Football would be following the NASCAR model.

 

[Townie72]

Sad thing is that Penn State and Notre Dame could carry the Northeast on their own.

If ND goes to the B1G, the ACC is flucked...

Now that is the REAL threat.

That would be the real "Turn out the lights, the party's over" minute.

For years I have read posts from ND haters wanting ND to be thrown out of the Big East. Driving MD into the B1G is one of the worst errors the Big East football schools could possible make.

That makes the NNBE and the ACC into the WAC or MWC.

 

[Townie72]

If ND did go to the Big 10 and we see 4 Super Conferences (with the ACC left out and schools looking for new homes), college football will go the way of NASCAR! Southern/Mid-Western based sport with the Northeastern part of the country ignored.

Now, I don't think this will happen, but IF it did College Football would be following the NASCAR model.

Please. Easterners would continue to do what they do today in large numbers ... watch the SEC, Big Ten and games like Army-Navy.

You seem to be suggesting there are big Eastern audiences for Eastern teams. If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation and the BE wouldn't have such relatively poor contract.

If SU is on, I don't watch Big East teams, I watch the best game on and usually that's the SEC.

 

[Stern]

Please. Easterners would continue to do what they do today in large numbers ... watch the SEC, Big Ten and games like Army-Navy.

You seem to be suggesting there are big Eastern audiences for Eastern teams. If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation and the BE wouldn't have such relatively poor contract.

If SU is on, I don't watch Big East teams, I watch the best game on and usually that's the SEC.

I didn't suggest anything of the sort. I just said the sport would be southern and mid-western based. With no real presence in the Northeast.

You read way too much into it!

 

[normaliswear]

I know you won't believe this, but just about everything you just wrote is wrong. It's wrong because you think that a significant part of the Northeast roots for local schools and identifies with them. They don't. Instead they watch whatever the best games are and usually that's the SEC or the Big Ten. Just like the rest of the country.

Northeast TV viewers in general don't really care about the schools in the geography because other than Penn State none have them ave been part of the College football top tier for decades. Interest in college football won't drop enough to matter if people can't find Temple or BC or UConn or Rutgers or even SU on the dial.

You're missing a key understanding. Its not about rooting for a team... it's simply having teams around involved in the sport helping fans appreciate what a great team/game is when they see it. Sure there will be fans who continue to watch, but it WILL dwindle. As kids grow up without ever seeing teams they know of or can go see on the big stage their interests will shift to sports where that is possible. English Premier league soccer has its fans who are really into the sport, but with no teams involved here most kids can't name a team in that league. Your thinking is too short term.

 

[Townie72]

You're missing a key understanding. Its not about rooting for a team... it's simply having teams around involved in the sport helping fans appreciate what a great team/game is when they see it. Sure there will be fans who continue to watch, but it WILL dwindle. As kids grow up without ever seeing teams they know of or can go see on the big stage their interests will shift to sports where that is possible. English Premier league soccer has its fans who are really into the sport, but with no teams involved here most kids can't name a team in that league. Your thinking is too short term.

Q. Why have Big East games tended to gravitate to being shown on weeknights and not Saturday afternoons?

A. They can't compete for a TV audience even in the Northeast.

I grew up 18 miles from Rutgers. No one I knew ever went to a Rutgers game in any sport.

 

[normaliswear]

Q. Why have Big East games tended to gravitate to being shown on weeknights and not Saturday afternoons?

A. They can't compete for a TV audience even in the Northeast.

I grew up 18 miles from Rutgers. No one I knew ever went to a Rutgers game in any sport.

You're comparing apples and oranges. I'm talking interest in college football as a whole, not specific conferences. I live in Rochester, right between Buffalo and Syracuse. Both cities have Div 1 football programs. However, in Syracuse interest in college football, believe it or not, is far FAR greater than in Buffalo. Why? Because despite their struggles Syracuse's Div 1 program has had a seat in an AQ conference. Syracuse sees its team on ESPN playing against WVU, ND, USC etc and people have conversations about how to try and build to that level. UB isn't in a AQ conference and noone has delusions they ever would be. So people there only care about college football at the local level. Most couldn't even tell you who was in the BSC Championship game last year. The sport as a whole is meaningless. And its not because Buffalo has pro sports, plenty of pro sports towns care about college too... if they have a team at the big boy table.

 

[Townie72]

You're comparing apples and oranges. I'm talking interest in college football as a whole, not specific conferences. I live in Rochester, right between Buffalo and Syracuse. Both cities have Div 1 football programs. However, in Syracuse interest in college football, believe it or not, is far FAR greater than in Buffalo. Why? Because despite their struggles Syracuse's Div 1 program has had a seat in an AQ conference. Syracuse sees its team on ESPN playing against WVU, ND, USC etc and people have conversations about how to try and build to that level. UB isn't in a AQ conference and noone has delusions they ever would be. So people there only care about college football at the local level. Most couldn't even tell you who was in the BSC Championship game last year. The sport as a whole is meaningless. And its not because Buffalo has pro sports, plenty of pro sports towns care about college too... if they have a team at the big boy table.

I lived in Rochester twice. And the interest in SU football I saw when I lived there was weak at best.

The interest in SU football in the immediate area around Syracuse is rooted in many years of watching and rooting including some era when SU was very good.

But all the interest there is in SU football in the immediate area hardly moves the meter. Even though it is greater than that in the Buffalo area in UB.

Ask yourself these questions.

Why is the Big East football TV contract worth significantly less than the major conference?

Why are Big East games being shown on weeknights, including Fridays, and not on Saturday afternoons?

 

[normaliswear]

I lived in Rochester twice. And the interest in SU football I saw when I lived there was weak at best.

The interest in SU football in the immediate area around Syracuse is rooted in many years of watching and rooting including some era when SU was very good.

But all the interest there is in SU football in the immediate area hardly moves the meter. Even though it is greater than that in the Buffalo area in UB.

Ask yourself these questions.

Why is the Big East football TV contract worth significantly less than the major conference?

Why are Big East games being shown on weeknights, including Fridays, and not on Saturday afternoons?

You kind of prove my point there. The interest in SU football in the immediate area around Syracuse is rooted in many years of watching and rooting including some era when SU was very good. Yes and if there are no teams around to ever hope to be very good again that interest wanes some. Not sure why you're stuck on the TV contract, thats not relevant to the issue being discussed. We're talking relative interest levels dropping. Whatever current interest levels are in college football in the NorthEast is X... I'm simply saying that removing the NorthEast entirely from big boy competition turns that interest level to X - 10%, 20%, 50%... theres no way to know the exact impact unless it happens. But to believe there would not be a significant drop in the interest in college football on the whole in that scenerio is naive at best. Not every fan watches sports the same way or for the same reasons as you so projecting your own inclinations towards watching college football onto all fans across the region leads you to make incorrect assumptions.

 

[sufandu]

Part of the issue is the northeast is a pro-sport region and that's why they don't show allegiance to any college. Many of the fans are only casual college football fans but live and die with their pro teams. The southeast is rabid about college football and pro-football is secondary. Look at all of the pro teams that exist with great support in the Northeast with the Giants, Jets, Eagles, Redskins, Patriots, Steelers, and Bills. The Southeast has only the Panthers, Titans, and Falcons (the Florida teams don't count because most southerners don't consider Florida as part of the south despite it's obvious geography) and two of those are new teams when compared to the Northeastern teams I mentioned. In Knoxville, where I live, as many people have been fans of the Colts as the Titans because of Peyton Manning playing for Tennessee.

I don't know what's going to happen with reallignment and the ACC. I hope that if we can start winning games we can get the alumni support for football, especially in NYC and DC, that we've had for basketball. That is exactly why Gross has scheduled "home" games in NYC. Maybe then we'll have enough pull to do what we have to do to survive regardless of how things shake out.

 

[omniorange]

I think both sides make solid points in regard to northeast college football fandom.

Yes, right now, Townie is absolutely correct that northeast college football fans' eyeballs are on national type games regardless of conference affiliation. But that was probably true of college basketall as well until the Big East was formed.

If the ACC survives and more importantly thrives as the eastern college football league (something the Big East couldn't do in that sport) then it could change over time. Unfortunately, time is something the ACC might not have.

The worse possible scenario still remains that ND joins PSU in the BiG. Game, set, and match for northeastern viewership in college football if that occurs.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[HtownOrange]

Same response. SEC games outdraw ACC games.

You'll never understand any of this unless you understand that the SEC is successful because its games outdraw the others.

You are way overstating the regional propensity to watch local games versus "National" games.

From reports I've read, ACC is #2 on TV viewers list.