ACC must avoid not following through like BE after TCU

[arbitragegls]

ACC so much better than the BE (was and will be) but if it wants to get to 16 teams, time may be running out...at least from a geographic perspective and the best teams perspective. So what do you think of following scenarios? Your comments appreciated:

...here is my view...and frankly I will not be surprised to see some interesting happenings with expansion as long as Congress stays out of the way. As I have previously posted, I believe that Notre Dame and Uconn are the teams we end with in the ACC although I think there may be some reason for other scenarios. Here you go and take your shots:

1. Notre Dame is the holy grail...so first position goes there for joining the league before 2015 with all activities prior to football with football to follow as soon as present NBC contract is completed...and joining Notre Dame in order of preference:
a. Penn State which has a northeast bent; has not established a rivalry in the Big Ten...would make about the same $$$ in ACC with Notre Dame on Board...and is just hanging out on the eastern shore of the B1g territory...and is a top 5 brand nationally
b. West Virginia..okay academics are not up to snuff (even though they have a darn good Medical School and aside from land grant status that allows in-state students to easily get in (hey isnt Syracuse going for the diversity of students and falling somewhat in academics) has the best combo of football and basketball of any other team save Penn State--and that is debatable
c. Uconn which ties up New England and prevents any other major conference from taking the territroy--BC in my mind is a second sister
d. Rutgirls...well you know the story here...

Now for the twist...what happens if B1G lands ND...and goes for either Rutgirls or Uconn...what does ACC have left for #15 and #16--most likely Uconn and who else...that is not a good position to be in because geographically ACC is S..t out of Luck (no pun here)

ACC has to beat B1g to 16...must act before B1G or geographically we don't have acceptable candidates we want to bring into the conference.

WVU, not so good academic profile but fits in every other way...Uconn helps keep New England...Rutgirls because of NYC (really?) and is a good academic institution...but Notre Dame and Penn State...now getting one may get both...a long shot I know...but right now WVU is hanging in air and I would take them happily...and maybe that entices Notre Dame as football is now strenghtened with FSU, VT, GT, 'Cuse and Miami...basketball good and would be better...

Even though ACC has been pro-active...it cannot stop...remember the BE taking TCU and pausing...look what happened. There are few teams in geographic area that meet ACC requirements and teams we want...so act soon or be prepared to possibly not get to 16--may not be the worst decision but if 16 is the #; act soon or forever be sorry!

 

[General20]

To me, expansion from here on out is a Pass/Fail test.

If you get Notre Dame you pass, it does not matter who the other team is.

If you dont get Notre Dame you fail, it does not matter who the other two teams are - assuming 16 is a must to expand to, which I'm not sure it is yet.

The only team driving expansion is Notre Dame, get them and the conference as a whole is bolstered. Nobody else helps the conference from a financial standpoint. I would wait for them and put everything into "recruiting" them. If you dont get Notre Dame, I'm not sure what the point of expanding more would be until/if the super conferences are formed, and when that happens if the ACC ends up with say a Temple or a South Florida, instead of a UConn or Rutgers, I really dont see any tangible difference so far as how much money it puts in SU's pocket.

 

[newmexicuse]

Everybody talks about 16 team superconferences. Why is that number a holy grail? The ACC can comfortably stay at 14. There is no reason to "force" an expansion to 16 if the last two schools aren't the right ones.

They can afford to wait until the pressure builds on ND sufficinetly to join for all sports. If that doesn't happen Swofford has proven he will be pro-active if and when the need to go to 16 arises. The OU-Texas situation will eventually blow up the Big 12. Any other Big 12 school will be there for the taking down the road, so if WVU, UConn, and/or Rutgers lands there that will be far from the end game in terms of those schools.

PSU in many respects is a better fit for the BiG. No reason for them to leave. ND could go either way if they decided to join a conference. Time is on our side, not against it.

 

[SkanSU]

IMO Swofford and the ACC has engaged, so far, in a very thoughtful and methodical process in expanding the conference. I say that not because SU and Pitt are joining but b/c of the thought that was put into geographic, cultural, and academic similarities. IMO jumping at schools to get to 16 is self-defeating. He has said that at this time the ACC is happy at 14. If ND wants to join ... then it is all or nothing. He puts the conference ahead of the individual teams. There is no need to panic ... and I don't think that the ACC will.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Now for the twist...what happens if B1G lands ND...and goes for either Rutgirls or Uconn...what does ACC have left for #15 and #16--most likely Uconn and who else...that is not a good position to be in because geographically ACC is S..t out of Luck (no pun here)

I think the Big11/ND thing is dead. If it was going to happen, it would have already. I hope, hope, hope they take Rutgirls--they deserve each other.

 

[pfister1]

To me, expansion from here on out is a Pass/Fail test.

If you get Notre Dame you pass, it does not matter who the other team is.

If you dont get Notre Dame you fail, it does not matter who the other two teams are - assuming 16 is a must to expand to, which I'm not sure it is yet.

The only team driving expansion is Notre Dame, get them and the conference as a whole is bolstered. Nobody else helps the conference from a financial standpoint. I would wait for them and put everything into "recruiting" them. If you dont get Notre Dame, I'm not sure what the point of expanding more would be until/if the super conferences are formed, and when that happens if the ACC ends up with say a Temple or a South Florida, instead of a UConn or Rutgers, I really dont see any tangible difference so far as how much money it puts in SU's pocket.

Agree with the exception being that if the ACC could somehow lure Penn State away from the B1G I think that would be a win as well. Not as big a win financially, but a nice win in most other ways. That is the one other scenario I would encourage them to jump on if it presented itself.

 

[orange79]

Folks - Penn St ain't coming. No way, no how. Spending any more time on discussing that is a waste of time and pixels. ND is in play - I get that. PSU isn't.