ACC, PAC-12, and BIG alliance / conference realignment

[Scooch]

Well it’s easy to poke holes in any of the teams but what people like DeCourcy don’t do is come up with reasonable alternatives for the long term viability of the conference.

Honestly, the best thing the ACC can do for their long term viability is to be a helluva lot better at football. The media value of the league would increase substantially if it were landing 6 schools in the top 25 regularly, with 3 in the new playoffs.

The brands and fanbases exist to take advantage of that. But the on field success has really been lacking.

 

[All4SU]

I suggest we add Cal/Stan/SMU - then take whatever increased earnings there are and make up a whole bunch of bags of cash. Then any time an ACC team goes on the road to play an SEC or B1G team, we break out the cash bags and pay off the refs. Call it Official NIL. Get every call in those games and win every out of conference game.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

Closer to Napa than Sacramento.

I'm in Sacramento. Coincidentally, Syracuse joined the ACC right after my move to Nashville and made the trips to GT, Louisville, Clemson, etc. a breeze. Now that I'm on the West coast, it's only right that the ACC adds Cal and Stanford to throw me a bone. I mentioned this earlier in the thread but now that it's closer to reality, how ridiculous is it that I'll have more chances to see Syracuse play locally than UCLA and USC alumni/fans in Northern California?
On another note, I didn't realize how close SMU is to Dallas Love Field Airport (a Southwest hub). I'll make that trip too.

 

[sutomcat]

I'm in Sacramento. Coincidentally, Syracuse joined the ACC right after my move to Nashville and made the trips to GT, Louisville, Clemson, etc. a breeze. Now that I'm on the West coast, it's only right that the ACC adds Cal and Stanford to throw me a bone. I mentioned this earlier in the thread but now that it's closer to reality, how ridiculous is it that I'll have more chances to see Syracuse play locally than UCLA and USC alumni/fans in Northern California?
On another note, I didn't realize how close SMU is to Dallas Love Field Airport (a Southwest hub). I'll make that trip too.

I like that Cal Berkeley and Stanford are within 25 miles of San Francisco International Airport as well. Looks like there is public transportation from the airport to both campuses too.

 

[Orangezoo]

I like that Cal Berkeley and Stanford are within 25 miles of San Francisco International Airport as well. Looks like there is public transportation from the airport to both campuses too.

Yeah easy trips too. Downtown SF has gone downhill a great deal the past 30 years but areas around Cal and Stanford are really nice.

I used to travel to SF a lot for work now not at all. Need to work out a work trip again that overlaps..

 

[NashvilleOrange]

I like that Cal Berkeley and Stanford are within 25 miles of San Francisco International Airport as well. Looks like there is public transportation from the airport to both campuses too.

I haven't taken BART to Stanford but I have taken it to Cal Berkeley and it was extremely convenient; about 15 minute walk. It was uphill if I recall but not more strenuous than walking up to the dome.

 

[javadoc]

I like that Cal Berkeley and Stanford are within 25 miles of San Francisco International Airport as well. Looks like there is public transportation from the airport to both campuses too.

For Cal you can fly to Oakand also.

(Lived in Dublin CA for about 11 years.)

 

[Orangezoo]

For Cal you can fly to Oakand also.

(Lived in Dublin CA for about 11 years.)

I just wouldn't always recommend BART from the Oakland Airport.

 

[Willy75]

Why? Louisville has a very good fan base for both revenue sports, and it gives us another state that borders OH.

ACC has a profile of private schools with fairly good academics and good state universities. UL is neither.
Plus I’ve never liked them.

 

[HtownOrange]

I think these opportunities are very much still on the board if Stanford, Cal and SMU are added. That gets the ACC to 17 with a high likelihood of eventually adding a minimum of three more teams that are suitable geographically for the western flank. I think the obvious strategy here is to end up with either three divisions of 7-8 teams or four divisions of 5-6 teams.

The goal is to be the third best conference approaching the end of the Big 12's media deal in 2030-31. If the ACC has higher payouts and more stability it can poach the best of the Big 12 at that point, assuming the B1G and SEC don't want them.

For now, ignore the likely departures (FSU, Clemson, UNC, UVA) and assume that if they leave they're backfilled with the best available schools that sort of match them in the footprint (UCF and USF come to mind).

EAST
Syracuse
Boston College
Pittsburgh
Louisville
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Clemson

SOUTH
UNC
Duke
NC State
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Miami

WEST
Stanford
Cal
SMU
Houston
Utah
Two of: Arizona State/Arizona/Kansas/TCU/SDSU

If you want to go bigger and really finish off the Big 12 (what they should want to do), you add Cincy and WVU to the East division, drop Clemson into the South, and take three of the schools on that last line in the West.

You now have a clear #3 national conference with geographically cohesive divisions, strong brands, a lot of like minded universities and good coverage of most major metropolitan areas. You also have a good assortment of private schools with powerful alums, and major public universities with political sway due to receiving taxpayer revenue. That also makes it harder to get left out of future playoffs when the dust settles on realignment.

You also maintain optionality to get ND along the way somewhere. It's super unlikely, but leaving that seat open for as long as possible is necessary because it cements you as a permanent power conference. The way to do it is to go ackto four divisions instead of three, thus opening up more cross-divisional rivalries and allowing them to set up the exact annual schedule they want.We just got rid of divisions, why go

We just got rid of the divisions, no need to rush back into them.

 

[longtimefan]

We just got rid of the divisions, no need to rush back into them.

The expansion would necessarily affect the 2024 schedule (and the others after that, of course).

That year would be the last of the original 12-year rotation. We still have not had a visit from Miami. I hope the new schedule doesn't foul that up.

 

[sutomcat]

The expansion would necessarily affect the 2024 schedule (and the others after that, of course).

That year would be the last of the original 12-year rotation. We still have not had a visit from Miami. I hope the new schedule doesn't foul that up.

Agree with that. Hopefully the ACC is on top of the last few cross divisional type one offs that need to be played to complete loops and finish the original scheduling loop.

Hoping also that when schedules are re-done, the ACC finds a way to address the insane 2025 Syracuse schedule, where Syracuse is being asked to play at Clemson, at Notre Dame, at Florida State and play Tennessee at Atlanta, which will be a de facto home game for the Volunteers. That is 4 away games in one year against likely top 10 programs.

Why they chose to schedule UT that year, I do not know. I bet it was a deal where we need you for 2025 or we do not need you. Ever.

Sigh.

 

[SUDadx2]

With all of the conference realignments what becomes of the bowl game affiliations?

Specifically, what happens to the bowl games the Pac-12 was aligned with?

In recent years the Pac 12 has been affiliated with the following bowl games.

• Rose Bowl - Pasadena, Ca. Does this become a game for two at-large teams every year?
• Holiday Bowl vs ACC - San Diego, Ca
• Sun Bowl vs ACC - El Paso, Texas
• Alamo Bowl - San Antonio, Tx
• Armed Forces Bowl - Fort Worth, Tx (TCU)
• 1st Responder Bowl - Dallas, Tx (SMU)
• Las Vegas Bowl - Allegiant Stadium
• Gasparilla Bowl vs ACC - Tampa, Fl
• Jimmy Kimmel Bowl - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Ca.

IF the ACC adds teams, will they also add bowl games to which they are affiliated?

IF the ACC does NOT add teams or expand, will the ACC try to add bowl games vacated by the Pac 12 as a way to increase the revenue for the conference?


I would go after an affiliation with the Las Vegas Bowl. That would be my number 1 target to add to the ACC affiliations.

 

[djorange1989]

Agree with that. Hopefully the ACC is on top of the last few cross divisional type one offs that need to be played to complete loops and finish the original scheduling loop.

Hoping also that when schedules are re-done, the ACC finds a way to address the insane 2025 Syracuse schedule, where Syracuse is being asked to play at Clemson, at Notre Dame, at Florida State and play Tennessee at Atlanta, which will be a de facto home game for the Volunteers. That is 4 away games in one year against likely top 10 programs.

Why they chose to schedule UT that year, I do not know. I bet it was a deal where we need you for 2025 or we do not need you. Ever.

Sigh.

The Tennessee game is a kickoff classic game, or whatever it’s called. It pays a boatload of money so we grabbed it.

 

[sutomcat]

The Tennessee game is a kickoff classic game, or whatever it’s called. It pays a boatload of money so we grabbed it.

I understand the money grab and I bet 2025 was the year because they really needed someone that year. I bet it was us in 2025 or maybe never again.

Maybe the expansion of the ACC will drive a bunch of changes to the schedules to make this go away.

Also when re-doing the schedules, it would be great to change things so Pitt, BC and Syracuse always play each other home and away each season. So there is a drivable conference away game every year.

Pitt is like that but BC and Syracuse both have their two northern rivals at home one year and on the road the next. Not good.

 

[PhatOrange]

I understand the money grab and I bet 2025 was the year because they really needed someone that year. I bet it was us in 2025 or maybe never again.

Maybe the expansion of the ACC will drive a bunch of changes to the schedules to make this go away.

Also when re-doing the schedules, it would be great to change things so Pitt, BC and Syracuse always play each other home and away each season. So there is a drivable conference away game every year.

Pitt is like that but BC and Syracuse both have their two northern rivals at home one year and on the road the next. Not good.

I hear you on that schedule but man I hope they keep Tennessee and ditch Notre Dame. Maybe we can lose Clemson and FSU if the conference changes.

 

[pokercuse08]

We just got rid of the divisions, no need to rush back into them.

I mean we're probably talking 5-7 years into the future, no rush. If they successfully become the #3 national conference, that likely means having 21-24 teams. There's no way to do balanced scheduling and have a fair conference championship game, so you just have to go into divisions of some sort. My hope is that it will ultimately be done in a way that restores and then preserves some regionality.

 

[phreddie]

I guess we could change to the proper terminology then:
Associated Shoreline Schools

Associated Shorline Schools Headquartered Over Lakes & Estuaries

 

[WoadBlue]

I still don’t see why ND can’t become a full member of the ACC while maintaining their separate NBC media deal until which point the conference media deal compensates them more.

Neither do I. The ND thing is not about that. It is about proving how totally different and therefore superior ND is.

Well them days is almost gone. Neither the BT nor the SEC nor the networks backing them will stop. They intend to keep churning until only they are left as Top Tier leagues, and ND either forced into one of them or else is not Top Tier any more.

Only ND can later that path and only by booming a full member of ACC football, making the ACC a permanent Top Tier. That is exactly where we stand.

 

[WoadBlue]

I'm in Sacramento. Coincidentally, Syracuse joined the ACC right after my move to Nashville and made the trips to GT, Louisville, Clemson, etc. a breeze. Now that I'm on the West coast, it's only right that the ACC adds Cal and Stanford to throw me a bone. I mentioned this earlier in the thread but now that it's closer to reality, how ridiculous is it that I'll have more chances to see Syracuse play locally than UCLA and USC alumni/fans in Northern California?
On another note, I didn't realize how close SMU is to Dallas Love Field Airport (a Southwest hub). I'll make that trip too.

Ok, just don't don't move to Alaska.

 

[Cusefan78]

Micron and other factories coming in over the next 10 years will help Syracuse add several more nonstop cities out west. MSP (full time), SFO and SEA would be my guesses and maybe PHX and LAX

I fly to Msp every month at least once. I really would love delta to bring that direct flight back. I have been driving to Buffalo to catch their direct flight. It’s quicker then a layover in detoilet.

 

[Orangezoo]

I fly to Msp every month at least once. I really would love delta to bring that direct flight back. I have been driving to Buffalo to catch their direct flight. It’s quicker then a layover in detoilet.

So much hate for Detroit I don't get it. It's not a bad airport at all and the city is slowly coming back to life from a long period of dark times. The slower pace of Detroit makes a longer layover a nice time to go grab a bite and some beers at Gordon Biersch without having someone breathing over your shoulder like in Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh etc.

 

[NJCuse97]

Had a snarky response ready to go, but actually think you're making a good point. If and when (massively unlikely) ND joins a conference it will 100% be voluntary and will be for the same reasons all schools join a conference. It's mutually beneficial to all parties.

I do think if we add Stanford it helps ND lean ever so slightly towards the ACC. I wouldn't add them for this slight increase in the chance. But it does provide ND with a in-conference WC trip w a like minded academic institution.

I was thinking of this, and I had the same initial thought, but then realized that we might be helping them stay out of a conference by this. With an obligation of conference games and more of their traditional opponents in our conference, they will swap conference games for rivalry games that are now in conference leaving them more opportunities to schedule USC, Navy, and the like. We may actually see less of them.

 

[Moontan]

SMU's (Dallas) rival is TCU (Fort Worth). They play for the Iron Skillet.

Not much longer (2 more years?).
Maybe if SMU joins the ACC they will extend the series.

 

[CousCuse]

Cuse and Schmoo week 0 next year in Big D. A retrospective intro of the Orange 44's tradition and the Mustang's Pony Express.