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

[longtimefan]

The ASU statement is taken out of context of the time it was made. It was made right after the USC/UCLA departure when the remaining schools were trying to put a unifird front that the conference would remain viable. It's really pretty dumb to think ASU wouldn't have wanted to be in the ACC with CalFord after it was apparent that the Pac12 had gone kaput.

Incorrect. It was made at the news conference held 8/5/23, right after Oregon and Washington announced for the B1G. President Crow and AD Anderson noted that they had chosen the Big XII in part because they didn't want to travel across the country--indicating that there was consideration of the ACC also. It was at this point that Crow mentioned that he had gone to SU, and Anderson said he would not repeat what he had said about Syracuse behind closed doors. Crow laughed and said Anderson doesn't like cold weather. Thus it appears there had been discussions between the ACC and the 4 Corners schools. Which sounds pretty proactive.

Here is the press conference. The part about SU and the ACC commences at 5:30.

 

[Orangezoo]

The ASU statement is taken out of context of the time it was made. It was made right after the USC/UCLA departure when the remaining schools were trying to put a unifird front that the conference would remain viable. It's really pretty dumb to think ASU wouldn't have wanted to be in the ACC with CalFord after it was apparent that the Pac12 had gone kaput.

That's a big stretch

 

[Orangezoo]

I would absolutely love a road football game to SMU and or Stanford. I dunno which campus is better but both are frickin incredible.
But highland park is one of the best places and that stadium is perfect for a game. I am pumped about this!!

Completely agreed. Looking forward to it on NCAA Football 25 too

 

[longtimefan]

A good succinct summary of what happened, and why:

"For other schools in the ACC, the three new schools represent both the addition of quality academic institutions and safety in numbers. Cal and Stanford were the last major-conference schools that offered significant value left on the board."

From board favorite Pete Thamel.

 

[rrlbees]

Makes no sense. The ASU Prez would rather play Kansas St and Iowa State and not real football powers like FSU, Miami and Clemson? Sorry, the Big 12 is a big step down from the ACC. Also, Maybe he’s not aware that WVU is like 90 miles from Pittsburgh. And Central Florida and Cincy are also eastern time zone teams.

Probably because of location overall, not one or two specific schools.

 

[rrlbees]

I was referring to Cincy, WV... not Pac 12 being a miss. Just to clarify but I think you gathered that already.

Yea I was agreeing with your pac12 comment.

 

[CousCuse]

Incorrect. It was made at the news conference held 8/5/23, right after Oregon and Washington announced for the B1G. President Crow and AD Anderson noted that they had chosen the Big XII in part because they didn't want to travel across the country--indicating that there was consideration of the ACC also. It was at this point that Crow mentioned that he had gone to SU, and Anderson said he would not repeat what he had said about Syracuse behind closed doors. Crow laughed and said Anderson doesn't like cold weather. Thus it appears there had been discussions between the ACC and the 4 Corners schools. Which sounds pretty proactive.

Here is the press conference. The part about SU and the ACC commences at 5:30.

ASU and Utah did not want to join the Big 12. And if you don't think they wanted to keep their association with Stanford, the academic and financial giant of the west coast, I don't know what else to tell you. ESPN and the ACC got snookered.

 

[NYCCuse826]

Nonsense. The GOR is airtight. FSU and UNC are going nowhere unless they give up their home TV rights for the next decade and pay massive exit fees. They got a half mil lying around.

Five years is more palatable than ten.

 

[rrlbees]

ASU and Utah did not want to join the Big 12. And if you don't think they wanted to keep their association with Stanford, the academic and financial giant of the west coast, I don't know what else to tell you. ESPN and the ACC got snookered.

Lol. You’re so lost.

 

[David321]

If memory serves, MLB began the western expansion with just two teams (Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants). This looks odd now but it sets the table for further growth.

I too wish, in theory, that conferences were strictly geographical but that’s not happening. So as SU fans I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t want the ACC to do whatever is necessary to survive. I’m pulling for the ACC to be the third strongest conference when the dust settles.

 

[David321]

I'm not that upset I don't think this changes much. My real beef is that the Big Ten is no longer the bad guy we just let them off the hook for their expansion. Imagine the Pac 12 was a bank. Big Ten got everything in the vault and the hundreds...Big 12 got all the smaller bills...ACC came in and scooped up the coins. We have no moral high ground in this nonsense anymore if we stood pat we would have.

It wouldn’t be “moral” to be sluggards and allow the ESPN media deal to fall apart because we dropped below the minimum amount of teams needed. FWIW I don’t think any of this is moral or immoral.

 

[Chris02M]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Bayside44]

Some areas, I dare say most, can't afford two teams in the same sport. The Boston Braves had to leave Boston. The Philly A's had to leave Phil. The St Louis Browns had to leave St Louis. The Bay area can't afford two teams in the same sport playing there. Neither could Boston, Philly and St louis. Hell, the Dodgers and Giants left NY.

And you were there for all of it!

 

[orange79]

Mmmmhmmmm.

Quoting the great philosopher, Rasheed Wallace, "As long as somebody 'CTC,' at the end of the day I'm with them. For all you that don't know what CTC means, that's 'Cut The Check."

Y'all can go. Just cut the check for leaving early, set up the direct deposit for the tv money and we'll send our band there to send you off.

Y'all are one Saban retirement away from Dabo jumping and y'all convincing yourself that you have the next Dabo on staff.

I really enjoy your posts GBO. I really like Clemson fans. But y'all keep talking like you're Regina George in Mean Girls and you aren't even Gretchen Weiners.

I think you are misreading gbo's statement here. Pretty sure he doesn't really want to leave... He's just facing "facts".

 

[orange79]

I hope this is true

 

[atlanticuse]

College Gameday: Stanford flew 2200 miles to play Hawaii...

... but Syracuse is 2800 miles away...

NewACC! PAC-Zero!

 

[tep624]

SMU has the potential to be good, so they aren’t Southern Rutgers

I didn’t realize the ACC had been in discussions with SMU for over a year about potential membership. And the PAC 12 had targeted them as well. Either an awful lot of people are wrong about that school’s potential or it really has the profile to be a successful P5 program.

 

[Faegan]

I didn’t realize the ACC had been in discussions with SMU for over a year about potential membership. And the PAC 12 had targeted them as well. Either an awful lot of people are wrong about that school’s potential or it really has the profile to be a successful P5 program.

It's Texas. Football and Texas are like religions. In addition to UT and A&M, look at Baylor, Houston, TCU, etc. It's fertile recruiting ground and SMU has the potential to develop into that second tier that will have very special seasons.

 

[orange79]

We all know the Big Ten looked ridiculous doing this. The Big 12 didn't and added normal schools that are somewhat close to them regionally.

The ACC said hold my beer and one upped everyone on the stupidity. This is by far the worse move that has happened to this point and they just let the Big Ten off the hook for the West Coast nonsense and killing the P12 it won't be them that people laugh at it will be the ACC. I hope the conference gets absolutely roasted and has to go back on this. The Big East kicked out Temple so hopefully some of that starts happening.

They upgraded their conferences.

We downgraded/diluted ours if Stanford or Cal were desirable they would be in the Big Ten or Big 12.

We outdid the Big Ten for ridiculous geographic footprint. They actually got some good West coast markets WA, Oregon, and LA. We got the market that 2 pro franchises have left in the last few years.

The academic end of the conference took sympathy on 2 West coast Ivys for no good reason. Stanford and Cal wouldn't piss on any ACC member apart from maybe Duke if they were on fire.

Oregon State and Washington State actually have fans and Corvallis and Pullman are sick college towns I would have preferred to take them. Neither is a huge downgrade from UW or the Ducks apart from the Uncle Phil money.

I don't really buy that. Placating the schools currently carrying the conference in FB isn't a bad thing either this is all about football after all. Stanford and Cal don't sign agreements with the Mountain West that bind them there for life and don't let them jump once an invite comes up you could have added them at any point same with SMU.

FRANKIEFAN wet dream:

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Stanford won me a lot of money last night so I feel a little better about this.

Emmitt Smith's kid only got 4 touches they play a hurry up offense with plenty of power running. Good RBs including the QB. The QB looked good but sure took a lot of big hits Lamson will play this year if he's #2. Another superstar TE but the WRs are mehh

 

[orangenauburn]

College Gameday: Stanford flew 2200 miles to play Hawaii...

... but Syracuse is 2800 miles away...

NewACC! PAC-Zero!

I watched ten minutes of game day this morning and it's brutal.

It's a far cry from what it once was.

 

[Orangezoo]

College Gameday: Stanford flew 2200 miles to play Hawaii...

... but Syracuse is 2800 miles away...

NewACC! PAC-Zero!

Yeah basically everyone in the top 4 but the SEC made their conference more like the Mountain West.

 

[pokercuse08]

One important thought on this is that in the ACC's position, the next round of additions has to be about potential and development more than current program stature. Think of it like Moneyball, the ACC isn't the Oakland A's but they're not the Yankees or Red Sox either. The B1G and SEC get to take the most valuable programs because nobody else can offer as much money. Backfilling with the current next best all but guarantees widening the gap.

So basically in 2026-2029, the ACC needs to add the programs that will be the most valuable in 2034-2036. This is why schools like SDSU and Arizona State and Houston interest me. I can see potential in economic/population trends.

This is also why SMU is such a good add, and hopefully Stanford as well (hopefully being in this position lights a fire under their boosters).

Of course the flip side is they can't afford to have many (if any) misses, either.

 

[longtimefan]

One important thought on this is that in the ACC's position, the next round of additions has to be about potential and development more than current program stature. Think of it like Moneyball, the ACC isn't the Oakland A's but they're not the Yankees or Red Sox either. The B1G and SEC get to take the most valuable programs because nobody else can offer as much money. Backfilling with the current next best all but guarantees widening the gap.

So basically in 2026-2029, the ACC needs to add the programs that will be the most valuable in 2034-2036. This is why schools like SDSU and Arizona State and Houston interest me. I can see potential in economic/population trends.

This is also why SMU is such a good add, and hopefully Stanford as well (hopefully being in this position lights a fire under their boosters).

Of course the flip side is they can't afford to have many (if any) misses, either.

Predicting the timing of future moves is a fool's errand, but. . .

I think the next major shift will take place close to the expiration date of the Big XII's media deal--2031.