sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,247
- Like
- 108,881
Welcome to World Tofu Day!
World Tofu Day was created by the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) Canada to offer an opportunity for people to celebrate plant-based diets and to encourage them to bring animal-friendly foods onto their menus. It celebrates the many alternatives to animal products "and the many advantages of living a cruelty-free lifestyle." It's also a day to get people to try tofu and to view it in a new way, "as a tasty, versatile food that can easily replace many animal-derived products to avoid encouraging the horrible farming industry." The first World Tofu Day was marked in 2014. In Montreal, at least 12,000 people attended a vegan barbecue on the inaugural celebration.
Tofu is made from soybeans that are curdled and then pressed into blocks. It is high in protein, relatively low in calories, and low in carbohydrates. It is low in saturated fat but higher in heart-healthy fats. Tofu contains iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and calcium, and is sometimes fortified with other minerals and vitamins. Tofu is versatile. It takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with, it can be used to make anything from the main dish to a dessert, and just like meat, it can be fried, grilled, steamed, baked, or pan-cooked. There are tofu curds, pressed tofu sheets, frozen tofu, and burgers and sausages made from tofu.
SU News
Axe: Where will latest game of football musical chairs leave Syracuse? (PS; $; Axe)
When it rains, it pours.
The college sports landscape wasn’t already insane enough with “student-athletes” cashing in on name, image and likeness rights, the NCAA’s influence eroding and a proposal for an expanded college football playoff gaining steam.
Let’s bring the craziness of conference realignment back into the fold for good measure!
The latest round of college football musical chairs is underway with reports building momentum that Texas and Oklahoma are being seriously wooed by the SEC.
So where will Syracuse University land if/when the dominoes start falling again?
Let’s examine a few key points in the discussion.
Is Syracuse going to be OK?
...
MSU target, Philly 2022 3-star WR Kevin Thomas to commit on Wednesday (usatoday.com; Bondy)
A Michigan State target and a top wide receiver from Pennsylvania in the 2022 class will reveal his college decision this upcoming week.
Three-star wide receiver Kevin Thomas of Philadelphia revealed on Saturday that he will be committing on Wednesday. Thomas is ranked as the No. 480 overall prospect and No. 65 wide receiver in 247Sports’ compsite rankings for the 2022 class.
Thomas holds scholarship offers from numerous big-time programs, including Michigan State, West Virginia, Arizona State, Florida, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Pitt, Syracuse and Texas A&M. However, it appears it’ll come down to either the Spartans or Mountaineers on Wednesday.
...
Syracuse Football: My pick 6 players to make an impact in 2021 (itlh; Fiello)
We’re taking a look at a half-dozen Syracuse football players positioned to do great things in the 2021 campaign.
Recently I wrote a post of 12 reasons why I think the Syracuse football team could go undefeated this season and in the article, I missed a few things and a few names of importance. Instead of going back and editing it later after sharing it and realizing my omissions, I decided to instead make a special post for a few players not listed that I think individually, if healthy, can and likely will make a huge impact on returning the Syracuse football program back to its winning ways.
Below are 6 names I think other than Tommy Devito, Sean Tucker (who is getting his own post soon) and Josh Black (whom I did name in it) will be big-time players next season. Obviously for this team to be successful, there will need to be many players who step up and this is not undermining the value of anyone.
It is possible depending on how closely you follow the team that maybe at least some of these names are familiar or even obvious but not everyone is the same and I will explain my point well enough to support them I hope. This is simply my opinion on who I think could definitely make an impact including one main one (the first one) that I can’t believe I left out of my original post.
...
Syracuse's Dino Babers acknowledges importance of bounce-back season (247sports.com; Buckley)
Dino Babers is about to begin his sixth season as Syracuse head football coach. Three years removed from the program’s first 10-win season since 2001, the Orange have fallen on hard times the last two seasons.
Syracuse is coming off a 1-10 campaign in 2020, which followed a disappointing five-win season the year before. Babers was asked to assess his tenure at Syracuse up to this point during last week’s ACC Football Kickoff media-day event.
The veteran coach did not shy away from self criticism.
“I think the biggest thing is that we had a bad season, and we've had a really, really good season,” Babers said. “I don't think we're as bad as we were in the bad season, and maybe we're not as good as we were in the good one.
“But the thing that I really want is consistency. I want to be consistently good, not occasionally great. If we can find that consistency, I think we can find the support and the foundation that we need not only for the university but also for the community.
“It's really important to me that they have a football team they can be proud of. That's very, very important.”
Last year was the worst season of Syracuse football since 2005, the first under former head coach Greg Robinson. The Orange’s lone win of last season came against Georgia Tech on Sept. 26. Syracuse allowed opponents an average of 32.7 points per game while its own team managed just 17.8.
...
Chandler Jones Requests Trade From Arizona Cardinals (Report) (SI; McAllister)
Former Syracuse defensive end and current Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones has requested a trade, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
"Jones has been unhappy with his contract and missed offseason work as a result," Fowler wrote. "The Cardinals don't want to trade Jones and expect him to report to training camp, which begins Tuesday. Jones, 31, plans to have a big year coming off surgery on his right biceps, and the Cardinals believe he's excited to play alongside new acquisition J.J. Watt despite past unhappiness. A source said Jones is viewed as a "great guy" in the organization and is set to be a pivotal part of the Cardinals' defense this year. The team generally does not publicly discuss contract details regarding its players."
AllCardinals.com, the Arizona Cardinals site on the FanNation network powered by Sports Illustrated, has more insight on the situation.
...
If The Big 12 Falls, The ACC Should Welcome SU’s Former Big East Rival – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
We’re approaching the end of a typical Syracuse sports-less summer, but you’d be forgiven if you aren’t suffering Carrier Dome atmosphere withdrawals. There’s plenty of SU sports headlines to go around: we’ve got ‘Cuse athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics, ACC Kickoff going on, and Boeheim’s Army getting TBT play under way.
With that in mind, you’d be forgiven if you haven’t paid much attention to the sudden discontent within a few NCAA conferences around the nation. Specifically, Big 12 heavyweights Texas and Oklahoma have both explored joining the SEC. Sensing trouble, Kansas kicked the tires on a possible journey to the Big 10. This has left the rest of the Big 12 in imminent danger of collapsing as a conference – understandably, you can’t survive with Iowa State football as your most marketable product.
Here at the Fizz, we’ve written about why Syracuse should feel good (and perhaps a bit vindicated after the fact) about sitting pretty in the ACC after it fled the Big East back in 2013. However, the ACC can’t get complacent. If the Big 12 goes down, its teams have to find greener pastures. If the ACC needs to take in a team, it needs to choose quickly and wisely to avoid taking on an awkward misfit like, say, UConn during its confusing seven-year stay in the American Conference.
...
Syracuse Orange: Would an ACC/Big Ten merger work if SEC expands? (itlh; Fiello)
For all us Syracuse Orange fans out there, the recent rumor that Texas and Oklahoma might be interested in joining the SEC is certainly one to monitor. Many who follow college sports think at some point there will be super conferences as opposed to the current NCAA structure. If either of these apply any time soon, would it be in the best interest of the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference to consider a merger? I actually love this idea to counter a powerful SEC and I’ll share with you why…after the break.
Okay…breaks over so my theory is that if the SEC does decide to expand, they’ll likely try to convince others to join that they deem worthy (likely at least Clemson, possibly Miami, maybe even reach for a Penn State and/or Ohio State). So to counter that to maintain revenue, the ACC and Big Ten both will have to become active and make plays to save their deals they have now. Maybe even make an appeal to Notre Dame to join but only if they do so in football as well.
Here is how I see it. Keep the teams you have now as best you can, especially your top tier teams, keep the divisions mostly as they are (possibly with some little realignment here and there) and schedule games between each other regularly on a rotating schedule with the conference championship actually having a championship qualifier to play the other.
...
Could Miami Hurricanes get left behind if Big 10 tries to add ACC teams? (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
The impending decision by Oklahoma and Texas to join the SEC could have a ripple effect through college football. The Miami Hurricanes could get left behind if the Big 10 tries to add teams from the ACC. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports speculates that the Big 10 could attempt to add one of the big state schools from the ACC.
The speculation from Thamel is the Big 10 could be interested in some combination of Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, or Virginia to fortify their presence on the Atlantic Coast. Maryland who was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 left for the Big 10 in July 2014. How will this impact the Miami Hurricanes?
All of the five above teams have attractive traits to offer the Big 10. Northwestern is currently the only private school in the Big 10. The ACC is full of private schools. Duke and Wake Forest were the only private schools who were charter members of the ACC. The Miami Hurricanes became the third private school in the ACC in 2003.
The decisions for any school are going to be difficult for its own future. Whichever conferences and schools act first will position themselves best for the future. The ACC reportedly made an inquiry to Oklahoma and Texas about their interest in joining the ACC. The ACC will have other options after SEC expansion.
If the Big 12 folds, both the ACC and West Virginia would have interest in each other (usatoday.com; McVeigh)
With Texas and Oklahoma seemingly going to the SEC within the next couple of years, the other eight teams in the Big 12 are scrambling for new homes.
Reports of Iowa State and Kansas reaching out to the Big Ten have surfaced. Both schools make perfect sense for the conference with basketball being a huge selling point.
A potential destination for another member has been given in the ACC. According to The Athletic, if the Big 12 were to fold, West Virginia would have an interest in joining the conference. In fact, the feeling is mutual.
Nothing is for certain, with the two parties being in a flirtation stage if anything.
Auburn football: 2 more ACC programs SEC could consider poaching (flywareagle.com; Hughes)
The SEC is making a power play right now that has never been seen in the history of college football. There have been mergers, but there have never been rumors of poaching the top schools (and Michigan) from every conference Power 5 conference besides the Pac-12 like there is right now. Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Texas, and Oklahoma all joining the Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn football programs could mean the end of the Power 5 structure as we know it.
Who knows how far this will go. The money seems to be in the SEC, and the top programs in the Midwest–and perhaps eventually the West Coast–could all be motivated to add more marquee matchups on the docket.
The SEC has grand plans, and at minimum, it seems as though the most relevant programs not already in the conference have plans to be soon. Nothing needs to change much with recruiting either. There are only three programs in 247Sports’ 2021 football recruiting rankings’ top 10 not currently a member or rumored to be speaking to the conference.
...
ACC Continues To Push For Notre Dame To Join Full-Time (SI; Driskell)
Over the last several days Irish Breakdown has published a series that focused on the history of Notre Dame and the Big Ten, and how the rejection by that conference led to Notre Dame's independence, which led to Notre Dame becoming the premier football program in the country.
Notre Dame has twice publicly rebuffed the Big Ten Conference, but there is another conference out there that is hoping to entice Notre Dame to join its league. That would be the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Notre Dame partnered with the ACC for all sports but football and hockey back in 2013, and this past year the ACC - led by former commission John Swofford - stepped when the Covid-19 pandemic threw the season out of whack, bringing the Irish in for a "one-time only" partnership. Notre Dame ran the table in the regular season and played Clemson for the league championship.
First-year ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is hoping to make permanent what Swofford was able to do for just one season, make Notre Dame a full member of the league.
During the recent ACC media day, Phillips called the one-year partnership between Notre Dame and his league a "beautiful and beneficial relationship."
He went on to point out that the ACC isn't going to be coy or sky about expressing its interest in Notre Dame becoming a full-time member.
...
The Texas Trio Gambit (RX; HM)
Realignment Chain Reaction (RX; HM)
Rumor has it that these schools have already been in contact with the following conferences:
Do any of these moves make sense?
Kansas to the Big Ten possibly makes sense because the B1G can monetize Jayhawk basketball.
West Virginia to the ACC might make sense thanks to rivalries and the "content multiplier" effect.
However, let's be honest, neither of those moves is a slam dunk. As for the Pac-12, I don't know if they're in the mood to take any of those teams they're rumored to be in talks with (it's mostly an issue with academics).
...
Recruiting vs expectations (RX; HM)
Two ACC teams - UNC and FSU - are pretty much right on the line, meaning they get the talent you'd expect from a school located where they are.
Only two ACC teams - Miami and Clemson - are actually doing better than their geographic location would indicate.
...
ACC Expansion Candidates, by Avg Attendance (RX; HM)
Below is a table of average attendance per game for the 2018 and 2019 seasons for ACC teams, along with the expansion candidates we'll consider here, to see which teams might be the best options from a per game attendance point of view. Current ACC teams are highlighted in light blue; Big XII teams are in khaki; AAC teams are in pink.
From this table it's clear to see why Notre Dame is the #1 candidate for ACC expansion - but the Irish might not want that. You may be surprised to find out that the next two candidates are Iowa State and West Virginia; these also happen to be the two closest Big XII schools, geographically-speaking.
...
Notre Dame, Penn State would make sense in the ACC (saturdayblitz.com; Lunnen)
What will happen to ACC football in the midst of what looks like another round of realignment in college football? How about adding Notre Dame and Penn State?
College football seems on the cusp of another major realignment. How will the ACC respond to the reported power moves made by the SEC?
This past week it was reported Texas and Oklahoma were going to make a move to the SEC. This set off a chain of speculation across the college football world. Questions abound from what a new 16 team SEC would look like to what the remaining eight members of the Big 12 would do to is this only the beginning of super conferences?
The ACC certainly is not immune to this latest potential seismic shift in college football. Some have speculated the conference could be raided itself for teams. While possible, it seems unlikely with the ACC’s grant of media rights running through 2036. If a school left, their media rights would still remain with the ACC.
Despite a nice contract with ESPN and the ACC Network, the ACC remains at the bottom of the Power 5 in media rights revenue. In the last couple of seasons, Big Ten schools on average earned about $20-25 million more than ACC schools. The expansion would allow the ACC to renegotiate their contracts and needs to be seriously considered by the conference.
...
What Teams Could the ACC Target If They Expand? (SI; Black)
Next week Texas and Oklahoma are reported to inform the Big 12 that they are leaving the conference, most likely heading to the SEC. With the first domino falling, more changes are expected to happen that will shift the landscape of college football.
The ACC will be one of those conferences that will be looking to counter punch the SEC. Currently the conference has 14 football programs, along with Notre Dame who dips their foot in with football with a handful of scheduled games each year.
If the conference does decide to expand, they most likely will go with two teams, to get to an even sixteen. Who are some of the options that the conference could look towards if they do grow the conference?
...
Other
Nearly 350 guns collected in buyback held in Syracuse (PS; $; Hayes)
Dozens of people lined up outside St. Lucy’s Church’s food pantry to hand in unwanted guns Saturday in Syracuse.
Some waited in line for two to three hours to turn in their guns.
The buyback, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 425 Gifford St., was sponsored by the state Attorney General’s Office and the city of Syracuse.
The line started to form at 9 a.m., an hour before the buyback was scheduled to start, said Ed Thompson, assistant attorney general. The line was consistently long for several hours, he said.
People received $25 to $250 for each gun, the prices varying on the type of gun and whether the gun was operable.
Organizers also handed out iPads on a first-come, first-served basis to those who brought working rifles or handguns. The supply of iPads ran out within the first hour.
...
World Tofu Day was created by the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) Canada to offer an opportunity for people to celebrate plant-based diets and to encourage them to bring animal-friendly foods onto their menus. It celebrates the many alternatives to animal products "and the many advantages of living a cruelty-free lifestyle." It's also a day to get people to try tofu and to view it in a new way, "as a tasty, versatile food that can easily replace many animal-derived products to avoid encouraging the horrible farming industry." The first World Tofu Day was marked in 2014. In Montreal, at least 12,000 people attended a vegan barbecue on the inaugural celebration.
Tofu is made from soybeans that are curdled and then pressed into blocks. It is high in protein, relatively low in calories, and low in carbohydrates. It is low in saturated fat but higher in heart-healthy fats. Tofu contains iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and calcium, and is sometimes fortified with other minerals and vitamins. Tofu is versatile. It takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with, it can be used to make anything from the main dish to a dessert, and just like meat, it can be fried, grilled, steamed, baked, or pan-cooked. There are tofu curds, pressed tofu sheets, frozen tofu, and burgers and sausages made from tofu.
SU News
Axe: Where will latest game of football musical chairs leave Syracuse? (PS; $; Axe)
When it rains, it pours.
The college sports landscape wasn’t already insane enough with “student-athletes” cashing in on name, image and likeness rights, the NCAA’s influence eroding and a proposal for an expanded college football playoff gaining steam.
Let’s bring the craziness of conference realignment back into the fold for good measure!
The latest round of college football musical chairs is underway with reports building momentum that Texas and Oklahoma are being seriously wooed by the SEC.
So where will Syracuse University land if/when the dominoes start falling again?
Let’s examine a few key points in the discussion.
Is Syracuse going to be OK?
...
MSU target, Philly 2022 3-star WR Kevin Thomas to commit on Wednesday (usatoday.com; Bondy)
A Michigan State target and a top wide receiver from Pennsylvania in the 2022 class will reveal his college decision this upcoming week.
Three-star wide receiver Kevin Thomas of Philadelphia revealed on Saturday that he will be committing on Wednesday. Thomas is ranked as the No. 480 overall prospect and No. 65 wide receiver in 247Sports’ compsite rankings for the 2022 class.
Thomas holds scholarship offers from numerous big-time programs, including Michigan State, West Virginia, Arizona State, Florida, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Pitt, Syracuse and Texas A&M. However, it appears it’ll come down to either the Spartans or Mountaineers on Wednesday.
...
Syracuse Football: My pick 6 players to make an impact in 2021 (itlh; Fiello)
We’re taking a look at a half-dozen Syracuse football players positioned to do great things in the 2021 campaign.
Recently I wrote a post of 12 reasons why I think the Syracuse football team could go undefeated this season and in the article, I missed a few things and a few names of importance. Instead of going back and editing it later after sharing it and realizing my omissions, I decided to instead make a special post for a few players not listed that I think individually, if healthy, can and likely will make a huge impact on returning the Syracuse football program back to its winning ways.
Below are 6 names I think other than Tommy Devito, Sean Tucker (who is getting his own post soon) and Josh Black (whom I did name in it) will be big-time players next season. Obviously for this team to be successful, there will need to be many players who step up and this is not undermining the value of anyone.
It is possible depending on how closely you follow the team that maybe at least some of these names are familiar or even obvious but not everyone is the same and I will explain my point well enough to support them I hope. This is simply my opinion on who I think could definitely make an impact including one main one (the first one) that I can’t believe I left out of my original post.
- Taj Harris- WR
- Airon Servais- OL
...
Syracuse's Dino Babers acknowledges importance of bounce-back season (247sports.com; Buckley)
Dino Babers is about to begin his sixth season as Syracuse head football coach. Three years removed from the program’s first 10-win season since 2001, the Orange have fallen on hard times the last two seasons.
Syracuse is coming off a 1-10 campaign in 2020, which followed a disappointing five-win season the year before. Babers was asked to assess his tenure at Syracuse up to this point during last week’s ACC Football Kickoff media-day event.
The veteran coach did not shy away from self criticism.
“I think the biggest thing is that we had a bad season, and we've had a really, really good season,” Babers said. “I don't think we're as bad as we were in the bad season, and maybe we're not as good as we were in the good one.
“But the thing that I really want is consistency. I want to be consistently good, not occasionally great. If we can find that consistency, I think we can find the support and the foundation that we need not only for the university but also for the community.
“It's really important to me that they have a football team they can be proud of. That's very, very important.”
Last year was the worst season of Syracuse football since 2005, the first under former head coach Greg Robinson. The Orange’s lone win of last season came against Georgia Tech on Sept. 26. Syracuse allowed opponents an average of 32.7 points per game while its own team managed just 17.8.
...
Chandler Jones Requests Trade From Arizona Cardinals (Report) (SI; McAllister)
Former Syracuse defensive end and current Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones has requested a trade, according to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
"Jones has been unhappy with his contract and missed offseason work as a result," Fowler wrote. "The Cardinals don't want to trade Jones and expect him to report to training camp, which begins Tuesday. Jones, 31, plans to have a big year coming off surgery on his right biceps, and the Cardinals believe he's excited to play alongside new acquisition J.J. Watt despite past unhappiness. A source said Jones is viewed as a "great guy" in the organization and is set to be a pivotal part of the Cardinals' defense this year. The team generally does not publicly discuss contract details regarding its players."
AllCardinals.com, the Arizona Cardinals site on the FanNation network powered by Sports Illustrated, has more insight on the situation.
...
If The Big 12 Falls, The ACC Should Welcome SU’s Former Big East Rival – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
We’re approaching the end of a typical Syracuse sports-less summer, but you’d be forgiven if you aren’t suffering Carrier Dome atmosphere withdrawals. There’s plenty of SU sports headlines to go around: we’ve got ‘Cuse athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics, ACC Kickoff going on, and Boeheim’s Army getting TBT play under way.
With that in mind, you’d be forgiven if you haven’t paid much attention to the sudden discontent within a few NCAA conferences around the nation. Specifically, Big 12 heavyweights Texas and Oklahoma have both explored joining the SEC. Sensing trouble, Kansas kicked the tires on a possible journey to the Big 10. This has left the rest of the Big 12 in imminent danger of collapsing as a conference – understandably, you can’t survive with Iowa State football as your most marketable product.
Here at the Fizz, we’ve written about why Syracuse should feel good (and perhaps a bit vindicated after the fact) about sitting pretty in the ACC after it fled the Big East back in 2013. However, the ACC can’t get complacent. If the Big 12 goes down, its teams have to find greener pastures. If the ACC needs to take in a team, it needs to choose quickly and wisely to avoid taking on an awkward misfit like, say, UConn during its confusing seven-year stay in the American Conference.
...
Syracuse Orange: Would an ACC/Big Ten merger work if SEC expands? (itlh; Fiello)
For all us Syracuse Orange fans out there, the recent rumor that Texas and Oklahoma might be interested in joining the SEC is certainly one to monitor. Many who follow college sports think at some point there will be super conferences as opposed to the current NCAA structure. If either of these apply any time soon, would it be in the best interest of the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference to consider a merger? I actually love this idea to counter a powerful SEC and I’ll share with you why…after the break.
Okay…breaks over so my theory is that if the SEC does decide to expand, they’ll likely try to convince others to join that they deem worthy (likely at least Clemson, possibly Miami, maybe even reach for a Penn State and/or Ohio State). So to counter that to maintain revenue, the ACC and Big Ten both will have to become active and make plays to save their deals they have now. Maybe even make an appeal to Notre Dame to join but only if they do so in football as well.
Here is how I see it. Keep the teams you have now as best you can, especially your top tier teams, keep the divisions mostly as they are (possibly with some little realignment here and there) and schedule games between each other regularly on a rotating schedule with the conference championship actually having a championship qualifier to play the other.
...
Could Miami Hurricanes get left behind if Big 10 tries to add ACC teams? (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
The impending decision by Oklahoma and Texas to join the SEC could have a ripple effect through college football. The Miami Hurricanes could get left behind if the Big 10 tries to add teams from the ACC. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports speculates that the Big 10 could attempt to add one of the big state schools from the ACC.
The speculation from Thamel is the Big 10 could be interested in some combination of Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, or Virginia to fortify their presence on the Atlantic Coast. Maryland who was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 left for the Big 10 in July 2014. How will this impact the Miami Hurricanes?
All of the five above teams have attractive traits to offer the Big 10. Northwestern is currently the only private school in the Big 10. The ACC is full of private schools. Duke and Wake Forest were the only private schools who were charter members of the ACC. The Miami Hurricanes became the third private school in the ACC in 2003.
The decisions for any school are going to be difficult for its own future. Whichever conferences and schools act first will position themselves best for the future. The ACC reportedly made an inquiry to Oklahoma and Texas about their interest in joining the ACC. The ACC will have other options after SEC expansion.
...
If the Big 12 folds, both the ACC and West Virginia would have interest in each other (usatoday.com; McVeigh)
With Texas and Oklahoma seemingly going to the SEC within the next couple of years, the other eight teams in the Big 12 are scrambling for new homes.
Reports of Iowa State and Kansas reaching out to the Big Ten have surfaced. Both schools make perfect sense for the conference with basketball being a huge selling point.
A potential destination for another member has been given in the ACC. According to The Athletic, if the Big 12 were to fold, West Virginia would have an interest in joining the conference. In fact, the feeling is mutual.
Nothing is for certain, with the two parties being in a flirtation stage if anything.
...
Auburn football: 2 more ACC programs SEC could consider poaching (flywareagle.com; Hughes)
The SEC is making a power play right now that has never been seen in the history of college football. There have been mergers, but there have never been rumors of poaching the top schools (and Michigan) from every conference Power 5 conference besides the Pac-12 like there is right now. Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Texas, and Oklahoma all joining the Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn football programs could mean the end of the Power 5 structure as we know it.
Who knows how far this will go. The money seems to be in the SEC, and the top programs in the Midwest–and perhaps eventually the West Coast–could all be motivated to add more marquee matchups on the docket.
The SEC has grand plans, and at minimum, it seems as though the most relevant programs not already in the conference have plans to be soon. Nothing needs to change much with recruiting either. There are only three programs in 247Sports’ 2021 football recruiting rankings’ top 10 not currently a member or rumored to be speaking to the conference.
...
ACC Continues To Push For Notre Dame To Join Full-Time (SI; Driskell)
Over the last several days Irish Breakdown has published a series that focused on the history of Notre Dame and the Big Ten, and how the rejection by that conference led to Notre Dame's independence, which led to Notre Dame becoming the premier football program in the country.
Notre Dame has twice publicly rebuffed the Big Ten Conference, but there is another conference out there that is hoping to entice Notre Dame to join its league. That would be the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Notre Dame partnered with the ACC for all sports but football and hockey back in 2013, and this past year the ACC - led by former commission John Swofford - stepped when the Covid-19 pandemic threw the season out of whack, bringing the Irish in for a "one-time only" partnership. Notre Dame ran the table in the regular season and played Clemson for the league championship.
First-year ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is hoping to make permanent what Swofford was able to do for just one season, make Notre Dame a full member of the league.
During the recent ACC media day, Phillips called the one-year partnership between Notre Dame and his league a "beautiful and beneficial relationship."
He went on to point out that the ACC isn't going to be coy or sky about expressing its interest in Notre Dame becoming a full-time member.
...
The Texas Trio Gambit (RX; HM)
The Texas Trio Gambit
I think it started as a joke, but Lou C (former contributor on this blog) says this might be a legitimate play:...
Realignment Chain Reaction (RX; HM)
Realignment Chain Reaction
What rumors am I reading about?Rumor has it that these schools have already been in contact with the following conferences:
- TCU, Baylor, and Texas Tech with the Pac-12
- Kansas with the Big Ten
- TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State → Pac-12
- Kansas, Iowa State → Big Ten
- WVU → ACC
Do any of these moves make sense?
Kansas to the Big Ten possibly makes sense because the B1G can monetize Jayhawk basketball.
West Virginia to the ACC might make sense thanks to rivalries and the "content multiplier" effect.
However, let's be honest, neither of those moves is a slam dunk. As for the Pac-12, I don't know if they're in the mood to take any of those teams they're rumored to be in talks with (it's mostly an issue with academics).
...
Recruiting vs expectations (RX; HM)
Recruiting vs expectations
How well are ACC schools recruiting in football if you adjust for the amount of talent in the area around the schools?COMMENTS
From that graph we see that 10 of the 14 ACC teams are below the red line - meaning they don't recruit as well as you would expect a school located where they are to recruit; they aren't even pulling in the local talent!Two ACC teams - UNC and FSU - are pretty much right on the line, meaning they get the talent you'd expect from a school located where they are.
Only two ACC teams - Miami and Clemson - are actually doing better than their geographic location would indicate.
...
ACC Expansion Candidates, by Avg Attendance (RX; HM)
ACC Expansion Candidates, by Avg Attendance
Let's say the ACC needs to expand in order to reopen their TV contract. Let's further assume that they're not getting anyone from the SEC or Big Ten, and that the Pac-12 and Mountain West are too far away. Let's further assume there's simply no way the ACC adds a team from the MAC, Sun Belt, or C-USA. That leaves the remnants of the Big XII, minus OU and Texas, plus the American Athletic.Below is a table of average attendance per game for the 2018 and 2019 seasons for ACC teams, along with the expansion candidates we'll consider here, to see which teams might be the best options from a per game attendance point of view. Current ACC teams are highlighted in light blue; Big XII teams are in khaki; AAC teams are in pink.
| Institution | Conf. | Avg Att. | Stadium Cap. | %Capacity |
| Clemson | ACC | 80,634 | 81,500 | 99% |
| Notre Dame | Indep. | 76,955 | 80,795 | 95% |
| Florida St. | ACC | 61,154 | 79,560 | 77% |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | 58,934 | 65,632 | 90% |
| Iowa St. | Big 12 | 57,902 | 61,500 | 94% |
| Miami (FL) | ACC | 57,149 | 64,767 | 88% |
| West Virginia | Big 12 | 57,033 | 60,000 | 95% |
| NC State | ACC | 56,661 | 57,600 | 98% |
| BYU | Indep. | 56,012 | 63,470 | 88% |
| Texas Tech | Big 12 | 54,726 | 60,454 | 91% |
| Oklahoma St. | Big 12 | 54,180 | 56,790 | 95% |
| Louisville | ACC | 50,082 | 57,900 | 86% |
| North Carolina | ACC | 47,061 | 56,750 | 83% |
| UCF | AAC | 43,904 | 44,206 | 99% |
| Georgia Tech | ACC | 43,843 | 55,000 | 80% |
| Virginia | ACC | 43,784 | 61,500 | 71% |
| Baylor | Big 12 | 43,427 | 45,140 | 96% |
| TCU | Big 12 | 42,875 | 45,500 | 94% |
| Pittsburgh | ACC | 42,534 | 68,400 | 62% |
| Syracuse | ACC | 39,604 | 49,160 | 81% |
| Boston College | ACC | 35,904 | 44,500 | 81% |
| USF | AAC | 35,170 | 65,857 | 53% |
| Memphis | AAC | 34,497 | 58,318 | 59% |
| Cincinnati | AAC | 33,252 | 40,000 | 83% |
| East Carolina | AAC | 33,021 | 50,000 | 66% |
| Navy | AAC | 31,717 | 34,000 | 93% |
| Temple | AAC | 28,965 | 69,596 | 42% |
| Houston | AAC | 27,678 | 40,000 | 69% |
| Wake Forest | ACC | 26,921 | 31,500 | 85% |
| Kansas | Big 12 | 26,650 | 50,250 | 53% |
| Duke | ACC | 26,229 | 40,004 | 66% |
| SMU | AAC | 21,508 | 32,000 | 67% |
| Tulane | AAC | 19,143 | 27,000 | 71% |
From this table it's clear to see why Notre Dame is the #1 candidate for ACC expansion - but the Irish might not want that. You may be surprised to find out that the next two candidates are Iowa State and West Virginia; these also happen to be the two closest Big XII schools, geographically-speaking.
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Notre Dame, Penn State would make sense in the ACC (saturdayblitz.com; Lunnen)
What will happen to ACC football in the midst of what looks like another round of realignment in college football? How about adding Notre Dame and Penn State?
College football seems on the cusp of another major realignment. How will the ACC respond to the reported power moves made by the SEC?
This past week it was reported Texas and Oklahoma were going to make a move to the SEC. This set off a chain of speculation across the college football world. Questions abound from what a new 16 team SEC would look like to what the remaining eight members of the Big 12 would do to is this only the beginning of super conferences?
The ACC certainly is not immune to this latest potential seismic shift in college football. Some have speculated the conference could be raided itself for teams. While possible, it seems unlikely with the ACC’s grant of media rights running through 2036. If a school left, their media rights would still remain with the ACC.
Despite a nice contract with ESPN and the ACC Network, the ACC remains at the bottom of the Power 5 in media rights revenue. In the last couple of seasons, Big Ten schools on average earned about $20-25 million more than ACC schools. The expansion would allow the ACC to renegotiate their contracts and needs to be seriously considered by the conference.
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What Teams Could the ACC Target If They Expand? (SI; Black)
Next week Texas and Oklahoma are reported to inform the Big 12 that they are leaving the conference, most likely heading to the SEC. With the first domino falling, more changes are expected to happen that will shift the landscape of college football.
The ACC will be one of those conferences that will be looking to counter punch the SEC. Currently the conference has 14 football programs, along with Notre Dame who dips their foot in with football with a handful of scheduled games each year.
If the conference does decide to expand, they most likely will go with two teams, to get to an even sixteen. Who are some of the options that the conference could look towards if they do grow the conference?
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Of course this is the big fish for the conference and arguably the only counter punch Jim Phillips could make to keep pace with the SEC. But getting the Irish will not be easy. In 2020 ND became a football member, and according to Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbick the program is even more dedicated to football independence. Right now ND has no reason to leave football independence, it would take a change in the football landscape that would push them towards a conference. That would either be a big monumental shift in playoff structure that keeps the Irish on the outside, or a huge discrepancy in financials. Don't see that happening right now, but dominoes have yet to fall, and things could always change.West Virginia Mountaineers
If Texas and Oklahoma flee the Big 12, and the conference struggles to find an answer in return, one end result could be mass exodus and potential collapse of the conference. West Virginia could be an attractive team to multiple conferences, and makes a lot of sense to the ACC. They have multiple historic rivalries with former Big East foes Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Miami. However, on paper they don't match up with other member profiles, especially in the academic departments. That likely won't matter in the end, but worth looking at. The other negative for WVU is that they lack the star power the ACC will need to contend with the SEC. This is certainly a team worth watching.Cincinnati Bearcats
If the ACC is going to throw out the academic profile of the conference, why not look at Cincinnati? They have raised their football profile to the point that Luke Fickell and company have created one of the best teams in the country. With the rise to a more prestigious conference, the school could continue to improve. Would get the conference in to the Ohio area, which is a positive as well.UCF Knights
The one time "national champions", UCF has to be an attractive expansion candidate for many conferences. They have been consistent in football, play in a major market, have started to build some history of success and are becoming a draw. However, the ACC have two teams already in the Florida area, and the conference can ill afford to anger FSU at this point....
Other
Nearly 350 guns collected in buyback held in Syracuse (PS; $; Hayes)
Dozens of people lined up outside St. Lucy’s Church’s food pantry to hand in unwanted guns Saturday in Syracuse.
Some waited in line for two to three hours to turn in their guns.
The buyback, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 425 Gifford St., was sponsored by the state Attorney General’s Office and the city of Syracuse.
The line started to form at 9 a.m., an hour before the buyback was scheduled to start, said Ed Thompson, assistant attorney general. The line was consistently long for several hours, he said.
People received $25 to $250 for each gun, the prices varying on the type of gun and whether the gun was operable.
Organizers also handed out iPads on a first-come, first-served basis to those who brought working rifles or handguns. The supply of iPads ran out within the first hour.
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