Maryland back to the ACC?

[HtownOrange]

Im not saying it won't happen, but they just don't fit, if you ask me. If the B12 disband, I hope it leads to an overhaul of the whole P5 into divisions that make sense.

I fully agree, re-arrange everyone to their natural rivals/regions. Expand the playoffs. This could be the long range end game wherein the top level schools (I believe it will be closer to the full FBS group than just the P5) will enter in deals like the pro sports leagues do.

 

[Hoo's That]

So they'd go indy?

Yes. When I mentioned the idea on the ND board, they unanimously said that they would then do everything they could to get Texas on their schedule. It's always been a good place they like to recruit and they also would view it as one indy helping another.

In addition to the 5 football games, Texas apparently likes the strength of the ACC Olympic sports.

 

[omniorange]

I don't think UT will go indy. Ut has been in conferences for much of their existence (1919-present) and they have put out feelers regarding going indy. Finally, they have seen that the Longhorn Network has no real viewership, especially outside Texas. ESPN is losing money on the deal.

That said, UT could afford to go indy, but they lack the national fanbase of ND (Fans wherever the Irish play). Is it worth it for them to go indy? Serious question because they, like Oklahoma, bring enough cache to warrant an invite for any conference.

Agree that it is very unlikely Texas would want to go indy.

But if they did enter Into an ND type deal they would have 5 games set every year plus a "buy" home game. What they currently receive from the Big 12 TV contract would likely be replaced by an ND/NBC football only type deal of $25 million plus annually but with ABC/ESPN being the networks. The LPN would then need to be folded into an existing ACCN and with the Texas markets that likely means a rise to $15 million annually per team. Will any Longhorn football games take place on that channel? Perhaps the away games against lower level ACC teams? Right now ND away games against lower level ACC teams tend to still be on ABC or ESPN but they don't have rights to any other ND games. In this scenario ABC/ESPN might allow two games a year on the ACCN to drive up demand for the network in the state of Texas since it also benefits them AND they have way more content to choose from than NBC does.

The ACC's non-NY6 bowl alliances likely change for the better which will help the conference although having both ND and Texas able to steal a slot from an ACC full member will meet some resistance? If the B12 implodes does the ACC get the B12's slot in the Sugar Bowl while the Orange Bowl becomes just another NY6 bowl? Or does the Sugar go to a current Orange Bowl type set-up? If the ACC doesn't get the regular slot against the SEC in the Sugar Bowl, then at the very least will the value of the Orange go up from the current $55 million to at least $70 million with the ACC getting $40 million putting it on equal footing with the PAC and/or B12 if they are still around? (Note: neither Texas nor ND as partial members would get a piece of that pie.) Will the potential rotation include best available team from the SEC, B1G, ND, or Texas with the SEC or B1G representative getting $30 million in those years (to be shared with their conference mates like now) and ND or Texas getting $15 million in years they are chosen and the ACC conference getting $55 million those years?

The issues as I see it are:

Even if they were willing to do the above what happens with their rivalry game with OU? Will the Sooners want to continue the series if it is Texas that blows up the B12? Will going indy without an annual rivalry game against either OU or TAMU be a deal-breaker? Why go indy when you can make so much more $$$ by joining the SEC? Will Texas want the ACC to add two Texas teams as full members and those two members be permanent fixed annual games of their 5?

Just such a mess and I am not sure it is worth it. ND or Texas full is fool's gold. But Texas with an ND-type deal is possible, but highly improbable.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[SWC75]

There should be a meeting of the top brass at all schools to realign the conferences into something that makes more geographical sense. But there won't be.

Imagining Conferences

 

[nzm136]

Never value anything above loyalty. As for Louisville - it gives a team right on the BT border, which causes trouble for the BT, especially as Louisville is a border state school for ND.

When ND is ready to go full member in football, we'll take whatever #16 ND most wants that is not hated by the league. A part of me would love for that to be Navy. That would screw Maryland football forever.

I would be amazed if the average ND grad, fan, player, or admin has any heightened desire to be in the same conference as UL.

 

[nzm136]

I’d take UMD back tomorrow. UMD’s desire to leave aside, the problem is that they’d need a partner, and WVU is a non-starter for virtually every ACC school not named “Syracuse,” and ND and PSU are very much uphill battles.

But to be clear, UMD > UL.

 

[sdhall01]

Never value anything above loyalty. As for Louisville - it gives a team right on the BT border, which causes trouble for the BT, especially as Louisville is a border state school for ND.

When ND is ready to go full member in football, we'll take whatever #16 ND most wants that is not hated by the league. A part of me would love for that to be Navy. That would screw Maryland football forever.

Nothing against Navy, my father was in the Navy, and I respect Annapolis immensely as an institution. However, the ACC can do better than Navy football. I think they're right where they need to be.

 

[tipphill]

Aside from Feinstein’s columns, to me the Washington Post has the worst sports columnists in the nation. You’ll get less insight into sports from this gaggle of second and third raters then you would get from reading the back of the Cheerios box on the breakfast table. (They are also prone to let the rest of the paper’s political bias leak into their sports columns.)

But Barry Svrluga actually hit the nail on the head today voicing some surprising truths about the Maryland football coaching fiasco and about the school’s decision to leave the ACC and enter the B1G and the role of this decision in the death of the Maryland football player.

But when Maryland announced they were leaving the ACC the Post’s sports columnists were 100% supportive voicing the school’s PR BS about the wonderful opportunity.

Some year’s later, Svrluga identifies it for what it aways was, a “money grab” that put the school’s teams up against powerhouses they couldn’t possible compete with.

Durkin was charged with the near impossible task of competing with Ohio State and Michigan. His methods were bad and produced the death of a player.

Maryland might just figure out they cannot now and are extremely unlikely to ever compete in the B1g. The logical thing to do would be to call the ACC up and say, “Let’s talk”.

From Barry Svrluga in the Washington Post:

“Loh, along with former athletic director Kevin Anderson, pushed Maryland away from that solid, steady base by yanking the school from the ACC to the Big Ten. This was a money grab, nothing short of it, a move that shoved to the side generations of tradition and history because Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner/con-artist, promised more cash. Never mind that the idea of driving through Beltway traffic to see Purdue on a Tuesday night in January was, nebulously, not as attractive as enduring the same commute to see, say, N.C. State. The money mattered, and Loh went for it.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...5bb7e2-dd78-11e8-b732-3c72cbf131f2_story.html

every conference allignment is a money grab including us to the acc. what wrong with that????? who says that maryland would not be able to compete with the teams in the big10?????? that is absurd to think that.
maryland was grossly and negligently mismanaged. misplaced priorities and coaching leadership. they have done what is necessary to clear the decks of all despicable leadership that had resulted in the tragedy and face a monumental institutional reorganization/rebuild of core values and commitment.
money has all but ruined college sports for me. it destroyed longtime rivalries, and in short i really don't care about the acc games---but go anyway because of the orangemen. realignment was necessary for us to survive and i will leave it at that.
i will be at msg on the 15th to see them play uconn. my son and i go whenever they play at msg ---hope this turns out better than when we st johns destroy us a few years back---hop coached in that game.

 

[elimunelson]

I wish Trump cared about college football and tweeted congress into legislating the nonsense. Realign it all back to the geographical touchpoints.

It’s really nonsense what it has become. College sports should be legislated more if they are going to be afforded tax free rides.

 

[orange79]

Historically, the 4 most academically prestigious state schools in the South are UNC, UVA, GT, and Texas.

LOL at the Carolina guy leaving Duke off this list.

Define 'historically'.

 

[Townie72]

every conference allignment is a money grab including us to the acc. what wrong with that????? who says that maryland would not be able to compete with the teams in the big10?????? that is absurd to think that.
maryland was grossly and negligently mismanaged. misplaced priorities and coaching leadership. they have done what is necessary to clear the decks of all despicable leadership that had resulted in the tragedy and face a monumental institutional reorganization/rebuild of core values and commitment.
money has all but ruined college sports for me. it destroyed longtime rivalries, and in short i really don't care about the acc games---but go anyway because of the orangemen. realignment was necessary for us to survive and i will leave it at that.
i will be at msg on the 15th to see them play uconn. my son and i go whenever they play at msg ---hope this turns out better than when we st johns destroy us a few years back---hop coached in that game.

I know these shifts are all about money.

But that's not the way the Maryland officials presented the move and which was then parroted by the complaint DC sports press. This move was the key to sports utopia.

Maryland has been no worse than anyone else in terms of leadership and coaching. The root of this is in how Athletics have been funded (or not funded) by the State of Maryland.

For Money and absolutely nothing else, Loh engineered going to the B1G where they are hopelessly outgunned. He certainly ought to be fired for that and for lying about it from the get-go.

 

[Townie72]

I wish Trump cared about college football and tweeted congress into legislating the nonsense. Realign it all back to the geographical touchpoints.

It’s really nonsense what it has become. College sports should be legislated more if they are going to be afforded tax free rides.

I get the sentiment.

But to think that politicians and politics are going to fix it is, to me, not close to plausible.

The Universities aren't going to fix it themselves. The NCAA is the servant of the University presidents whose tills are filled with cash.

 

[Townie72]

LOL at the Carolina guy leaving Duke off this list.

Define 'historically'.

Did you miss his use of "state" in that?

 

[Chip]

I’d take UMD back tomorrow. UMD’s desire to leave aside, the problem is that they’d need a partner, and WVU is a non-starter for virtually every ACC school not named “Syracuse,” and ND and PSU are very much uphill battles.

But to be clear, UMD > UL.

They all held their nose and accepted Louisville.

 

[orange79]

In many ways, but not all.

Historically, the 4. most academically prestigious state schools in the South are UNC, UVA, GT, and Texas. The SWC began and ended with 4 small private schools, which means that for the vast majority of its history, Texas was in a conference made up of the mix of types and sizes of schools that the ACC has.

If you put those two with Texas despising the SEC and wanting to get even, and with ND as an annual football game, you see reasons why Texas would see many positives to keep on looking to the east, over the SEC to the ACC.

LOL at the Carolina guy leaving Duke off this list.

Define 'historically'.

Apologies, WoadBlue . Glossed right over the 'state' qualifier.

Did you miss his use of "state" in that?

Well, yes. Yes I did.

 

[nzm136]

They all held their nose and accepted Louisville.

Louisville doesn’t have the history w/ the ACC That WVU has. They’re very, very different situations.

 

[Hoo's That]

Agree that it is very unlikely Texas would want to go indy.

But if they did enter Into an ND type deal they would have 5 games set every year plus a "buy" home game. What they currently receive from the Big 12 TV contract would likely be replaced by an ND/NBC football only type deal of $25 million plus annually but with ABC/ESPN being the networks. The LPN would then need to be folded into an existing ACCN and with the Texas markets that likely means a rise to $15 million annually per team. Will any Longhorn football games take place on that channel? Perhaps the away games against lower level ACC teams? Right now ND away games against lower level ACC teams tend to still be on ABC or ESPN but they don't have rights to any other ND games. In this scenario ABC/ESPN might allow two games a year on the ACCN to drive up demand for the network in the state of Texas since it also benefits them AND they have way more content to choose from than NBC does.

The ACC's non-NY6 bowl alliances likely change for the better which will help the conference although having both ND and Texas able to steal a slot from an ACC full member will meet some resistance? If the B12 implodes does the ACC get the B12's slot in the Sugar Bowl while the Orange Bowl becomes just another NY6 bowl? Or does the Sugar go to a current Orange Bowl type set-up? If the ACC doesn't get the regular slot against the SEC in the Sugar Bowl, then at the very least will the value of the Orange go up from the current $55 million to at least $70 million with the ACC getting $40 million putting it on equal footing with the PAC and/or B12 if they are still around? (Note: neither Texas nor ND as partial members would get a piece of that pie.) Will the potential rotation include best available team from the SEC, B1G, ND, or Texas with the SEC or B1G representative getting $30 million in those years (to be shared with their conference mates like now) and ND or Texas getting $15 million in years they are chosen and the ACC conference getting $55 million those years?

The issues as I see it are:

Even if they were willing to do the above what happens with their rivalry game with OU? Will the Sooners want to continue the series if it is Texas that blows up the B12? Will going indy without an annual rivalry game against either OU or TAMU be a deal-breaker? Why go indy when you can make so much more $$$ by joining the SEC? Will Texas want the ACC to add two Texas teams as full members and those two members be permanent fixed annual games of their 5?

Just such a mess and I am not sure it is worth it. ND or Texas full is fool's gold. But Texas with an ND-type deal is possible, but highly improbable.

Cheers,
Neil

The home team always controls the TV rights. ND's home games vs. any opponent, including ACC teams, are on NBC. The ND games at ACC schools are on an outlet owned by The Mouse. In the Texas example, their home games would be on the LHN and their away games with the ACC teams would be on the other networks owned by The Mouse.

 

[omniorange]

The home team always controls the TV rights. ND's home games vs. any opponent, including ACC teams, are on NBC. The ND games at ACC schools are on an outlet owned by The Mouse. In the Texas example, their home games would be on the LHN and their away games with the ACC teams would be on the other networks owned by The Mouse.

It was a long post, so I can understand you missing it, but I said if they went the indy route like ND with 5 games against the ACC and the rest of their sports in the conference (again, like ND), then the LHN (which I mistyped as LPN, so that could be another reason you missed it) would get folded into the ACCN and that $15 million? annually goes away. Not sure how many know that ND once considered exploring getting its own network back in 2011 or 2012. Anyhow, no way does the ACC allow Texas to keep the LHN. They have the ND model - partial for football, signing the GOR, all other sports are ACC sports and branded as such and agreeing in writing that if they ever join a conference again in football it must be the ACC.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Btstimpy]

I guess that's the UVA take on things. What's the matter? Do you think MD in the B1G helps UVA recruiting?

From the SU side of things, Maryland is the best ACC addition we could ever expect or hope for. They are located in a key recruiting area for us for football, basketball and lacrosse. We have a ton of alumni in the area.

I understand why you would want Maryland back, and after being in the ACC for 60 years they obviously fit. But I think this ship has sailed.

What is the Syracuse Alumni presence in Philadelphia/Delaware/South Jersey? I keep thinking that the ACC pursue a market area in the east that we've never had before like Southeast PA/South Jersey. Temple has better football lately, and they've always had basketball. Just need them to add Lacrosse. I know that it's a professional sports market, but so it Boston where the ACC has a team. So is Washington, DC for that matter.

Miami, Boston College, Duke, and Georgia Tech all have Temple on future football schedules coming up. It's to play in that market.

 

[Symphony Steve]

I understand why you would want Maryland back, and after being in the ACC for 60 years they obviously fit. But I think this ship has sailed.

What is the Syracuse Alumni presence in Philadelphia/Delaware/South Jersey? I keep thinking that the ACC pursue a market area in the east that we've never had before like Southeast PA/South Jersey. Temple has better football lately, and they've always had basketball. Just need them to add Lacrosse. I know that it's a professional sports market, but so it Boston where the ACC has a team. So is Washington, DC for that matter.

I think Temple is as big a crapshoot as was Louisville. Yes, they're better academically and not a rogue institution, but their football success depends on, to quote Tennessee Williams, 'the kindness of strangers'. Including, for that matter, where they'd play their games. They're trying to build an on-campus facility, but it's still a longshot.

Plus there's little to indicate that Temple can sustain football success any more than Rutgers could following Shady's reign. It's tough recruiting football players to North Philly.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

I understand why you would want Maryland back, and after being in the ACC for 60 years they obviously fit. But I think this ship has sailed.

What is the Syracuse Alumni presence in Philadelphia/Delaware/South Jersey? I keep thinking that the ACC pursue a market area in the east that we've never had before like Southeast PA/South Jersey. Temple has better football lately, and they've always had basketball. Just need them to add Lacrosse. I know that it's a professional sports market, but so it Boston where the ACC has a team. So is Washington, DC for that matter.

Miami, Boston College, Duke, and Georgia Tech all have Temple on future football schedules coming up. It's to play in that market.

Too crappy. Too small a market share in that state and even city (think of all the other schools that play in the Palestra Lasalle/St Joes etc.) Even uconn never sucked so badly that they were kicked out of the OBE Temple was banished by the OBE for sucking so much.

Your onto something with location and its why Butgers was chosen over uconn but they aren't who the ACC wants Ped St is the team that fits but most of their fans are too young to remember there roots as an Eastern school and identify as a rust belt B1G school.

Re MD they might be a dumpster fire right now but if anything ever happens to 2 of Michigan/PSU/OSU they are sitting pretty to step up and become top dogs. They aren't in a bad spot they just have to win games. I don't want to trade places with Maryland at all but if you told me them and SU were switching spots tomorrow I wouldn't be devastated there'd be advantages.

 

[cuse522]

For what it's worth, there are probably significantly more Penn State football fans in Philly than Temple football fans. If there was a desperation to add a Philly school, I actually would almost prefer Villanova to Temple, and they aren't even an FBS school yet.

But, again, the only types of moves that the ACC should be making right now are those that add major value to the conference and/or add value without destabilizing other major conference - and for now that means the likes of ND, Penn State, etc, because I don't see any mid-major schools they should be targeting...

 

[CusefanATL]

LOL at the Carolina guy leaving Duke off this list.

Define 'historically'.

duke is private.

 

[orange79]

duke is private.

See my follow-up posts.