Not without risk

[Orangemen]

First, I think the ACC made the right move.

This is about college football, and history matters in college football. Granted, Louisville isn't exactly Michigan when it comes to tradition, but they're still better than UConn.

UConn's big mistake was not stepping up to 1A 20 years earlier. Had they done that, this vote probably goes differently today. UConn fans keep pointing to the BCS bowl as the reason they have fball credibility. They don't realize that the rest of the college fball world pointed to their BCS bowl as the reason the BE had no fball credibility.

Every school that has joined a Big 5 conference has a fball history to fall back on. UConn doesn't, simple as that. If they had it, they would be in a Big 5 conference right now.

Now, about the risk for the ACC in picking Louisville.

I think UNC always looked at the ACC as an academic bball conference. That theory was basically blown up today. How will they react? Maybe they were placated enough to go along with the vote, but what about the long term? How many minutes did Delaney wait to start whispering in their ears about how the ACC ain't what it used to be? Will they start to believe it?

The fball faction may be satisfied by this move, as the fball league clearly just got better, so I think we can count on FSU and Clemson being relatively safe for now. It's the academics I'm worried about.

UConn is still sitting out there, and from the B1G standpoint, they are not a bad addition. The problems that the ACC had with UConn (namely fball) won't exist for the B1G. They have fball tradition overflowing from their league. UConn for them is a nice academic school, with great bball tradition, and in the NE, an area they are targeting. Could UConn be plucked along with UNC or UVA or ND?

I think the ACC may be acting too confidently regarding UConn. To think they have no other options right now is one thing, they honestly may not. But to have that be one of their reported considerations regarding UConn is a mistake. UConn will not sit idly. The B1G will not sit idly. There is a mutual interest between those 2 parties that could hurt the ACC.

I think the ACC made the right move in picking Louisville, and I understand why UConn could not come along at this point. I just hope this doesn't blow up in their (and our) face by having it result in UConn going to the B1G.

 

[Crusty]

UConn will not be a big loss or big addition for anyone. They truly are irrelevant.

 

[longislandcuse]

First, I think the ACC made the right move.

This is about college football, and history matters in college football. Granted, Louisville isn't exactly Michigan when it comes to tradition, but they're still better than UConn.

UConn's big mistake was not stepping up to 1A 20 years earlier. Had they done that, this vote probably goes differently today. UConn fans keep pointing to the BCS bowl as the reason they have fball credibility. They don't realize that the rest of the college fball world pointed to their BCS bowl as the reason the BE had no fball credibility.

Every school that has joined a Big 5 conference has a fball history to fall back on. UConn doesn't, simple as that. If they had it, they would be in a Big 5 conference right now.

Now, about the risk for the ACC in picking Louisville.

I think UNC always looked at the ACC as an academic bball conference. That theory was basically blown up today. How will they react? Maybe they were placated enough to go along with the vote, but what about the long term? How many minutes did Delaney wait to start whispering in their ears about how the ACC ain't what it used to be? Will they start to believe it?

The fball faction may be satisfied by this move, as the fball league clearly just got better, so I think we can count on FSU and Clemson being relatively safe for now. It's the academics I'm worried about.

UConn is still sitting out there, and from the B1G standpoint, they are not a bad addition. The problems that the ACC had with UConn (namely fball) won't exist for the B1G. They have fball tradition overflowing from their league. UConn for them is a nice academic school, with great bball tradition, and in the NE, an area they are targeting. Could UConn be plucked along with UNC or UVA or ND?

I think the ACC may be acting too confidently regarding UConn. To think they have no other options right now is one thing, they honestly may not. But to have that be one of their reported considerations regarding UConn is a mistake. UConn will not sit idly. The B1G will not sit idly. There is a mutual interest between those 2 parties that could hurt the ACC.

I think the ACC made the right move in picking Louisville, and I understand why UConn could not come along at this point. I just hope this doesn't blow up in their (and our) face by having it result in UConn going to the B1G.

If the B1G takes UCONN then they have one spot left presumably. They want to save that for ND so if they take an ACC school along with UCONN, they are essentially giving up on ND. Also it means they can only take one ACC school if they go that direction. Say they take UNC (worst case scenario) and UCONN. Would you make that trade to ensure we lock up ND as a full time member? Of course this could backfire if ND doesnt join full and the SEC could take FSU and Va Tech and then were screwed, but with the moves the ACC has made (Ville and ND partial) I think we are becoming much more solid than the Big XII who will eventually get picked apart by the PAC.

 

[Crusty]

NC is not going anywhere - they are not going to play second fiddle to anyone in the Big 10 or 12. The key player is now (and always has been) the PAC 12. If they move on the Big 12 they will kill them. I have always felt that we were in far better shape than the Big 12.

 

[chakka3421]

If the B1G takes UConn, they go for Kansas in the West. That scenario - UConn and Kansas - gets into the markets that make the most sense for B1G expansion and creates big time the basketball to compete and beat the dominance once held by the BE and now the ACC. What everyone fails to realize that for the B1G its not about football or basketball, its about TV markets. B1G made that clear by taking Rutgers and Maryland.

Makes the most sense to me other than getting UVA and it seems like that is not going to happen.

 

[kingottoiii]

IMO there is more risk in UNC leaving because of UL and Cincy than there is for FSU leaving had the ACC taken UConn. I think the ACC is safe as long as it stays at 14 (unless ND says yes to FB). Should the ACC ever expand to 16 without ND, I think UNC will leave. They rather be B1G with UVA (maybe Duke too) than be with Louisville and Cincy.

IMO keeping UNC happy > keeping FSU happy. The ACC can survive the loss of FSU. It cannot survive losing UNC.

 

[Chip]

I think you are answering your own question though. Would the B1G take a school that hasn't even completed a decade of Division 1A football? At some point, someone is going to scream loud enough about how much the football product is being diluted with these moves, that others will listen. Never say never, but I just can't see it.

If the B1G did take UConn, how does that negatively impact the ACC? They already have the NYC DMA with Rutgers, at least from a cable TV perspective. B1G won't go above 16 teams, so they can only take 1 more. That actually helps protect the ACC.

If UConn were such a score, I think the B1G would have just added them when they added Rutgers. I doubt they were sitting around thinking "let's see if the ACC adds UConn, if not, they're ours!" And Delany is suddenly pouring champagne this morning because the ACC passed.

As for the Louisville academics thing, and UNC's disdain, all I can say is that there's a state school in their conference, in their state, located a mere 30 miles away, that can't crack the Top 100. So if that's ok, then I don't think Louisville should make them jump off any ACC cliffs. Maybe the ACC can program build. Not program build Louisville's football or basketball programs, but program build their academics. See if ACC inclusion helps. I'd think the ACC would consider that quite an accomplishment.

The best potential news of the day from the ACC is if the Louisville addition helps protect them from a Big 12 raid of FSU and Clemson. If that was secured today, then everyone should feel good.

 

[Orangemen]

Did UNC just lose it's first power struggle in the ACC?

Are they de facto second fiddle to FSU right now when it comes to the real issues?

While the conference looks stable from the outside right now, I wonder how the politics of the conference are.

 

[44PRIDE]

If this move signals the tipping point for the creation of 4x16 conferences, I think its safe to say the B12's a$$hole just puckered up a lil bit...

I'd be nervous if I were in their shoes.

 

[kingottoiii]

Did UNC just lose it's first power struggle in the ACC?

Are they de facto second fiddle to FSU right now when it comes to the real issues?

While the conference looks stable from the outside right now, I wonder how the politics of the conference are.

Remember when we were in the BE and we were happy? Then the BE became something else and was no longer the BE? And we started to look elsewhere? I do not want that to happen to UNC. Which means the ACC should be at 14 forever (unless ND joins in FB). If the ACC ever adds Cincy and UConn, UNC will look around one day and say this isn't the ACC and start listening to the B1G.

I don't think FSU wanted to be in the B12. If they did they would have left last summer. I did not think MD leaving would push FSU to the B12. I did not think adding UConn would push FSU to the B12. I do think adding both UL and Cincy would push UNC to the B1G.