Oops: TCU AD Chris Del Conte unintentionally confirms Big 12 expansion chatter

[Whitey23]

Del Conte is in Lubbock this morning speaking to a Committee for Champions breakfast on the Texas Tech campus. According to Chris Level, who is the publisher of RedRaiderSports.com and a co-host of a radio show on 104.3 FM in Lubbock; he Tweeted that Del Conte said that the once dead Big 12 "now has schools like Florida State, Clemson and Miami trying to get in."​

This is called a confirmation, and it's actually on the record.​

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...s-big-12-expansion-chatter.html#storylink=cpy​

http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...onally-confirms-big-12-expansion-chatter.html

 

[OrangeMojo]

nah - that's not exactly confirmation - he's puffing out his chest and for all we know his source for that "interest" in the big 12 is the same blogs and sensationalist media reports as everyone else has been talking about

he's a small-time AD that has ridden a good run in football and a large amount of luck on a fast-track to the big boy table and he's feeling pretty important right now - just hasn't yet learned to guard his public statements like he should

 

[PhatOrange]

As soon as he mentioned Miami you knew it was bullsh1t. There is no way on earth Miami would be trying to get into the Big12. None, nadda, zippo.

 

[Scooch]

nah - that's not exactly confirmation - he's puffing out his chest and for all we know his source for that "interest" in the big 12 is the same blogs and sensationalist media reports as everyone else has been talking about

he's a small-time AD that has ridden a good run in football and a large amount of luck on a fast-track to the big boy table and he's feeling pretty important right now - just hasn't yet learned to guard his public statements like he should

Yeah, there's a 50/50 chance he actually has first-hand knowledge of what's going on vs. he's just parroting something he read on Twitter last night.

It always amazes me how many people online think there are sooooo many other people with intimate knowledge of complex and fluid situations. 99% of the time the world works like this:

 

[JeremyCuse]

At a certain point we are going to have to admit theres an issue here with the ACC.

 

[NKR1978]

At a certain point we are going to have to admit theres an issue here with the ACC.

There's enough smoke where I believe there is fire - just don't know where or how extensive the damage will be. To that end - Miami has made huge strides in its academic standing in the last decade or so. I think they credit some of that with their affiliation with the ACC, or at least value their affiliation with the great academic schools in the ACC.I doubt they want to leave a conference where the "worst" school is 101 according to US News to a conference where FSU would be one of the best.

Clemson & FSU - seems I go back and forth by the day whether I think they're going. Today I think they're gone. But the idea that he named Miami seems a little far fetched. Who knows though? His words certainly aren't comforting.

Still, rather be us than Rutgers and UConn.

 

[Toga]

There's enough smoke where I believe there is fire - just don't know where or how extensive the damage will be. To that end - Miami has made huge strides in its academic standing in the last decade or so. I think they credit some of that with their affiliation with the ACC, or at least value their affiliation with the great academic schools in the ACC.I doubt they want to leave a conference where the "worst" school is 101 according to US News to a conference where FSU would be one of the best.

Clemson & FSU - seems I go back and forth by the day whether I think they're going. Today I think they're gone. But the idea that he named Miami seems a little far fetched. Who knows though? His words certainly aren't comforting.

Still, rather be us than Rutgers and UConn.

Used to be that Miami was the go-to school if you weren't a great student and you wanted to have sexy times in warm weather.

 

[Guinness]

There's enough smoke where I believe there is fire - just don't know where or how extensive the damage will be. To that end - Miami has made huge strides in its academic standing in the last decade or so. I think they credit some of that with their affiliation with the ACC, or at least value their affiliation with the great academic schools in the ACC.I doubt they want to leave a conference where the "worst" school is 101 according to US News to a conference where FSU would be one of the best.

Clemson & FSU - seems I go back and forth by the day whether I think they're going. Today I think they're gone. But the idea that he named Miami seems a little far fetched. Who knows though? His words certainly aren't comforting.

Still, rather be us than Rutgers and UConn.

Yup. I think at this point it is more likely the ACC will at least be losing FSU. Considering how unhappy they are they and how much they blame the ACC for their woes I doubt many will miss them. Clemson on the other hand is a charter member and would be a regrettable loss. Either way I think the ACC will be fine in the long run from a football standpoint and fanfrickentastic in hoops. I think all of those (I'm looking at you WVU and UConn fans) hoping for some sort of ACC doomsday scenario are going to be very, very disappointed.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Used to be that Miami was the go-to school if you weren't a great student and you wanted to have sexy times in warm weather.

sexy times - lol

 

[omniorange]

Everything I'm hearing is that Miami and GT are holding the line. Clemson supposedly is ready to go, but they may not even be invited if FSU doesn't go. And FSU wants to take Clemson, Miami, and GT along with them to soften having to play WVU, and two of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, and TCU. Most likely the latter two if expansion is indeed to 14, the first three if expansion is only to 12.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Whitey23]

TCU's Chris Del Conte clarifies comments: I was referring to rumor mill, not confirming schools interest in #Big12.

http://kegsneggsblog.com/2012/05/23...-says-mouth-was-“hacked”-blames-social-media/

 

[Guinness]

Everything I'm hearing is that Miami and GT are holding the line. Clemson supposedly is ready to go, but they may not even be invited if FSU doesn't go. And FSU wants to take Clemson, Miami, and GT along with them to soften having to play WVU, and two of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, and TCU. Most likely the latter two if expansion is indeed to 14, the first three if expansion is only to 12.

Cheers,
Neil

So they don't want to play in the ACC yet they want to take half the ACC with them? More and more this is all looking like one giant power play by FSU. The question becomes what does the ACC do next? Do they call the bluff or do they fold?

 

[NKR1978]

Everything I'm hearing is that Miami and GT are holding the line. Clemson supposedly is ready to go, but they may not even be invited if FSU doesn't go. And FSU wants to take Clemson, Miami, and GT along with them to soften having to play WVU, and two of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, and TCU. Most likely the latter two if expansion is indeed to 14, the first three if expansion is only to 12.

Cheers,
Neil

I'm not meaning to challenge you, but just curious if are you actually hearing this or just kind of your impression based off of all the swirling rumors?

I hope you're right, and agree that it seems Miami and GT are holding the line.

 

[JeremyCuse]

So they don't want to play in the ACC yet they want to take half the ACC with them? More and more this is all looking like one giant power play by FSU. The question becomes what does the ACC do next? Do they call the bluff or do they fold?

Based on the potential of the ACC being left out in the 16 X 4 Model Swafford cant afford to call the bluff of FSU. I dont know him from a hole in the ground but he seems pretty intelligent I can't believe he would simply let the conference implode. Some sort of move needs to be made.

 

[Guinness]

Based on the potential of the ACC being left out in the 16 X 4 Model Swafford cant afford to call the bluff of FSU. I dont know him from a hole in the ground but he seems pretty intelligent I can't believe he would simply let the conference implode. Some sort of move needs to be made.

Short of adding ND what moves are even available at this point?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Short of adding ND what moves are even available at this point?

$$$ Offer FSU some additional money via ESPN or conference funds but make it performance based where the top teams get an additional cut. I would much rather the ACC stay together and SU gets a few million less then we end up becoming Buffalo or Hobart.

 

[NKR1978]

Short of adding ND what moves are even available at this point?

Two of Rutgers, UConn and Louisville. My choices would be Rutgers and Louisville for football purposes.

 

[Guinness]

Two of Rutgers, UConn and Louisville. My choices would be Rutgers and Louisville for football purposes.

If adding SU and Pitt did not make FSU happy then adding any of those won't help.

 

[Moontan]

Short of adding ND what moves are even available at this point?

1. ensuring that FSU is aware of all of the contract details wrt means of raising revenue (Gross' media rights comment)
2. having ESPN agree to a contract look-in 1 year after the other TV contracts are renegotiated

If it's just about the money then that ensures that FSU is aware of all possible revenue streams as well as ensure that the ACC won't be left in the dust by the Big Math.
If it's not about the money then FSU either didn't do a good enough job during the previous expansion talks to ensure that the ACC attract a "football power" (such as?) or they should just go.

 

[NKR1978]

If adding SU and Pitt did not make FSU happy then adding any of those won't help.

I don't think anything will make FSU happy if they truly are unhappy. I was just thinking that was the only logical step if the ACC loses two schools.

 

[arbitragegls]

okay, TCU athletic director has already begun back tracking...saying that is what he heard...not necessarily coming from reliable sources...the story continues!

 

[Toga]

So they don't want to play in the ACC yet they want to take half the ACC with them? More and more this is all looking like one giant power play by FSU. The question becomes what does the ACC do next? Do they call the bluff or do they fold?

Well what exactly would they want from the ACC?

 

[Toga]

If I had to hazard a guess based on nothing more than a side comment from the idiot President of the Florida State BOT - the school may be using B12 as a stalking horse and really want the SEC. Also, didn't Slive make some comment that people would be interested to learn what teams the SEC could snap their fingers for to join?

 

[Guinness]

Well what exactly would they want from the ACC?

Swofford out for starters.

 

[Upstate]

Two of Rutgers, UConn and Louisville. My choices would be Rutgers and Louisville for football purposes.

UConn has the better football program, I'd say. 2 top league finishes since 07. Rutgers has never finished higher than tied for 2nd, right?