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Message: [QUOTE="Btstimpy, post: 658998, member: 2043"] The first thing that the ACC needs to do is get the ACC Network off the ground with ESPN, and we need to get going with marketing the conference in New York State and Pennsylvania with the additionsl of Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh. The ACC will have a year start over the Big Ten because the new ACC members start in 2013 before Rutgers and Maryland leave. I'm not sure what impact a year can make, but whatever it can the ACC needs to take advantage of that particularly working on securing some presence in NYC for basketball. I also become more convinced as time goes by that the ACC should invite Connecticut. I know that there is a bad taste over the lawsuit from 10 years ago, but it's important to shore up New England and provide another school in close proximity to NYC where at least UConn basketball is popular. Then I'd take a look at Temple if Penn State is truly gone from any possibility. Similar to having FSU and Miami at both ends of Florida, the ACC could have Pitt and Temple at both ends of Pennsylvania. We would just need to be assured that Temple is committed to increasing its athletic budget and emphasis. They play in a NFL stadium like Pitt and Miami do, and they would put the ACC in the middle of the Philadephia Big 5 basketball group. UVA, VT, UNC, Duke, etc. have no interest in the Big Ten. In fact we don't even like anything about the Big Ten. So I'm not as worried about the Big Ten getting these schools. Syracuse and Boston College are private schools and don't really fit a Big Ten configuration. But things must be changing in the Big Ten thinking. Johns Hopkins doesn't fit it either. Since Penn State "abhors" Pitt, then they are relatively secure as an ACC school. The Big Ten is building its strategy around the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. If the ACC wants that space it needs to move aggressively into it before they do. The ACC has other options in the south and southwest to consider like more Florida schools or Texas schools. There is also Cincinnati. I wish I knew what the 4x4x4 committee was thinking. All of this would have to be paid for by ESPN and the ACC network. [/QUOTE]

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