What a Surprise: ACC and Notre Dame closing in on '14-'16 Football Scheduling

[arbitragegls]

It appears that the ACC-Notre Dame association is spinning in a very good direction. As confirmation to previous threads, Notre Dame is honoring its 5 game a year football schedule with the ACC (more on football scheduling and number of games to be played by Notre Dame to be discussed soon). Additionally, as shown below, from Notre Dame Insider.com, Swarbrick says that the ACC is in a solid position and positioned for success:

"There will be some schools that make a decision to go here or there, but I don't see the main conference model (changing)," he said. "And I feel great about the ACC. I think in some ways -- with the addition of Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville -- it has positioned itself for a period of success which is going to be very high.
"When you look at what their football teams achieved this year -- Louisville, Florida State, Clemson, several programs on the rise -- I think it's all coming together perfectly for the ACC. And we're going to be fortunate we joined it when we did."

The football element in ND's marriage with the ACC stipulates the Irish play five ACC schools a year in that sport on a rotating basis, beginning in 2014.

Swarbrick said that 2014 lineup, as well as the 2015 and 2016 version, are very close to being finalized.


Additionally, stay tuned for news coming from negotiation with ESPN on TV dollars and update on the network...as well as potential association with one or more conferences...there is a lot going on and

 

[TexanMark]

So he is hinting that the ACC will lose a few teams?

 

[arbitragegls]

So he is hinting that the ACC will lose a few teams?

Interesting get...lots going on supposedly and that is hopefully covered in update in near future...however, closing in on a schedule for 3 years covers all the ACC teams...so I believe ACC is going to be just fine...

 

[orange79]

So he is hinting that the ACC will lose a few teams?

Guess I must be missing it, but what makes you say that?

 

[orange79]

It appears that the ACC-Notre Dame association is spinning in a very good direction. As confirmation to previous threads, Notre Dame is honoring its 5 game a year football schedule with the ACC (more on football scheduling and number of games to be played by Notre Dame to be discussed soon). Additionally, as shown below, from Notre Dame Insider.com, Swarbrick says that the ACC is in a solid position and positioned for success:

"There will be some schools that make a decision to go here or there, but I don't see the main conference model (changing)," he said. "And I feel great about the ACC. I think in some ways -- with the addition of Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville -- it has positioned itself for a period of success which is going to be very high.
"When you look at what their football teams achieved this year -- Louisville, Florida State, Clemson, several programs on the rise -- I think it's all coming together perfectly for the ACC. And we're going to be fortunate we joined it when we did."

The football element in ND's marriage with the ACC stipulates the Irish play five ACC schools a year in that sport on a rotating basis, beginning in 2014.

Swarbrick said that 2014 lineup, as well as the 2015 and 2016 version, are very close to being finalized.


Additionally, stay tuned for news coming from negotiation with ESPN on TV dollars and update on the network...as well as potential association with one or more conferences...there is a lot going on and

Question arb - was there talk of them NOT honoring their 5 game a year commitment?

 

[Alsacs]

I am glad ND is playing 5 ACC teams in 2014 atleast they won't be getting 2 years of basketball/olympic sports before playing 5 teams. The only ACC teams that I can see being pursued by the B1G are N. Carolina, Ga. Tech, and Virginia. I think UVA and UNC are tied to the hip and like Southern Gentlemen won't leave each other. Ga. Tech/ATL media market is the only other team I could seem going for. Cincinnati is on deck if the ACC loses a team I wonder who the other team the ACC would target if they lost 2 teams.
Also, Arb can you find out if possible is ND eligible for ACC bowls this season 2013 or are they waiting 1 more year 2014 before they can snipe an ACC bowl, and will ND keep their own bowl money or will they just get a share of the ACC pooled bowl money?

 

[omniorange]

The Swarbrick quote is coming from a Southbend Tribune article: http://articles.southbendtribune.co...1_notre-dame-football-acc-schools-gunner-kiel

He's telling why he doesn't believe the superconference model of 16 teams or more will come about:

"I've never subscribed to the mega-conference view," Swarbrick said Tuesday afternoon from Hartford, Conn., where he was taking in the final Big East women's basketball tournament involving the Irish and the first one in which they came away with the title.

"I don't think (the superconference model) works," he continued. "I don't think the geography works. I think now that you have all of these conferences that have done anywhere from 12- to 14-year television deals, it doesn't work -- at least not in the life expectancy of this AD."

That's not to say that Swarbrick feels all the shifting is over.

"There will be some schools that make a decision to go here or there, but I don't see the main conference model (changing)," he said. "And I feel great about the ACC. I think in some ways -- with the addition of Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville -- it has positioned itself for a period of success which is going to be very high.

The "some schools" in the above do not necessarily have to be ACC schools.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[omniorange]

I am glad ND is playing 5 ACC teams in 2014 atleast they won't be getting 2 years of basketball/olympic sports before playing 5 teams. The only ACC teams that I can see being pursued by the B1G are N. Carolina, Ga. Tech, and Virginia. I think UVA and UNC are tied to the hip and like Southern Gentlemen won't leave each other. Ga. Tech/ATL media market is the only other team I could seem going for. Cincinnati is on deck if the ACC loses a team I wonder who the other team the ACC would target if they lost 2 teams.
Also, Arb can you find out if possible is ND eligible for ACC bowls this season 2013 or are they waiting 1 more year 2014 before they can snipe an ACC bowl, and will ND keep their own bowl money or will they just get a share of the ACC pooled bowl money?

I'm not quite sure how this idea that ND's 5 game commitment was tied to the rest of their sports already being in the ACC or vice versa, but I never understood that to be the case either way. From the moment the announcement about the 5 game deal came about it seemed to me it was evident whether ND joined for other sports in 2013, 2014, or 2015 (the latest it could have been), the football scheduling agreement was to start in 2014 (when the new playoff system begins) and of course, the deal was about the ACC increasing its football profile and football TV attractiveness as well as ND finding a "soft" landing spot in a non-Event bowl (if it wasn't good enough to make to an Event bowl).

Now, there certainly were rumors that both ESPN and the ACC wanted ND to consider 6 games, but ND held firm on just the 5 and will continue to hold firm, imho, until such time as other major conference's scheduling makes it more difficult to schedule a variety of teams from the power conferences.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[arbitragegls]

Question arb - was there talk of them NOT honoring their 5 game a year commitment?

Never, ever was that discussed in the ACC...the commitment to five games was a priority part of the invite to the conference...if there was talk it was from other boards and individuals that kept bringing up how Notre Dame used the BE and never fulfilled its football commitment...but fact is the BE never had a # of games agreement with Notre Dame...the ACC has a handshake and a written agreement for five games...(and that is the minimum Notre Dame will play but the maximum does not have a limit--more on this at another time)...the ACC and Notre Dame are a good fit and my expectation is that Notre Dame and the ACC will be partners for a very long time...(don't scoff nor take this too literally--but the ACC is in good shape today...and better than months ago but not as good as it will be a year or two from now...Go 'Cuse!

 

[orange79]

Never, ever was that discussed in the ACC...the commitment to five games was a priority part of the invite to the conference...if there was talk it was from other boards and individuals that kept bringing up how Notre Dame used the BE and never fulfilled its football commitment...but fact is the BE never had a # of games agreement with Notre Dame...the ACC has a handshake and a written agreement for five games...(and that is the minimum Notre Dame will play but the maximum does not have a limit--more on this at another time)...the ACC and Notre Dame are a good fit and my expectation is that Notre Dame and the ACC will be partners for a very long time...(don't scoff nor take this too literally--but the ACC is in good shape today...and better than months ago but not as good as it will be a year or two from now...Go 'Cuse!

OK,thanks. I thought I may have misread your OP.

 

[xc84]

Awesome!

 

[PeteCalvin]

Never, ever was that discussed in the ACC...the commitment to five games was a priority part of the invite to the conference...if there was talk it was from other boards and individuals that kept bringing up how Notre Dame used the BE and never fulfilled its football commitment...but fact is the BE never had a # of games agreement with Notre Dame...the ACC has a handshake and a written agreement for five games...(and that is the minimum Notre Dame will play but the maximum does not have a limit--more on this at another time)...the ACC and Notre Dame are a good fit and my expectation is that Notre Dame and the ACC will be partners for a very long time...(don't scoff nor take this too literally--but the ACC is in good shape today...and better than months ago but not as good as it will be a year or two from now...Go 'Cuse!

I'm a firm believer that Swofford's ND coup really dealt a blow to Delany's ultimate master plan, and that as the days pass and the ACC / ND marriage gets closer to consummation with football it is killing him. So he got MD as a consolation prize. Whoop dee doo. He wanted to trigger an ACC collapse by taking MD, but it never happened. Instead, the ACC got stronger. The C7 breaking up the BE also had the opposite effect. It brought the ACC and ND much closer much faster than anticipated. In a way, FoxSports messed Delany by grabbing the C7. He now has zero chance of ever changing ND's mind and has virtually no shot at breaking up the ACC. He can sit back and enjoy watching MD and Rutgers feed off the bottom of the fish tank. I still don't see either one adding the value to the BiG that he thinks they will.

Now it's the Big 12 that is vulnerable and has to watch it's back. I wonder how the WVU Dude feels about that...and Oklahoma's imminent move to the BiG?

 

[riskylogic]

Now, there certainly were rumors that both ESPN and the ACC wanted ND to consider 6 games, but ND held firm on just the 5 and will continue to hold firm, imho, until such time as other major conference's scheduling makes it more difficult to schedule a variety of teams from the power conferences.

Seems to me that playing for a conference championship is something ND and their supporters would appreciate. Coaxing ND up to seven games could make that happen. If one of those seven were Navy, then ND would only have to agree to one more game.
Since Syracuse would probably end up in the ND pod under that scenario, you might be asked to pick up a second cross-divisional game every third year to make up for the eighth game that ND isn't playing. Whaddya think?

 

[Toga]

Seems to me that playing for a conference championship is something ND and their supporters would appreciate. Coaxing ND up to seven games could make that happen. If one of those seven were Navy, then ND would only have to agree to one more game.
Since Syracuse would probably end up in the ND pod under that scenario, you might be asked to pick up a second cross-divisional game every third year to make up for the eighth game that ND isn't playing. Whaddya think?

I didn't follow that but I like it.

 

[riskylogic]

I didn't follow that but I like it.

Right; the question part of all that is this:

Suppose Syracuse is offered the following opportunity:

4-team pod with ND, BC, and Navy
At least 1 divisional game with everyone else every three years
Annual cross divisional game with Pitt, or someone else when Pitt is in division
Ninth conference game every third year to make up for game ND is not playing (BC and Navy would do the same)

Good deal?

 

[Toga]

Right; the question part of all that is this:

Suppose Syracuse is offered the following opportunity:

4-team pod with ND, BC, and Navy
At least 1 divisional game with everyone else every three years
Annual cross divisional game with Pitt, or someone else when Pitt is in division
Ninth conference game every third year to make up for game ND is not playing (BC and Navy would do the same)

Good deal?

Yes and hell yes.

 

[HtownOrange]

Never, ever was that discussed in the ACC...the commitment to five games was a priority part of the invite to the conference...if there was talk it was from other boards and individuals that kept bringing up how Notre Dame used the BE and never fulfilled its football commitment...but fact is the BE never had a # of games agreement with Notre Dame...the ACC has a handshake and a written agreement for five games...(and that is the minimum Notre Dame will play but the maximum does not have a limit--more on this at another time)...the ACC and Notre Dame are a good fit and my expectation is that Notre Dame and the ACC will be partners for a very long time...(don't scoff nor take this too literally--but the ACC is in good shape today...and better than months ago but not as good as it will be a year or two from now...Go 'Cuse!

Another point on the ND-Big East hand shake agreement is that both UConn and Rutgers failed to secure the opportunity to schedule ND. Yes, the deal was ND centric, but neither school should have rejected the offer, or at least should not have tried playing hardball with ND. ND did schedule Syracuse, Pitt, South Florida, and now they will add Louisville, eveidence that ND at least attempted to honor the deal. With the ACC deal in writing and publicly known, I am confident that the ND arrangement will be honored.

 

[OrangePA]

It's all good.

More and more excited about the ACC.

F the Big Ten.

 

[Moontan]

Cincinnati is on deck if the ACC loses a team I wonder who the other team the ACC would target if they lost 2 teams.

They may not replace either. 13 members (12 for football) works fine.

Of course, the radical move would be to add a Big XII school (WfVU) or re-capture UMD.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Thought this was an interesting tweet from a Trib writer that covers ND and I think shows why the ACC & ND joined...

Brian Hamilton‏@ChiTribHamilton
Talked to #NotreDame AD Jack Swarbrick. One point: Between ACC & football skeds, ND will hit 11 of 12 biggest US markets next couple years.

 

[orangenirvana]

my expectation is that Notre Dame and the ACC will be partners for a very long time...(don't scoff nor take this too literally--but the ACC is in good shape today...and better than months ago but not as good as it will be a year or two from now...Go 'Cuse!

"I love you more today than yesterday. But, darling, not as much as tomorrow."

 

[Resonator]

I'm a firm believer that Swofford's ND coup really dealt a blow to Delany's ultimate master plan, and that as the days pass and the ACC / ND marriage gets closer to consummation with football it is killing him. So he got MD as a consolation prize. Whoop dee doo. He wanted to trigger an ACC collapse by taking MD, but it never happened. Instead, the ACC got stronger. The C7 breaking up the BE also had the opposite effect. It brought the ACC and ND much closer much faster than anticipated. In a way, FoxSports messed Delany by grabbing the C7. He now has zero chance of ever changing ND's mind and has virtually no shot at breaking up the ACC. He can sit back and enjoy watching MD and Rutgers feed off the bottom of the fish tank. I still don't see either one adding the value to the BiG that he thinks they will.

Those are two huge points that ACC bashers will never cop to. Folks cannot fathom that Swofford got the better of Delany on them.

Now it's the Big 12 that is vulnerable and has to watch it's back. I wonder how the WVU Dude feels about that...and Oklahoma's imminent move to the BiG?

Oklahoma to the B10? I haven't read that. That would make things VERY interesting, especially for Texas.

 

[Todd Gack]

Oklahoma to the B10? I haven't read that.

Oklahoma to the Big Ten: A Rumor / Joke Brought to You by the Syracuse Fan Base Since 2012.

 

[arbitragegls]

Oklahoma to the Big Ten: A Rumor / Joke Brought to You by the Syracuse Fan Base Since 2012.

Damn, it is part of the stealth side...pay side..and we are not to speak of it again.

 

[Moontan]

Oklahoma to the Big Ten

I've heard about it elsewhere as well.

That's two, independent, sources... so, I'm sure there's something to it. When the move occurs there'll be a lot of couches that will go up in smoke.