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[QUOTE="BlazeOrange, post: 33141, member: 683"]
I agree with many of the reasons posted above, just want to add the thought of minimizing the initial raid.  The ACC really only wanted two things:  Miami and a championship game, with weakening/destruction of the BE as a bonus.  I'm pretty sure that they petioned to allow championship games with 11 teams, but don't recall if that effort (or an earlier one by them or someone else) proposed a 10 team minimum.

In any event, if the BE could've somehow forced through the lowering of that requirement and allow 10-team conferences to have a championship game, the ACC would've likely only poached the U.  That would leave the Big East with:
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Boston College
Rutgers
UConn (although they upgraded early due to the raid, they were joining anyway)
Then, add the same three teams that ended up joining (no corresponding hoops additions)...
South Florida
Cincinnati
Louisville

... and you have a decent 10-team conference for football and 16 teams for hoops (if it didn't split).  Could also have a championship game, although that wouldn't necessarily be profitable.  Of course, once the supposed drive to superconferences began, this BE would still be susceptible to B1G or SEC offers.   But it would've been a better football conference than the 10-team ACC with Miami, especially if the SEC went after FSU, etc.  In that case, roles might be reversed and the BE could be adding ACC or B12 remnants instead of the other way around.
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