Conference Realignment

[RamblinRed]

My biggest thought right now is what exactly are we headed to and is it something that is even interesting to follow.

If we are looking at 2 super conferences with 20+ teams each, that means that you will not play even half the teams in your conference and may not see some of them for many years. Is that really a conference?

Unfortunately GT is in a place where i'm not sure it has many chips it can play. More likely we have to see how everything falls out over the next 2-4 years (which is how long all of this is likely to take) and then see where GT lands. If GT were to land in one of the SEC or B10 it would almost certainly be the B10 - I don't see the SEC having any interest at all in GT, GT brings absolutely nothing to them.

GT at least brings a Southern based school to the B10 and also as an AAU member adds to their collection of research universities that bring billions of dollars in grant money into the conference.
I'm not convinced that is really likely either, but that is really GT's best hope.

We also know from reporting overnight that it was USC and UCLA that reached out to the B10 and not the reverse. So it looks like it sort of fell into the B10's lap and they weren't going to turn away a gift like that.

 

[RamblinRed]

USC and UCLA to Big Ten: What's next for Pac-12, Notre Dame, ACC, Big 12 with realignment just getting started

It's now 'anything goes' in the world of major-college sports with teams and conferences facing uncertain futures

www.cbssports.com

 

[4shotB]

Remember the "gold old days" when one could focus on the team, the upcoming season and the excitement of seeing new players on Grant Field.

This politics, TV and money stuff has superceded that imo. It's hard to worry about next year's record when you are unsure if your program is going to be a viable P5 program in a few years.

 

[Pointer]

These aren't conferences anymore. You're not going to see many teams in your "conference" for many years.

 

[RamblinRed]

USC, UCLA will move to Big Ten, but many questions still remain - Sports Illustrated

With USC, UCLA Heading to Big Ten, What Comes Next?

www.si.com

The most interesting thought in this article (though not one I expect to happen) is the idea you could see a number of the more academic minded schools - including ND and Stanford, form their own league.

A league like Forde suggests would interest me alot, though I think it is very unlikely to happen.

 

[stech81]

Remember the "gold old days" when one could focus on the team, the upcoming season and the excitement of seeing new players on Grant Field.

This politics, TV and money stuff has superceded that imo. It's hard to worry about next year's record when you are unsure if your program is going to be a viable P5 program in a few years.

I agree miss the old days , the way things are going I really don't think in a couple of years I will give a rat's backend about college football.
Guess we shouldn't have pissed off the SEC and said No to the Big 10 a few years ago. To be a school the has so many smart people we really do some dumb Sh*t.

 

[buzzed]

These aren't conferences anymore. You're not going to see many teams in your "conference" for many years.

I would guess there will be divisions within the conferences where everyone plays each other.

 

[forensicbuzz]

He has no ties to North Carolina? Dude, North Carolina hired him. Most people owe those who do them favors or hire them. Tobacco Road hired Phillips. Did you not see the new rotating schedules? Does it not amuse you that the same schools who have been getting preferential treatment for 40 years were once again taken care of? I would love to live in your world where the ACC is pristine and Swofford and now Phillips has every member institution‘s best interest at heart. But I’m not nearly as naive as you and have watched it my entire adult life as have most posters on this board. If you can’t see the ACC is dying then that’s on you. Enjoy the last few years.

Dude. North Carolina didn't hire him, the ACC did, more specifically, the Presidents of the member universities did. Last I remember there were 4 of 14 member universities in North Carolina. This is just more of your jaded non-sense.

 

[4shotB]

To be a school the has so many smart people we really do some dumb Sh*t.

I think we are long on "book smarts" and short on "street smarts" and "common sense". It's a closed loop system such that we keep hiring the same type of people to run both the school and the AA.

 

[Sheboygan]

We are about to get left out in the cold. We might have to start a nerd conference for schools with higher academic requirements (Vandy, Duke, Wake, etc.).

I mentioned something similar a few weeks back. Nerd conference has a nice ring, doesn't it ? Nobody attends the games or watches them on TV, but man we are competitive !!
Vandy- perfect
Northwestern- Yes
Wake Forest - are they too good ?
Dook - as long as it's only FB
Stanford- only with a mediocre coach
BC - same as Stanford
Service academies- only if they promise not to run the TO

 

[slugboy]

Rumors are that Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, and possibly Utah have applied for B1G membership.

 

[stech81]

I mentioned something similar a few weeks back. Nerd conference has a nice ring, doesn't it ? Nobody attends the games or watches them on TV, but man we are competitive !!
Vandy- perfect
Northwestern- Yes
Wake Forest - are they too good ?
Dook - as long as it's only FB
Stanford- only with a mediocre coach
BC - same as Stanford
Service academies- only if they promise not to run the TO

Maybe we should start a new conference of teams that have make dumb move again and again. ( Leave the SEC , tell the Big 10 no thank you)
thinking about it we would be the only school in the conference , unless y'all can think of anyone else.

 

[stech81]

Rumors are that Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, and possibly Utah have applied for B1G membership.

guess we could go the the Pac 12 , they are running out of teams. Plus our road games would start late and I could go to sleep and see the score the next day.

 

[tmhunter52]

When would Tech apply for membership to the B1G and who would do it?

 

[GT_05]

I mentioned something similar a few weeks back. Nerd conference has a nice ring, doesn't it ? Nobody attends the games or watches them on TV, but man we are competitive !!
Vandy- perfect
Northwestern- Yes
Wake Forest - are they too good ?
Dook - as long as it's only FB
Stanford- only with a mediocre coach
BC - same as Stanford
Service academies- only if they promise not to run the TO

It’s bad when you’re one of the last kids on the playground picked for kickball but it may be worse when all the big kids go to another playground and leave the little kids behind. It seems like the latter is happening now.

That’s a good list you put together.

 

[bigrabbit]

Quick question: What kind of circumstance could realistically impact the ACC exit fee? I vaguely recall mention of fine print details, something cataclysmic that gets everyone off the hook.

Quick aside: I see mention of UVA and UNC going B1G with us - but the politics in Virginia and NC are more complicated. Whatever moves are made would have to factor in VT and NCSU, everyone would have to be ok. GT on the other hand could go B1G and Uga should have little say in it.

 

[Randy Carson]

So, now we have two superconferences of 16 teams each with the winner of each playing for the true National Championship.

Everyone else is in a fight for first place among second-tier teams. How long will it take for Indiana or Vanderbilt to get dropped and Clemson to move up?

Gee, sounds a bit like English football to me...

 

[slugboy]

Quick question: What kind of circumstance could realistically impact the ACC exit fee? I vaguely recall mention of fine print details, something cataclysmic that gets everyone off the hook.

Quick aside: I see mention of UVA and UNC going B1G with us - but the politics in Virginia and NC are more complicated. Whatever moves are made would have to factor in VT and NCSU, everyone would have to be ok. GT on the other hand could go B1G and Uga should have little say in it.

My understanding is that the conference would have to fold--basically go under 8 members and stay there. Considering that East Carolina and a lot of other schools would consider the ACC a step up, the only way the conference is folding is if virtually every team in the conference wants it to.
It's possible, but it's really hard. The GOR is a brutal suicide pact.

 

[stech81]

My understanding is that the conference would have to fold--basically go under 8 members and stay there. Considering that East Carolina and a lot of other schools would consider the ACC a step up, the only way the conference is folding is if virtually every team in the conference wants it to.
It's possible, but it's really hard. The GOR is a brutal suicide pact.

Should have known not to trust an NC man

 

[GTBandit22]

Quick question: What kind of circumstance could realistically impact the ACC exit fee? I vaguely recall mention of fine print details, something cataclysmic that gets everyone off the hook.

Quick aside: I see mention of UVA and UNC going B1G with us - but the politics in Virginia and NC are more complicated. Whatever moves are made would have to factor in VT and NCSU, everyone would have to be ok. GT on the other hand could go B1G and Uga should have little say in it.

If the ACC expands again, that gives an out to current schools to dip iirc, which is why they haven’t talked about expansion because they know multiple schools would get poached.
The powers that be don’t want to compete with the SEC and B1G, they just don’t want to look for new jobs.