Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The ACC-Notre Dame Catch-22 (BC Interruption)
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, Notre Dame and the ACC are in discussions to enter into a scheduling agreement that would place the Irish against the ACC Champ in the Discover Orange Bowl. School spokesman John Heisler confirmed that Notre Dame A.D. Jack Swarbrick has been in discussions with the ACC conference staff about striking a scheduling deal…
Robert Nkemdiche, Top Football Recruit, Sparks a Debate With Request (The New York Times)
Late on Friday nights last fall, members of the Grayson High School football team in Loganville, Ga., gathered in quarterback Nick Schuessler’s basement and watched tape of the just-completed game. As the Rams, Georgia’s eventual Class AAAAA champions, gorged on fettuccine Alfredo and steak and potatoes, they relived big hits and contemplated reuniting as college teammates…
As Summer Draws to a Close, All is Well in ACC (Orange and White)
We’re less than two weeks away from the official start of the ACC sports season – the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, N.C. The first event on the schedule is ACC commissioner John Swofford’s annual state of the league address. It is a chance for Swofford to extol the ACC’s virtues, relive its successes and set the stage for the year to come…
Three Reasons: Why Florida State Will Win the ACC (Orlando Sentinel)
As the long march toward the ACC Kickoff and the unofficial start of the latest college football season continues, the Chopping Block is taking a look this week at the reasons why the Florida State Seminoles will win a conference championship this season… and (just to be fair) the reasons why they won’t…
Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas is a Rising Superstar in the ACC (Athlon Sports)
While many of his classmates undoubtedly spent spring break in tropical climates, soaking in rays and paying too much for watered-down drinks, Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas was on the beach for a very different reason. The Hokies’ junior quarterback spent a week in San Diego in March, working out for four days with quarterback-coach-to-the-stars George Whitfield…
Tottenville’s Augustus Edwards Chooses Syracuse (Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician)
Running back Augustus Edwards, one of the most coveted high school players to come out of New York City this year, has verbally committed to Syracuse. Edwards, who has a three star rating from both Scout and Rivals, claims offers from Boston College, Central Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Temple, Vanderbilt, and Virginia…
Duke Player’s Injury Shows Risk of Personal Watercraft (News & Observer)
A recent accident that left Duke football player Blair Holliday in a coma illustrates the potential hazards of operating personal watercraft without formal boating safety education. On July 4, fellow sophomore and teammate Jamison Crowder collided with Holliday’s vessel while the two were riding personal watercraft on Lake Tillery, about an hour east of Charlotte…
Today’s Featured Music Clip:
John,
It has been several days since announcement about ACC/Notre Dame discussions about the Orange Bowl…which were tied to supposed meeting in North Carolina among Notre Dame and a few ACC Presidents.
So what is the story? Why nothing coming out? Any guesses?
Thanks as always,
arbitragegls
I’ve got nothing. But I’d assume they’re talking about more than just the Orange Bowl. Not going to make any far-reaching guesses on conference realignment (au contraire, I don’t think they’ll be added as a full-time member), but maybe John Swofford’s up to more than he’s letting on (as per usual).
The hard-line “all sports, or no sports” stance may now be out the window, and the two sides could very well be negotiating either an everything-but-football partnership (makes sense for ND lacrosse, women’s sports and basketball). In exchange for that better conference to stash its non-football sports, Notre Dame would make a deal to schedule at least three ACC opponents per year on the gridiron. The other part of the deal — the Orange Bowl — would be mutually beneficial, and give the game some new-found cachet it didn’t possess previously.
But again, this is just what I’m thinking over here. It is curious there’s no news, and I doubt the specifics of a bowl game would take up to a full week to work out, — especially in the secretive manner these talks seem to have occurred. I’m optimistic, but we’ll see soon, I hope…
John,
Agree with your assessment. Interestingly, ESPN has run a short analysis on which conference would be best for Notre Dame and the ACC comes up aces. Here is link:
http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/7483/conference-compatibilty-acc
I was actually hoping the ACC had balls and said….we may have to go to 16 teams in a reasonable period of time. We want Notre Dame. Here is what we are willing to do for the Orange Bowl through 2014/’15 and maybe give Notre Dame the sign off on the 16th team. But if ACC did not push and rolls over on Olympic Sports without a preconditioned all in than the ACC could end like the BE. Your comment?
Caught that piece earlier. It’s a fair assessment, though I think there’s a lot more reporting that can be done across the web on how the Big 12′s Olympic sports offer impacts the ACC’s next move (we may be addressing here, though not ’till next week).
I actually think the ACC pushed first (“all sports or no sports”), and now is backing off a bit, since they see the Big 12 sitting there as a welcome landing spot should the Irish leave the Big East (likely, I’d say, in the next two years). Also, Even the initial hard line, I sincerely doubt the league will just roll over and allow for them to join in Olympic Sports. If that were to happen (as mentioned earlier), it would be in conjunction with a deal that’s advantageous to the ACC in both the short- and long-term. So, a scheduling agreement and Orange Bowl exclusivity (lest the Irish are invited to the playoff) that earns the conference more exposure and postseason paydays. Honestly, I don’t see ND going to the Big 12 — it’s not a culture fit, and as ESPN’s Matt Fortuna rightly points out, the school’s an east coast institution that happens to be located in Indiana. If they join a conference, I firmly believe it’ll be the ACC, but I have no idea when that would be.
Funny enough, Cardiac Hill also just discussed this issue today, but were actually pretty skeptical about bringing ND aboard, and the whole Orange Bowl agreement: http://www.cardiachill.com/2012/7/12/3150572/notre-dame-acc-orange-bowl-football-acc-expansion-big-east-bowl-predictions-2012-pittsburgh