Tag Archives: Conference Realignment

Conference Realignment: Would Penn State Have Ever Left the Big Ten?

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Could Penn State Ever Leave the Big Ten?

According to Barry Alvarez, Appeasing Penn State Drove This Round of Realignment

Friday, on the three-year anniversary of leaking the news that the Big Ten was looking to add a 12th team, Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez told the school’s athletic board the conference was driven to add a 13th and 14th team — in part — to keep Penn State in the fold.

“Jim (Delaney) felt that someday, if we didn’t have anyone else in that corridor, someday it wouldn’t make sense maybe for Penn State to be in our league,” Alvarez told the board, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “That they would go into a league somewhere on the East Coast. By doing that, it keeps us in the Northeast corridor.”

So is there any truth to this? Was there a threat by the PSU administration to leave? Since the Big Ten’s grant of rights only covers the length of the current television contract, the timing would make sense. And Penn State’s recent issues with the conference have been well documented, too. While we certainly never believed PSU — or any team, for that matter — would truly leave the Big Ten, here’s the sales pitch we advocated for the conference to push to the school back in November:

“We know the Big Ten has it out for you. That fumble call against Nebraska was part of a much larger conspiracy by the league and the NCAA to truly stick it to you in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. They’re going to continue to do so. Oh, and remember when Penn State was able to claim a good chunk of the New York market due to its proximity and affiliation to the B1G? Well that’s gone too, now that Rutgers has joined the conference. Speaking of the Scarlet Knights, we have a proposition for you: trade matchups with them and the Terps at noon for games against FSU, Notre Dame and Miami. We’ll even let you restart your old, bitter rivalries against Syracuse and Pitt. And we’ll let you win games and compete for a national championship. Seriously.”

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ACC Issues Statement of Solidarity; But Does It Mean Anything?

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Did the ACC's Statement of Solidarity Actually Mean Anything? Well...

Did the ACC’s Statement of Solidarity Actually Mean Anything? Well…

As was heavily documented yesterday, the ACC‘s Council of Presidents issued a joint statement of solidarity, expressing their desire to work together to continue building a stronger athletic conference. The statement, which was backed by all 11 current committed members and all four future members, read:

“We, the undersigned presidents of the Atlantic Coast Conference, wish to express our commitment to preserve and protect the future of our outstanding league. We want to be clear that the speculation about ACC schools in negotiations or considering alternatives to the ACC are totally false. The presidents of the ACC are united in our commitment to a strong and enduring conference. The ACC has long been a leader in intercollegiate athletics, both academically and athletically, and the constitution of our existing and future member schools will maintain the ACC’s position as one of the nation’s premier conferences.”

So while it’s great to see all of the conference’s schools appear united amidst increased talk of further Big Ten (or even Big 12) raids, does it actually hold any water?

Unfortunately for those of us who are rooting for the ACC’s survival, the answer may be a resounding no, based on similar statements in the past, by other leagues feeling the expansion pressure. A sampling:

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Conference Realignment Rumors: Georgia Tech Next ACC School Head to Big Ten?

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Rumors Are Going Around That Georgia Tech May Be Next on the Big Ten's Expansion Hit List

Rumors Are Going Around That Georgia Tech May Be Next on the Big Ten’s Expansion Hit List

The conference realignment carousel never ends. And now, it could potentially have a negative effect on the ACC for the second time in the last few weeks, as there are rumors that Georgia Tech may be headed off to the Big Ten as well, joining Maryland.

What started out as some message board chatter, has seemingly gained some actual legs amongst legitimate sources. I saw some of the talk last night, however, was waiting for some legitimate sources to weigh in on the action. And then not too long ago, SB Nation’s Land Grant Holy Land (Ohio State site) posted this:

Report: Georgia Tech Approved by Big Ten to Become 15th Member

So yeah, this is a bit terrifying. And that the story is now gaining ground in some more reputable sources is a bad sign for the ACC. Of course, the Land Grant Holy Land story isn’t completely sold either (a good thing). As author Luke Zimmerman says:

Besides the most interesting subtext (like, for one, how do all these guys from areas with little to nothing to do with the Big Ten have so many midwest athletics sources?), the other is why the league would move so soon with Maryland’s legal battle with the ACC not even coming to a head yet. While I imagine the exit fees will get negotiated down out of court to something in the $20-25 million dollar range, even $50 million would be a lot for the Big Ten to ostensibly front for the likes of Maryland and Georgia Tech.”

And I’d echo those thoughts. Given the legal battle going on with Maryland, why would Georgia Tech leave now? Their names are on the lawsuit. By endorsing the suit, they endorse the league’s right to pursue that money. I’d also note that while ZImmerman believes the fees could be negotiated down, I’m tempted to think the ACC isn’t budging — especially if it ends up being both teams.

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Meet Your New Neighbors: How Louisville Stacks Up Against the ACC

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Now That Louisville’s Officially Invited to the ACC, How Do the Cardinals Stack Up to the Rest of the League?

As you know by now, the ACC has added Louisville — formerly of the Big East — as its 15th member. And while it’s certainly a positive outcome for the conference and the school, admittedly, neither are all that familiar with each other on the football field. First and foremost, we look at the school’s W-L record against each member of the ACC (including Maryland, despite the fact that the Terps will be gone when Louisville joins).

Louisville vs. ACC
TEAM W-L
Boston College 3-3
Clemson 0-0
Duke 1-0
Florida State 1-10
Georgia Tech 0-0
Maryland 1-3
Miami 1-7
North Carolina 4-3
NC State 2-1
Notre Dame 0-0
Pittsburgh 8-8
Syracuse 6-6
Virginia 1-1
Virginia Tech 2-5
Wake Forest 1-0
All-Time 31-47

Surprising to see just 78 games all-time between Louisville and its new conference-mates — and just 50 when you exclude the matchups against Pitt and Syracuse, who currently play against them annually in the Big East. At the onset, we can expect to see the Cardinals find easy football rivalries with the aforementioned Panthers and Orange, while Clemson, Miami and NC State all seem like natural rivalries, depending on the divisional setup.

Having a successful football program wasn’t the only part of the equation, however. Louisville’s also displayed an impressive, impassioned amount of fan support, which certainly carried weight with the other “football schools” such as Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida State. A look at home attendance in terms of accumulated percentage of stadium capacity, as officially compiled by the NCAA, from the 2011 football season:

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Conference Realignment: ACC Adds Louisville to Replace Maryland

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It’s Official: Louisville Is Headed to the ACC

The big news this morning is the ACC‘s unanimous vote to add Louisville as its 15th member, replacing Maryland, which announced its departure a week ago. While Louisville was certainly added for its football prowess, the school also adds an impressive basketball pedigree, along with a well-rounded and growing athletic program in a new geographic market for the ACC. Obviously, details still have to be worked out in terms of their departure from the Big East, however, one would expect the Cardinals’ arrival to coincide with the Terrapins’ exit.

Though the ACC was in contact with schools such as Connecticut, Cincinnati and Navy — some of which may have been a better traditional “fit” — in the end, they made the most strategic move available. Louisville was an in-demand property, drawing interest from the Big 12 as well. The rest, while desirable programs, were not going anywhere and could be available down the road if necessary. And again, Louisville had the best combination of basketball, football, new markets and growth potential. The school has made significant investments in academics and athletics in recent years, and now, that’s really paid off with an invite to the ACC.

So now what? Well, with luck, this will be the final move for the ACC, barring defections of course. Between adding the strongest program available in Louisville, and the lawsuit filed yesterday to pursue the full exit fee from Maryland, the conference appears to be on much more stable footing (knock on wood). The fact that all 11 current voting members, plus the three additions all backed the lawsuit is a positive sign going forward. No school would get behind enforcing a full $52.5 million-payout if they themselves intended to leave (conceivably, at least). And after the statements from charter members Virginia and North Carolina denouncing any talk of their departures, and the big win for the “football” schools in grabbing Louisville over UConn, things really do seem to be looking up.

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Conference Realignment: Navy Joins UConn and Louisville at the Top of ACC’s Expansion List

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The ACC Could Look to Add Navy, as a Bargaining Chip for Notre Dame’s Full Football Membership

With ACC expansion movement seemingly at a standstill between the “football schools” and the “basketball/academic schools,” it doesn’t look like the league is set to add UConn or Louisville any time soon. So of course, a new name — this time from the Big East‘s future ranks — has entered the fray: Navy (source: @ACCSports).

Currently slated to start playing football in the Big East for 2015, the U.S. Naval Academy delivers at least a portion of the Baltimore/Maryland market the ACC loses with Maryland‘s defection to the Big Ten in 2014. But most importantly, it adds yet another reason for Notre Dame to come on-board for all sports. The Irish and Midshipmen already play one another every year in football, and it’s a major priority for both schools to keep it going. If Navy joined the ACC, that would then give Notre Dame six games against league competition every year (if they weren’t simply worked into the rotation). The ACC only plays eight conference games. At that point, what’s really stopping the Fighting Irish from adding two more contests and just joining full-time? It’s understood that they value their independence, but do six in-conference games really fit that designation? While the league is happy with their Notre Dame partnership as-is (and the school is too, especially given their success this year), it can’t hurt to nudge them a little closer to a full membership, can it?

Additionally, what would happen to Navy? If ND finally comes on as a full member of the ACC, then no big deal to have Navy just play football, while the league adds another all-sports member (UConn or Louisville to fill the 16th spot). But if Notre Dame remains independent, things start to get unwieldy (and rather Big East-like). You’d have Notre Dame playing Olympic sports and a partial football schedule, while Navy would only play football, without Olympic sports (beyond lacrosse, they wouldn’t stand much of a chance in the ACC). Those other sports could likely remain in the Patriot League, but what if they push for full membership?

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Conference Realignment: ACC Should Think Big; Talk to Notre Dame, Northwestern, Penn State, Vanderbilt

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With the Target Suddenly on Their Backs, the ACC Needs to Think Bigger to Save Itself From More Defections

I’ll start this off by saying, yes, I’m well aware of just how unlikely it is that the ACC will be adding any of the schools listed in the title of this article. Notre Dame was willing to come aboard because the conference was willing to allow them a partial membership, and I doubt the Irish will suddenly have a change of heart now that they (as an independent) are one game away from playing for a national championship. Northwestern and Penn State are part of the Big Ten — you know, the league that just poached Maryland away in the name of potential revenues. And Vanderbilt is part of the never-ending cash cow that is the SEC. So again, I know what the ACC is up against here. But with our backs to the wall right now, why not at least throw up a Haily Mary and see what happens?

The school-by-school pitches

Notre Dame: “The league’s value would be grow immensely if you were in the fold. Why wouldn’t you want to make your conference more valuable? Along with your desired non-conference rivalries with Pac-12 schools, the ACC just hands you yearly traditional rivalries with Pitt and Boston College, and allows you primetime matchups with the likes of Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Worried about staying relevant in New York City? Syracuse has shown it’s more than willing to play a home game in East Rutherford every year. Didn’t want to lose D.C. with Maryland’s departure? Virginia Tech or Virginia can head on up there every so often, to make sure you get exposure in that market. Plus, if you come on-board full-time, it’ll be much easier to convince other “bigger” programs to join up as well. Really.”

Penn State: “We know the Big Ten has it out for you. That fumble call against Nebraska was part of a much larger conspiracy by the league and the NCAA to truly stick it to you in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. They’re going to continue to do so. Oh, and remember when Penn State was able to claim a good chunk of the New York market due to its proximity and affiliation to the B1G? Well that’s gone too, now that Rutgers has joined the conference. Speaking of the Scarlet Knights, we have a proposition for you: trade matchups with them and the Terps at noon for games against FSU, Notre Dame and Miami. We’ll even let you restart your old, bitter rivalries against Syracuse and Pitt. And we’ll let you win games and compete for a national championship. Seriously.”

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