(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: You are drinking WAY too much Kool-Aid if you think that the ACC would not factor in the fact that SMU, Tulane and UH would be all be geographic outliers and ding you all for it.
I am on record and if you look at the cards about to be handed out you would see that the ACC loses 6-8 schools. 2 to the SEC, 2 to the B10, and between 2 and 4 to the B12. You pick the schools but its not diffucult to figure it out.
We are not an option if they lose 5 or less (posssibly but I don't think so). However if they hit the magic number of 6 you better believe we are (and we are) on the list. We can be option #1 or we could just make the cut I don't care about measuring male appendages.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: The ACC has and will be a basketball first conference centered around the east coast.
And how does your basketball tradition line up? Yeah I didn't think so. Your geography though convienient is not the end all be all. The same as our "new" market would not be ours. Yes they are factors but not the one and only.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: The real difference is that the ACC has enough schools within geographic proximity that if a raid happens they can fill locally (unlike the BE)
You mean like say the B10? Who epanded to new markets when they could have added Miami of Ohio and Bowling Green? Or the B12 when they added WVU?
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: and has been proactive enough to fill to 14 schools that even in the event of a massive raid there is enough of a core to not have to make decisions dictated by survival.
Agreed to an extent. If they had not expanded to the degree they have then the ACC would not even have a chance of survivng. Yes, because they were proactive they will be around in some form for a long time.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: There is no way UH gets added solo due to geography.
I would have to agree somewhat. Like I said we are not an option until they lose 6 or more schools (like they will) and in that case they will be looking to expand into new markets in addtion to Houston/Texas.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: So at a minimum its UH and SMU or Tulane. How do you sell both schools over a single school in the footprint?
I see that we have some of the same ideas here. I think all three (in some fashion or another) would be considered.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: If you sell the ACC on 2 geographic outliers, how do you align divisions?
Just spit balling here but to play along say the ACC loses Fl St., Clemson, Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, and Georgia Tech.
Leaving Duke (who I think is gone if NC leave but we are just speculating here anyway), Wake, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, and BC.
How much of an "outlier" would we be "if" as you suggest UH, SMU, Tulane, and now my 2 cents by adding Memphis, Cincy, UConn, Temple, USF, UCF, and ECU?
Your "divisons" coming out like.....
East: UConn, Syracuse, Pitt, BC, ECU, Wake, Temple, Duke
West: UH, SMU, Tulane, Memphis, USF, UCF, Louisville, Cincy
Never said ECU does not deserve a chance though you were quick to judge. I just don't think you are a sinch either and took offense to the relegation of us to the craptastic CUSA.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: I think you are taking your acceptance into the BE to mean that you are on par with the rest of the BE members for a potential ACC spot
And you yours.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: when in the pecking order of expansion, there are many better fits for the ACC than UH or SMU or Tulane at this point.
As for ECU which was the point I was making all along.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: The biggest argument would be ECU vs UH, but it depends on how many NC schools are left and if they have room for 1 or 2 schools at the time.
Fair enough.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: As far as the MWC, that "plan" is not as much of a slam dunk as you keep thinking it is. How are you going to convince the MWC to expand?
Because we have been invited twice before (at least once in the last 12 months) and they stopped at 12. If they has not stopped and had expanded to 14 or more without us I would have to agree.
The MWC (and their TV partners) want back into Texas. The schools need the recruiting and TV wants the (potential) eyeballs. I would have to run the numbers again but if you leave out California (SDST and Fresno) between Dallas and Houston alone our population exeeds the rest of the entire MWC footprint.
That being said I don't want to go there. The "special" deal for Boise kills it for me.
(03-11-2013 12:32 PM)laxtonto Wrote: No school that has left the CUSA has a slam dunk spot in any other conference, outside of coming back to the CUSA or going to the nBe (or A12 or whatever they are calling it now). It is best to realize that now and be prepared for the worst than to dismiss the possible and be crushed when the improbable does not come to fruition.
Other than going back to CUSA I agree with you.