Some portions of the article:

The ACC moved quickly to add Louisville. The formal announcement came in late November. Around the same time, Swofford and some of the league’s athletic directors and presidents began supporting the grant of rights.

“Maryland’s departure was surprising to all of us,” Swofford said. “So that was a factor. I think the continual rumors, as unfounded as they have been, were a factor. I think the presidents and athletic directors in our league got tired of that, and tired of being asked about things that weren’t even happening. I think that was a factor.

“But I think the real factor was the fact that these 15 institutions are very committed to each other (and) wanted to guarantee their commitment to each other.”

This part was with the FSU now Former BOT Andy Haggart that made the statements in favor of the Big XII last summer:

One came before a Florida State trustees meeting scheduled for March 7. Swofford and Dean Jordan, the managing executive of global media at the Raleigh-based Wasserman Media Group, flew to Tallahassee to meet with Haggard and other trustees.

Swofford wanted to address misconceptions, answer questions and share his vision for the conference’s future. Haggard had his doubts.

They met in a conference room.
“I wanted to be assured of what was going to happen, and why we would do (a grant of rights),” Haggard said. “And what would happen if we didn’t do it and what the repercussions were and all of that. And (Swofford) really spelled it out. And he answered all of my questions.
“I went in cautious. And came out impressed. And really thinking highly of John Swofford.”

During the meeting, Swofford and Jordan told Haggard what the grant of rights could do for the league. There was talk about an ACC channel down the line and the revenue that could generate.

“The connection with the ACC and ESPN (won me over),” Haggard said. “The idea of a possible television (channel) with the ACC, that it would be $5 million more a year, if we could do that. And probably more than that.”

Haggard in 1991 served on the Florida State committee that approved joining the ACC. He had seen the Seminoles thrive in the conference, throughout the 1990s, and then had been on the other end – a part of discontented fan base that hoped to move somewhere else.

But now, Haggard said, “I can’t emphasize more how excited I am about (the ACC). Because it’s been a mixed five years here. You had a lot of alumni and boosters and lot of big-time people very unhappy with the ACC. And I was there, too, with them. And I am 100 percent turned around. I’m excited about it. I believe in it.”

Swofford and Jordan also visited Charlottesville to meet with leadership at Virginia. One of the most important meetings came during the ACC tournament in Greensboro, where Jordan presented his analysis to the league’s athletic directors and presidents.

By then, the results of Swofford’s negotiations with ESPN had become clearer. It appeared likely that ACC schools would receive an average of more than $20 million per year in television revenue.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05...rylink=cpy

The ACC will be fine, and I am glad this GoR has settled things for the time being. Next serve...Big XII. Ball is in your court. The ACC schools have apparently blown off the B1G and the SEC. Speaks volumes to me. How much loyalty does OU and Texas really have?

The ACC is fortunate to have John Swofford as its commissioner.

alot of huge info

Now the schools just need to produce.

(05-05-2013 06:59 AM)jaminandjachin Wrote:  Now the schools just need to produce.

+1000

(05-05-2013 06:39 AM)XLance Wrote:  The ACC is fortunate to have John Swofford as its commissioner.

Swofford signed an awful deal with ESPN in 2010 that will under-pay the ACC for years, and any new "ACC Network" won't change that. Additionally, aspects of the deal reaked of self-dealing (or really, nepotism) to boot.
Thanks to that deal, the ACC lost a flagship member and was on the verge of dismemberment.

The ACC should really feel fortunate about only one thing: That the SEC decided it didn't want FSU and Clemson. If it did, the ACC would be dead as a major football conference, and hence P5 membership.

(05-05-2013 07:42 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 06:39 AM)XLance Wrote:  The ACC is fortunate to have John Swofford as its commissioner.

Swofford signed an awful deal with ESPN in 2010 that will under-pay the ACC for years, and any new "ACC Network" won't change that. Additionally, aspects of the deal reaked of self-dealing (or really, nepotism) to boot.
Thanks to that deal, the ACC lost a flagship member and was on the verge of dismemberment.

The ACC should really feel fortunate about only one thing: That the SEC decided it didn't want FSU and Clemson. If it did, the ACC would be dead as a major football conference, and hence P5 membership.

Quo, you must love playing the antagonist role. The TV market shifted right after the ACC signed their deal in 2010. Ask the SEC, they were being underpaid too. Second, considering the ACC had the worst BCS record among power conferences, sucked at beating good non-conference teams, this was probably the best he could get. However, today is a new day. After the GOR, the new deal pays out over 20 mil a year and we all know the ACC is working on getting a network which would be more $$$. So it's all working out.

Well, I will concede this point. Haggard made it very clear that Swofford sold the league on the idea of the ACC Network and that it will be happening.

He better deliver.

(05-05-2013 12:41 AM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  The ACC will be fine, and I am glad this GoR has settled things for the time being. Next serve...Big XII. Ball is in your court. The ACC schools have apparently blown off the B1G and the SEC. Speaks volumes to me. How much loyalty does OU and Texas really have?

+1

At 10 teams the B12 has become the AQ conference that much like the Big East in the last cycle is 2-4 members smaller than the other AQ's and without ability to raid the other 4 AQ leagues.

B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

(05-05-2013 08:36 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

4x16? maybe

not feeling it, but maybe

but PAc wont accept textech and tcu and baylor

Pac doesnt want any of those 3 but will accept 1
if thats what it takes to get texas
they wont accept 2

k-state to sec?
good one

(05-05-2013 08:53 AM)Cardiff Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 08:36 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

4x16? maybe

not feeling it, but maybe

but PAc wont accept textech and tcu and baylor

Pac doesnt want any of those 3 but will accept 1
if thats what it takes to get texas
they wont accept 2

k-state to sec?
good one

K-State would be nice in travel for Missouri and Arkansas plus they bring access to the JUCO's. They have a far superior FB program to Kansas so that gives the SEC the big football dog in that state.

The PAC was willing to package Texas and Tech together in the past. I'm not sure about TCU and Baylor but I'm just throwing it out there as a possible option for the PAC.

(05-05-2013 08:53 AM)Cardiff Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 08:36 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

4x16? maybe

not feeling it, but maybe

but PAc wont accept textech and tcu and baylor

Pac doesnt want any of those 3 but will accept 1
if thats what it takes to get texas
they wont accept 2

k-state to sec?
good one

Not saying this is what I think will happen but if a 16x4 was to happen through the pulling apart of the Big 12 then I think it would have to go something more like this.

Big Ten: Kansas, Missouri
PAC: Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
SEC: WVU, KSU, Baylor
ACC: UConn, Cinci

I hate it because it leaves out Iowa State. I would honestly hope for Mizzou to hold out and stay SEC and for Oklahoma to turn down the Big Ten so that they would have to let in Iowa State. The ACC then could bring in WVU in order to help the process along if the Big 12 schools would want to know every school got a landing spot. I honestly don't know where TCU would go in all this.

We may just end up with 5 major conferences because 16x4 is 64 and that is exactly what we have right now in the Big 5. That means Geography becomes messy because there is Zero wiggle room to add other schools into the cool kids club. The conferences would have to make due with what they have and that means the ACC couldn't add UConn and Cinci and would end up with the likes of Iowa State possibly. I can't see those East Coast folks liking that AT ALL.

The thought of 4x16 now is very murky. That is probably why we still have an Ohio State President talking about 20 teams even after the big bomb was dropped.

(05-05-2013 08:36 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 12:41 AM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  The ACC will be fine, and I am glad this GoR has settled things for the time being. Next serve...Big XII. Ball is in your court. The ACC schools have apparently blown off the B1G and the SEC. Speaks volumes to me. How much loyalty does OU and Texas really have?

+1

At 10 teams the B12 has become the AQ conference that much like the Big East in the last cycle is 2-4 members smaller than the other AQ's and without ability to raid the other 4 AQ leagues.

B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

If Texas heads to the PAC 12 Oklahoma will be there with them too. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State will be their travel partners placing Iowa State, Baylor, and TCU in the AAC with Houston and SMU.

(05-05-2013 07:49 AM)jaminandjachin Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 07:42 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 06:39 AM)XLance Wrote:  The ACC is fortunate to have John Swofford as its commissioner.

Swofford signed an awful deal with ESPN in 2010 that will under-pay the ACC for years, and any new "ACC Network" won't change that. Additionally, aspects of the deal reaked of self-dealing (or really, nepotism) to boot.
Thanks to that deal, the ACC lost a flagship member and was on the verge of dismemberment.

The ACC should really feel fortunate about only one thing: That the SEC decided it didn't want FSU and Clemson. If it did, the ACC would be dead as a major football conference, and hence P5 membership.

Quo, you must love playing the antagonist role. The TV market shifted right after the ACC signed their deal in 2010. Ask the SEC, they were being underpaid too. Second, considering the ACC had the worst BCS record among power conferences, sucked at beating good non-conference teams, this was probably the best he could get. However, today is a new day. After the GOR, the new deal pays out over 20 mil a year and we all know the ACC is working on getting a network which would be more $$$. So it's all working out.

ESPN signed their lousy deal in 2008. The ACC had time to learn from the SEC's lesson and emulate the B1G, but they signed that terrible $155 million a year deal in 2010 anyway. As for the ACC's performance in BCS games, yes it was awful but we also know that performance in BCS games has nothing to do with the value of a conference - just ask the old Big East how much winning BCS games helped their TV value or ask Notre Dame how much getting creamed in them hurt theirs (not at all).

Yes, the ACC is sitting pretty now, though thanks to that 2010 deal they too will be under-paid. My point was that Swofford does not deserve the praise being heaped on him, other factors saved the ACC despite his bad decisions.

I don't think a neat 4x16 is really possible, too many tribes. The closet might be:

sec- WVU
big- KU, Missouri
Pac- Tex, TTEch, OU, OK state
ACC- Uconn, cincy, gtown

Thus, you got 2 at 16, 1 at 14 and 1 at 18. I could see the acc add temple + a football only instead of gtown and focus on hoops and markets. I think its more likely the pac would jump to 20 rather than 16 though. I also like the acc jumping to 20 with non-football school's in gtown, st john's, ND and nova. Yet, getting the catholic hoops school's probably doesn't happen now.

(05-05-2013 08:36 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(05-05-2013 12:41 AM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  The ACC will be fine, and I am glad this GoR has settled things for the time being. Next serve...Big XII. Ball is in your court. The ACC schools have apparently blown off the B1G and the SEC. Speaks volumes to me. How much loyalty does OU and Texas really have?

+1

At 10 teams the B12 has become the AQ conference that much like the Big East in the last cycle is 2-4 members smaller than the other AQ's and without ability to raid the other 4 AQ leagues.

B1G: Kansas, Oklahoma
PAC: Texas, Tech, Baylor, TCU
SEC: K-State, Oklahoma St
ACC: West Virginia, Cincinnati
AAC: Iowa State

We are getting pretty close to the days of 4 AQ leagues of 16, IMO.

BIG Kansas,Iowa St(both AAU)
PAC Texas Tech,Texas,Oklahoma,Oklahoma St
ACC WVU
AAC KST,Baylor,TCU

Thus 4 conferences with 16 schools and one with 14

I think you'll find that Texas likes being the big dog in a small pond, which means the B12 is going to stand pat. What will you guys do for speculation when this happens?

I think in due time what happened to the old Southern Conference will happen again with the bigger conferences. It's just a matter of time. The only think keeping things together now is money, and that tends to be fleeting. It's like the young girl who marries the rich old fart, and later gets tired of having that wrinkled old fart laying on top of her at night. She gets a nice monetary settlement, and then goes off with some good looking guy after her money...

I say we see no more musical chairs for years to come. Everybody stays where they are.

(05-05-2013 09:47 AM)bluesox Wrote:  I don't think a neat 4x16 is really possible, too many tribes. The closet might be:

sec- WVU
big- KU, Missouri
Pac- Tex, TTEch, OU, OK state
ACC- Uconn, cincy, gtown

Thus, you got 2 at 16, 1 at 14 and 1 at 18. I could see the acc add temple + a football only instead of gtown and focus on hoops and markets. I think its more likely the pac would jump to 20 rather than 16 though. I also like the acc jumping to 20 with non-football school's in gtown, st john's, ND and nova. Yet, getting the catholic hoops school's probably doesn't happen now.

This is what the "it is inevitable that we will have 4 x 16 or 3 x 20 and breakaway" crowd never seemed to understand.

Many people favor local, parochial interests and regional, small "fiefdoms" over large, cobbled together entities. There are too many local/regional interests that compete and work against such a consolidation.

Whether it is the Roman Empire, British Empire, the USSR or some dream of numbers crunchers proclaiming that super conferences are "done deals", many people favor smaller entities that they can control and/or feel more comfortable in, even if others think that the locals are "better off" in the larger organizations.

People are largely still tribal. There are "warlords" who want to control a piece of the action. They want to be big fish in smaller ponds.

There are too many competing interests for the conference consolidation that Expansionistas favor to occur, despite the projected TV dollars.

That is my lowly opinion as a sports fan, history buff and person who has observed human nature for over fifty some years.