(09-06-2013 05:01 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 08:23 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  BC's a club team.

Word is JHU approached the ACC but was turned away on the "associate membership" thing. I wouldn't be celebrating that, and I don't care how loaded the ACC is even with five programs. For this sport, you want to be in Maryland, and they are not.

I'm not worried about not being in Maryland, but I do wish JHU was an associate member. It would be wicked awesome to play JHU and UVA in conference every year.

Obviously Duke, UNC, and ND all field competitive teams, but we have pretty intense existing rivalries with JHU and UVA.

I actually agree that I would have liked to have seen JHU as an ACC lax affiliate, but I'm assume there are reasons why the ACC apparently didn't pursue them, perhaps from influence of the lax coaches. It certainly seems that the conference didn't have the same concerns that have been bandied about in the past on these message board, but we won't know unless we hear some true inside info on any decision making process, or lack there of.

a lot of conference only have 6 teams max. is keeping the size of a conference small a reason why we havent seen more FBS lax expansion or the acc not wanting JHU

(09-06-2013 05:23 PM)john01992 Wrote:  a lot of conference only have 6 teams max. is keeping the size of a conference small a reason why we havent seen more FBS lax expansion or the acc not wanting JHU

Honestly, I think lax expansion is most hampered by Title IX. That is true for all men's sports, to be honest. Many sports have shrunk, growing sports have been hamstrung. Lax falls into the later.

If I had to guess, I think the ACC just didn't want to deal with the conditions that JHU was insisting on with the limited 3-year review period and 5 year membership trial, hands off of the ESPNU contract, and guarantees that they wouldn't be affected by the addition of members. I think the ACC believes one or two members are going to add lax anyway, particularly Louisville. I don't know if they thought going the affiliate route with JHU (who, as a competitor to many ACC programs in the region and would thus reap benefit of the affiliation but could then just bail in five years) was worth it considering they already adding SU and ND and have the top brand in the sport. But who knows, that is just my guess.

Take this for what it is worth, but the rumor coming from someone with family on the JHU staff thought they were going ACC, or pursing the ACC, but apparently the ACC didn't even return their inquiries. Perhaps there is some anti-Hopkins feelings in the ACC lax community, I don't know, but apparently the ACC was just not interested for whatever reason.

(09-06-2013 05:01 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 08:23 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  BC's a club team.

Word is JHU approached the ACC but was turned away on the "associate membership" thing. I wouldn't be celebrating that, and I don't care how loaded the ACC is even with five programs. For this sport, you want to be in Maryland, and they are not.

I'm not worried about not being in Maryland, but I do wish JHU was an associate member. It would be wicked awesome to play JHU and UVA in conference every year.

Obviously Duke, UNC, and ND all field competitive teams, but we have pretty intense existing rivalries with JHU and UVA.

It's a conference with a footprint that kind of runs by, though not necessarily through, that state. I just think if the ACC was JHU's preferred option, the ACC messed this up.

I don't expect JHU to "cut off" some of these games, though. But, that's the only silver-lining I see to this potential gaffe.

(09-07-2013 06:51 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  It's a conference with a footprint that kind of runs by, though not necessarily through, that state. I just think if the ACC was JHU's preferred option, the ACC messed this up.

If you draw a line from the research triangle to Syracuse, it runs through Maryland. Maybe not Baltimore, but definitely through the State.

Quote: I don't expect JHU to "cut off" some of these games, though. But, that's the only silver-lining I see to this potential gaffe.

Part of their deal is they keep their ESPNU contract, so I'd bet they'll want to keep playing those ACC rivalry in February and March.

Maybe the ACC thought that JHU would become too strong with ACC membership and would hurt the north carolina schools in the long run? It seems like a blunder to me to let the entire state of maryland go to another conference. Unless of course they plan to sell the ACC to Maryland recruits as a historic lax league filled with excellent schools and programs and not some "newbie" league like the B10.

(09-07-2013 10:42 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(09-07-2013 06:51 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  It's a conference with a footprint that kind of runs by, though not necessarily through, that state. I just think if the ACC was JHU's preferred option, the ACC messed this up.

If you draw a line from the research triangle to Syracuse, it runs through Maryland. Maybe not Baltimore, but definitely through the State.

True. I'm curious how that translates to regional media coverage for all ACC sports in the state. I'm remembering what happened to Big East football coverage after Temple got the boot here in the Philly and Lehigh Valley area. Even with Pitt and Rutgers nearby, it was like BEF could have been on a different planet; they weren't always available to us.

Now that the ACC isn't "in" the state, how do people see ACC games, especially lax? Market to market? ESPN's got its hands in a lot of conference media deals...someone's not going to be seen.

Quote:Unless of course they plan to sell the ACC to Maryland recruits as a historic lax league filled with excellent schools and programs and not some "newbie" league like the B10.

I think they're going to need TV in worst way, even if most of those ACC programs are studs. And I think ESPN will demand the ACC to produce the sixth program for the AQ.