Sometime back, Rath stated that you'll know how realignment is going when Babcock applies for another AD gig. Some on here said "No", VT is Whit's dream job.

Now Whit confirms Rath's prediction:

From a recent Whit Babcock interview -
"I also learned that a lot of it is out of your control........I hope for their (UC) sake that it’s not too late, but who knows, the door may be closed on (another conference)."

Scary that he went to work each day thinking this. Thank you, Virginia Tech. Now they are on my Christmas card list with Illinois.

This is the foward thinking that will help the school out......

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Whit acted like someone stole his puppy the day Louisville was announced for the ACC. Did he think we were ahead of them in line after the investment they made in their athletic programs? Louisville had setbacks on the road to a P5 but I never saw their athletic director act as if he had been defeated--even at Jurich's press conference after their B12 snub.

Let's hope we now have a team in place that won't stop working until we reach a P5. Yes, the door is closed on February 21, 2014. Whether it's the Maryland settlement or some seismic shift, the door will re-open and UC leadership needs to be ready. Ready to kick down the door if that's what it takes.

That quote doesn't really indicate anything we didn't already know, that as of now the conference realignment carousel isn't moving. But who knows how quickly that could turn on again.

(02-21-2014 06:59 PM)indycat Wrote:  Whit acted like someone stole his puppy the day Louisville was announced for the ACC. Did he think we were ahead of them in line after the investment they made in their athletic programs? Louisville had setbacks on the road to a P5 but I never saw their athletic director act as if he had been defeated--even at Jurich's press conference after their B12 snub.

Let's hope we now have a team in place that won't stop working until we reach a P5. Yes, the door is closed on February 21, 2014. Whether it's the Maryland settlement or some seismic shift, the door will re-open and UC leadership needs to be ready. Ready to kick down the door if that's what it takes.

I have to disagree with that. TJ did a LOT of complaining.

The doors are not permanently closed. In fact, it seems more likely than not that at some point other moves will occur and it is silly to think things will remain static forever. Nobody knows what will happen or how this will play out. Just because there's no out today doesn't mean that will remain the case. UC just has to keep looking, keep improving every aspect of its athletic programs and be in the best position possible when things move again. We are like Shackleton sitting on those floating chunks of ice, waiting and hoping for the right opportunity. He didn't sit and piss and whine about how bad it sucked to be sitting on a block of ice with no control over where it went or whether it got smaller. He planned and plotted and prepared so he and his men would be ready when the right chance arose.

What to do expect whit to say??? Uc is in and I left for my dream job?

Realignment is never done. Where UC lands, don't know?

You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

(02-21-2014 11:21 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

FIFY

(02-21-2014 11:21 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

Yeah....no. I don't believe you.

(02-21-2014 11:21 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

I guess we'll find out, we've never played them before.

(02-21-2014 11:21 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

I do know someone I'm starting to dislike. Let me give you a hint he has lunch with male interns in the texas athletic department and then comes on other teams boards to run his mouth.

Are you sure he's just having "lunch" with the male interns?

this is getting interesting, if you like train wrecks.

Probably best to read the entire interview than cherry pick one or two lines. There's really nothing new in it that most of us don't already know unless they're a complete Pollyanna or Cassandra. I do think it's funny how he claims things are so calm and stable in the ACC with all the uncertainty of the Maryland lawsuit which could expose a lot of skeletons in their closets and the ACC network troubles hanging over their heads.

(02-22-2014 08:58 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Probably best to read the entire interview than cherry pick one or two lines. There's really nothing new in it that most of us don't already know unless they're a complete Pollyanna or Cassandra. I do think it's funny how he claims things are so calm and stable in the ACC with all the uncertainty of the Maryland lawsuit which could expose a lot of skeletons in their closets and the ACC network troubles hanging over their heads.

Did read the entire article - 3 times. I was shocked to see that Whit was one of those guys that was hoping that UC would get an invite if UC could get prettier. But things were out of his control - yuck.

If our leadership is not in control of UC's future, then we are really in trouble. Again, Pitt's Chancellor, who had less to offer than UC, got in there and negotiated a place for Pitt to land.

(02-22-2014 01:21 AM)EffinBJ Wrote:  

(02-21-2014 11:21 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  You guys are really going to hate Memphis and Tulane

Yeah....no. I don't believe you.

Big 12 fans would welcome Tulane with open arms--17,000 fans at every football game (if LSU isn't on TV at that hour), three NCAA Tourneys in their history; a small private university in a smaller TV market than Cincy...and West Virginia still sitting on an island alone. Try another rumor and refresh.

(02-22-2014 09:32 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 08:58 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Probably best to read the entire interview than cherry pick one or two lines. There's really nothing new in it that most of us don't already know unless they're a complete Pollyanna or Cassandra. I do think it's funny how he claims things are so calm and stable in the ACC with all the uncertainty of the Maryland lawsuit which could expose a lot of skeletons in their closets and the ACC network troubles hanging over their heads.

Did read the entire article - 3 times. I was shocked to see that Whit was one of those guys that was hoping that UC would get an invite if UC could get prettier. But things were out of his control - yuck.

If our leadership is not in control of UC's future, then we are really in trouble. Again, Pitt's Chancellor, who had less to offer than UC, got in there and negotiated a place for Pitt to land.

Pitt had what the AcC wanted. Simple as that. No one helped them get there with a couple of drinks and negotiations.

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(02-22-2014 09:32 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 08:58 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Probably best to read the entire interview than cherry pick one or two lines. There's really nothing new in it that most of us don't already know unless they're a complete Pollyanna or Cassandra. I do think it's funny how he claims things are so calm and stable in the ACC with all the uncertainty of the Maryland lawsuit which could expose a lot of skeletons in their closets and the ACC network troubles hanging over their heads.

Did read the entire article - 3 times. I was shocked to see that Whit was one of those guys that was hoping that UC would get an invite if UC could get prettier. But things were out of his control - yuck.

If our leadership is not in control of UC's future, then we are really in trouble. Again, Pitt's Chancellor, who had less to offer than UC, got in there and negotiated a place for Pitt to land.

Not sure what you want... Part of life is realizing that very few things are actually in your direct "control."

As for Pitt having "less to offer than UC...", I'm not so sure about that. Pitt's standing in most things is ahead of UC: academics, size, and overall reputation. Not trying to be down on UC at all, but trying to say that UC offers "more" I just don't think is realistic.

The final thing is this: Different conferences have different metrics. What UC can "offer" to one conference may or may not be considered an asset to another conference. It drives me a little batty when people assume the every conference is operating on a similar set of goals and needs. (See the really stupid "Which school is most undeserving" thread on the main board...) The ACC's goals are not the same as the Big 10's or the Big 12's or the SEC's. One school may be a better fit in one conference than another.

That's just life.

As for UC's future... Uncertain. But I tend to think Whit's read is probably more realistic than we like to admit. I don't think there is going to be a spot for us in the B10 nor the ACC. The only plausible landing spot (IMO) is the B12 and that needs to be carefully nuanced because one strong possibility is that the B12 dissolves and the constituent teams in that conference shuffle into the SEC, ACC, and B10.

The sad reality ***may be*** that the music has stopped and we're the one left standing in the game of "musical chairs." ***MAY BE***