From the article:

Some two years ago, rumors swirled. It sounded like another wave of chaos from conference realignment was coming. The ACC was on shaky ground. Much of it stemmed from comments made by the chairman of Florida State's board of trustees to Rivals' FSU site.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I can say unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer," Andy Haggard told Warchant.com.

And just like that, the rumor mill kicked into high gear again. The story came in the wake of the ACC's coming to terms with ESPN on a 15-year, $3.6 billion agreement. Speculation about possible next moves or end runs was heightened since Texas A&M and Mizzou had already bolted from the old Big 12 for the SEC. The merits of "basketball schools" vs. "football schools" were debated in a football-heavy college landscape.

But as we get to July 1, the ACC, it turns out, has only become a lot more stable as the conference officially adds its 15th member, Louisville, a program that is thriving in numerous sports that include a lot more than just men's basketball. In fact, in this era where college sports fans keep hearing about "geographic footprints," the ACC geographic area will contain the most television households and highest population of any conference nationally. The league is also proud to point out that it is the only Power 5 conference to place over half of its member institutions among the top 50 of the Best Colleges rankings released by U.S. News & World Report and put five in the top 30.

More from the article:

A big key was the conference's Grant of Media Rights, an agreement announced in April 2013.

"It was frustrating," Swofford said. "We went through a period where there were a lot of reports out there. You had a lot of people saying things that were flat out wrong."

Swofford said internally among the ACC's members he had powerful people pledging commitment to the conference. "I knew they meant those words, and the way to put those words into action was the Grant of Rights."

An added bonus for the ACC was when Notre Dame signed on to join the league in all sports except football -- although the Irish will schedule five ACC opponents each season, which for the ACC seemed like the next best thing. And if the Irish football program ever does join a conference, it'll be the ACC, Swofford said.

http://msn.foxsports.com/college-footbal...acc-063014

It's unusual for a league to backfill with a better program than the one that left. In fact, I can't think of any other examples.

But it happened for the ACC with the Maryland/Louisville deal. Good for the ACC, and good for Louisville.

(What's the over/under on how many years until Maryland or Rutgers win a B1G football championship?)

(07-01-2014 09:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  It's unusual for a league to backfill with a better program than the one that left. In fact, I can't think of any other examples.

But it happened for the ACC with the Maryland/Louisville deal. Good for the ACC, and good for Louisville.

(What's the over/under on how many years until Maryland or Rutgers win a B1G football championship?)

Maryland will get back to being good in Basketball...for Rutgers if Kyle Flood doesn't turn it around the perfect coach for them is Pat Narduzzi the Michigan State DC and New Jersey Native....if we didn't get Petrino back he would have been the likely Louisville coach.

I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

Since I have, in times past, been quick to point out my differences-of-opinion with Tallgrass, let me acknowledge in this case my total agreement with the above comment. The ACC is in a prime position right now, and should remain so for a long time.

Quote:It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

I won't say "impossible" but that scenario does strike me as unlikely. Extraordinarily unlikely in Maryland's case (burned bridges, etc.).

Consider that B1G hasn't had a member withdraw from the league since the University of Chicago in 1946. And that was not to join another league (hardly), but simply reflected the fact that UC had chosen to de-emphasize athletics.

(07-01-2014 09:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  It's unusual for a league to backfill with a better program than the one that left. In fact, I can't think of any other examples.

But it happened for the ACC with the Maryland/Louisville deal. Good for the ACC, and good for Louisville.

(What's the over/under on how many years until Maryland or Rutgers win a B1G football championship?)

I suppose time will tell if Louisville turns out to be demonstrably better than Maryland. Truth be told, I would have been happier if the ACC added Louisville without having to lose the Terps.

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

UVA is just a complete afterthought quite frankly in DC area. VT is 1000 times stronger in DC despite being much further away than UVA.

There is no chance Maryland and Rutgers go back to the ACC. NONE. Not when they are in the #1 money conference in the country now.

(07-01-2014 11:30 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

UVA is just a complete afterthought quite frankly in DC area. VT is 1000 times stronger in DC despite being much further away than UVA.

There is no chance Maryland and Rutgers go back to the ACC. NONE. Not when they are in the #1 money conference in the country now.

Rutgers was never in the ACC, but your main point stands.

I wish Rutgers and Maryland well, but I see them as being similar to Purdue, Indiana and Illinois as far as Big Ten football success goes (at least for the near future).

(07-01-2014 09:14 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 09:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  It's unusual for a league to backfill with a better program than the one that left. In fact, I can't think of any other examples.

But it happened for the ACC with the Maryland/Louisville deal. Good for the ACC, and good for Louisville.

(What's the over/under on how many years until Maryland or Rutgers win a B1G football championship?)

Maryland will get back to being good in Basketball...for Rutgers if Kyle Flood doesn't turn it around the perfect coach for them is Pat Narduzzi the Michigan State DC and New Jersey Native....if we didn't get Petrino back he would have been the likely Louisville coach.

Narduzzi is at the top of my personal shortlist. Not that that means much of course, but he's the ideal candidate to me.

(07-01-2014 11:40 AM)TerryD Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 11:30 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

UVA is just a complete afterthought quite frankly in DC area. VT is 1000 times stronger in DC despite being much further away than UVA.

There is no chance Maryland and Rutgers go back to the ACC. NONE. Not when they are in the #1 money conference in the country now.

Rutgers was never in the ACC, but your main point stands.

I wish Rutgers and Maryland well, but I see them as being similar to Purdue, Indiana and Illinois as far as Big Ten football success goes (at least for the near future).

Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds. Before the invite, Rutgers was looked at pretty low on the Big East pecking order for realignment, destined to be left behind much like UConn, Cincy and USF.

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds.

Has that really happened, though? It seems that most media-reaction is that Rutgers will be a B1G welfare case in football and MBB, and they were simply added for the proximity to NYC.

Quote:Before the invite, Rutgers was looked at pretty low on the Big East pecking order for realignment, destined to be left behind much like UConn, Cincy and USF.

Well, before the invite, wasn't that a true assessment?

(07-01-2014 12:29 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds.

Has that really happened, though? It seems that most media-reaction is that Rutgers will be a B1G welfare case in football and MBB, and they were simply added for the proximity to NYC.

I doubt Rutgers becomes a BiG wellfare case. All those folks in NYC that are forced to buy the Big 10 Network, along with all those folks in NJ are going to pay dividends for the BIG. If you mean athletically, I disagree there as well when it comes down to fb. Rutgers likely will be a regular bowl team as long as they keep getting NJ recruits, which is not a given. Basketball is a different story. I agree with you there. But overall, the Rutgers addition is a great addition for the BIG.

(07-01-2014 12:34 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:29 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds.

Has that really happened, though? It seems that most media-reaction is that Rutgers will be a B1G welfare case in football and MBB, and they were simply added for the proximity to NYC.

I doubt Rutgers becomes a BiG wellfare case. All those folks in NYC that are forced to buy the Big 10 Network, along with all those folks in NJ are going to pay dividends for the BIG. If you mean athletically, I disagree there as well when it comes down to fb. Rutgers likely will be a regular bowl team as long as they keep getting NJ recruits, which is not a given. Basketball is a different story. I agree with you there. But overall, the Rutgers addition is a great addition for the BIG.

First of all -- yes I meant "athletically" not financially.

Second of all -- I agree that Rutgers can create (or help create) a financial windfall for the B1G in general regardless of its athletic competitiveness. So yes, the Rutgers addition is/can be "a great addition".

But my point was just that athletically Rutgers is going to be overwhelmed having to face a B1G schedule year-in and year-out. To be "a regular bowl team" could mean they are peaking at 7-5. Sure, I can see Rutgers pulling a 7-5 rabbit out of their hat now and then. But I doubt that 7-5 (or anything better) will ever be typical.

(07-01-2014 12:41 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:34 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:29 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds.

Has that really happened, though? It seems that most media-reaction is that Rutgers will be a B1G welfare case in football and MBB, and they were simply added for the proximity to NYC.

I doubt Rutgers becomes a BiG wellfare case. All those folks in NYC that are forced to buy the Big 10 Network, along with all those folks in NJ are going to pay dividends for the BIG. If you mean athletically, I disagree there as well when it comes down to fb. Rutgers likely will be a regular bowl team as long as they keep getting NJ recruits, which is not a given. Basketball is a different story. I agree with you there. But overall, the Rutgers addition is a great addition for the BIG.

First of all -- yes I meant "athletically" not financially.

Second of all -- I agree that Rutgers can create (or help create) a financial windfall for the B1G in general regardless of its athletic competitiveness. So yes, the Rutgers addition is/can be "a great addition".

But my point was just that athletically Rutgers is going to be overwhelmed having to face a B1G schedule year-in and year-out. To be "a regular bowl team" could mean they are peaking at 7-5. Sure, I can see Rutgers pulling a 7-5 rabbit out of their hat now and then. But I doubt that 7-5 (or anything better) will ever be typical.

it's not that tough to get 7-5. Have 4 cupcakes OOC and win 3 conference games. With Maryland and Indiana in division, and then some of the western schools- it's possible. Now when go up to 9 conference games- gets a bit harder....

(07-01-2014 01:06 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:41 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:34 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:29 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds.

Has that really happened, though? It seems that most media-reaction is that Rutgers will be a B1G welfare case in football and MBB, and they were simply added for the proximity to NYC.

I doubt Rutgers becomes a BiG wellfare case. All those folks in NYC that are forced to buy the Big 10 Network, along with all those folks in NJ are going to pay dividends for the BIG. If you mean athletically, I disagree there as well when it comes down to fb. Rutgers likely will be a regular bowl team as long as they keep getting NJ recruits, which is not a given. Basketball is a different story. I agree with you there. But overall, the Rutgers addition is a great addition for the BIG.

First of all -- yes I meant "athletically" not financially.

Second of all -- I agree that Rutgers can create (or help create) a financial windfall for the B1G in general regardless of its athletic competitiveness. So yes, the Rutgers addition is/can be "a great addition".

But my point was just that athletically Rutgers is going to be overwhelmed having to face a B1G schedule year-in and year-out. To be "a regular bowl team" could mean they are peaking at 7-5. Sure, I can see Rutgers pulling a 7-5 rabbit out of their hat now and then. But I doubt that 7-5 (or anything better) will ever be typical.

it's not that tough to get 7-5. Have 4 cupcakes OOC and win 3 conference games. With Maryland and Indiana in division, and then some of the western schools- it's possible. Now when go up to 9 conference games- gets a bit harder....

Remember when Oregon or Wisconsin sucked .
The right coach can win at these schools .

(07-01-2014 12:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 11:40 AM)TerryD Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 11:30 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

UVA is just a complete afterthought quite frankly in DC area. VT is 1000 times stronger in DC despite being much further away than UVA.

There is no chance Maryland and Rutgers go back to the ACC. NONE. Not when they are in the #1 money conference in the country now.

Rutgers was never in the ACC, but your main point stands.

I wish Rutgers and Maryland well, but I see them as being similar to Purdue, Indiana and Illinois as far as Big Ten football success goes (at least for the near future).

Interesting how the big ten move has already changed the perception of Rutgers in people's minds. Before the invite, Rutgers was looked at pretty low on the Big East pecking order for realignment, destined to be left behind much like UConn, Cincy and USF.

One thing I thought was interesting in all of it was the different order that the different conferences put on Big East schools. Think back to a few years ago. There were 8 Big East schools with TCU incoming.

The ACC moved first and took Pitt and Syracuse. It showed that it valued the older names with strong hoops and were not afraid to add a private school. They also bypassed West Virgina who was a stronger football name (at the time by a lot) and had history.

The Big 12 moved next and took TCU, a school that had only just been invited to the Big East.

The SEC was looking for #14 to go with Texas A&M and the only Big East school even considered was West Virgina. Had it wanted Pitt or Syracuse, at that point in the game, it almost certainly could have gotten them.

After the SEC took Missouri, the Big 12 was looking again and choose West Virginia narrowly over Louiville.

The Big Ten was looking at expansion from both the ACC and Big East and choose Rutgers to go with Maryland. While I don't think they could have gotten Virgina/North Carolina, I don't think there would have been an issue getting Syracuse or Pitt given the state of things at the time.

So in all, the most valuable schools to each conference was:

ACC: Syracuse, Pitt
Big Ten: Rutgers
SEC: West Virgina
Big 12: TCU, West Virgina (followed closely by Louiville)

All that shows there wasn't a clear pecking order.

(07-01-2014 12:14 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 09:14 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 09:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  It's unusual for a league to backfill with a better program than the one that left. In fact, I can't think of any other examples.

But it happened for the ACC with the Maryland/Louisville deal. Good for the ACC, and good for Louisville.

(What's the over/under on how many years until Maryland or Rutgers win a B1G football championship?)

Maryland will get back to being good in Basketball...for Rutgers if Kyle Flood doesn't turn it around the perfect coach for them is Pat Narduzzi the Michigan State DC and New Jersey Native....if we didn't get Petrino back he would have been the likely Louisville coach.

Narduzzi is at the top of my personal shortlist. Not that that means much of course, but he's the ideal candidate to me.

Narduzzi is IMO a potential Superstar Coach if he gets the right opportunity...really impressed with him and kind of reminds me of Dantonio his boss.

(07-01-2014 11:30 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:07 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(07-01-2014 10:01 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I wouldn't write off MD in basketball yet...still TBD if the kids in Maryland will embrace B1G Hoops. The ACC/BE had been picking over Maryland for Hoops recruits for decades.

Maryland can and will be back...way too much talent in that area and Maryland has a very good Basketball Tradition.

DC/Maryland are good sports fans. I think BiG got a good team in Maryalnd. But ACC still remains strong in the DC market with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Congrats to Louisville and ACC. ACC picks up a very, very strong program in the Cards in both football and basketball. With ACC's addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse, the affiliation with ND, and the football revival of Clemson and Florida State, ACC has set itself up for the future in a very big way.

The addition of Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse and the ND affiliation more than makes up for the loss of Maryland.

It would not surprise me that someday that Maryland and Rutgers find their way back to ACC. That would happen if Notre Dame joined ACC as a full football member. It could happen anyway.

UVA is just a complete afterthought quite frankly in DC area. VT is 1000 times stronger in DC despite being much further away than UVA.

There is no chance Maryland and Rutgers go back to the ACC. NONE. Not when they are in the #1 money conference in the country now.

Your stupidity seems to really come out when you respond to one of my posts. Va Tech, with its larger BiG like enrollment and huge football success, is a strong pull attendance wise. No question about that. VaTech averaged 63,999 attendance.

But Virgina an afterthought? Really? Virgina, with a smaller enrollment due to a more restrictive entrance requirements and a football team that has not had the success of VaTech, is also a strong football pull and strongly supported by its fans and alumni. Despite these two factors working against the Cavaliers in comparison to VaTech, Virginia averaged 46,279 in attendance. To call that an after thought is absurd.