So I held a poll and spread it around a bit ... if ND was ACC #15, would you want to be ACC #16? The scores are rated (literally) as 1 (I'd rather have ebola) to 10 (I got a tingle).

Results (excluding irrelevant right ins like Buffalo):

Central Florida: 7.68 ... many votes
Cincinnati: 8.8 ... many votes
UCONN: 7.2 ... many votes
ECU: 8.0 ... many votes
Kentucky: 3.6 ... very few votes
Maryland: 3.25 ... very few votes
Memphis: 9.6 ... a few votes
Navy: 7.4 ... some votes
Ohio State: 1.0 ... very few votes
Pedo State: 7.25 ... many votes
Rutgers: 4.0 ... very few votes
USC-E: 4.8 ... a few votes
USF: 10.0 ... very few votes
Tennessee: 4.6 ... some votes
Texas: 6.9 ... some votes
West Virginia: 7.3 ... many votes <--- residual butthurt, very polarized





So ..... based on my HUGEEEEEEEEEEELY unscientific polling ... the realistic P5 teams to consider to pair with a hypothetical ND would be West Virginia, Texas, and Pedo State. There is more support for the ACC than I would have imagined from USC-E and Tennessee... they're almost an even halfway 5. I wouldn't rule them out ... but there would be a lot more hand wringing Maryland style than with the first three.

Either Tennessee, West Virginia or South Carolina would be good addition to the ACC as #16 to compliment Notre Dame as the ACC's #15.

If it is WV (and they do fit well) ... can we please have some sort of mandated academic renaissance program and fan behavior remedial training?

If ND joins as #15, they should just keep it at 15 teams. ND rotates divisions every other year and plays only 7 conference games a year, all against its division. The division without ND all play 8 games, and all the other teams in ND's division play 9 games. Only divisional games count when determining 1st place.

(12-14-2014 04:27 PM)goofus Wrote:  If ND joins as #15, they should just keep it at 15 teams. ND rotates divisions every other year and plays only 7 conference games a year, all against its division. The division without ND all play 8 games, and all the other teams in ND's division play 9 games. Only divisional games count when determining 1st place.

It would be 16 to make scheduling a non-nightmare

(12-14-2014 03:24 PM)XLance Wrote:  Either Tennessee, West Virginia or South Carolina would be good addition to the ACC as #16 to compliment Notre Dame as the ACC's #15.

Realistically, what does the ACC get by inviting SC back into the league? Their basketball is terrible. They have peaked in football and Spurrier is an old man.

I see more upside to West Va., than SC.

(12-14-2014 03:27 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  If it is WV (and they do fit well) ... can we please have some sort of mandated academic renaissance program and fan behavior remedial training?

The academic issue is that WVa is general admission and not a competitive affair within the State of West Va. That's a function of WVa's mission.

(12-14-2014 04:55 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(12-14-2014 03:24 PM)XLance Wrote:  Either Tennessee, West Virginia or South Carolina would be good addition to the ACC as #16 to compliment Notre Dame as the ACC's #15.

Realistically, what does the ACC get by inviting SC back into the league? Their basketball is terrible. They have peaked in football and Spurrier is an old man.

I see more upside to West Va., than SC.

Eliminates the SEC from South Carolina.
Gives the ACC another big stadium school.
Cultural fit.
Makes Clemson happy.
Provides another southern school in the ACC to balance the influx of northern schools.
Ready made rivalries with many ACC schools including NC State.
Etc.

BTW, I see more upside for WVU too! If we knew that Notre Dame would never join on a full time basis, the ideal pair for the ACC would be West Virginia AND South Carolina.

(12-14-2014 05:37 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(12-14-2014 04:55 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  

(12-14-2014 03:24 PM)XLance Wrote:  Either Tennessee, West Virginia or South Carolina would be good addition to the ACC as #16 to compliment Notre Dame as the ACC's #15.

Realistically, what does the ACC get by inviting SC back into the league? Their basketball is terrible. They have peaked in football and Spurrier is an old man.

I see more upside to West Va., than SC.

Eliminates the SEC from South Carolina.
Gives the ACC another big stadium school.
Cultural fit.
Makes Clemson happy.
Provides another southern school in the ACC to balance the influx of northern schools.
Ready made rivalries with many ACC schools including NC State.
Etc.

BTW, I see more upside for WVU too! If we knew that Notre Dame would never join on a full time basis, the ideal pair for the ACC would be West Virginia AND South Carolina.

That would be Outstanding, but unfortunately I doubt the SEC will ever lose anyone in Our lifetime as the Conference wide payout is too great for anyone to leave as currently structured. ND would only join if Backs were against the wall so if WVU is shaken loose from the Big 12, only Cincinnati would make sense to fill in the region with ND,UL,WVU, Pitt. for many reasons already stated.

(12-14-2014 02:18 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  So I held a poll and spread it around a bit ... if ND was ACC #15, would you want to be ACC #16? The scores are rated (literally) as 1 (I'd rather have ebola) to 10 (I got a tingle).

Results (excluding irrelevant right ins like Buffalo):

Central Florida: 7.68 ... many votes
Cincinnati: 8.8 ... many votes
UCONN: 7.2 ... many votes
ECU: 8.0 ... many votes
Kentucky: 3.6 ... very few votes
Maryland: 3.25 ... very few votes
Memphis: 9.6 ... a few votes
Navy: 7.4 ... some votes
Ohio State: 1.0 ... very few votes
Pedo State: 7.25 ... many votes
Rutgers: 4.0 ... very few votes
USC-E: 4.8 ... a few votes
USF: 10.0 ... very few votes
Tennessee: 4.6 ... some votes
Texas: 6.9 ... some votes
West Virginia: 7.3 ... many votes <--- residual butthurt, very polarized





So ..... based on my HUGEEEEEEEEEEELY unscientific polling ... the realistic P5 teams to consider to pair with a hypothetical ND would be West Virginia, Texas, and Pedo State. There is more support for the ACC than I would have imagined from USC-E and Tennessee... they're almost an even halfway 5. I wouldn't rule them out ... but there would be a lot more hand wringing Maryland style than with the first three.

The only way to get ND as #15 FB is to get NBC/Comcast and Disney/ESPN to agree on a long long term deal (12-25 years). ND has to go whole hog (8 games). NBC has to take less than the 6 'home' games it is now guaranteed. ND must get MORE revenue. NBC has to get more revenue. ND has to get more eyeballs. ESPN has to get more revenue. ACC has to get more revenue. Would need to be a 6-8 year phase-in period. ND needs to have three votes on #16.

Notre Dame went .500 against the ACC last year. In the past they've gotten fat off of beating Big Ten teams. I wonder if they go .500 or worse all 3 years of this cycle, will that make them start to question their national goals just a little?

2015 ND vs. ACC games: @UVa, GT, @Clemson, @Pitt, Wake, BC (@Fenway Park).

I could easily see the ACC teams winning 5 of those (sorry Deacs, you're not ready). That would soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal of winning the ACC - especially if they end up missing a bowl because of all those losses. JMO though.

if ND joined tomorrow, i'd say Cincy is by far the best option even if WVU were not under a GOR. the WVU folks are knuckle-draggers. however, WVU would have allies supporting their candidacy at Clemson (president came from WVU), VT, FSU, Louisville and possibly a few others. UVa, UNC and Duke will never support them. in fact, it might rock the boat too much to take them. I wouldn't want to drive them into the arms of a more than willing B1G or SEC. I just think that Cincy offers the most to make everyone happy.

Louisville would likely support Cinci over WV. Syracuse and Pitt as well as Miami and VT would likely support WV over Cinci, unless WV support would "rock the boat" too much. No need to cause undue friction within the league.

GOR or not if West Virginia had a invitation to join the ACC as number #16 to round up out the conference with Notre Dame they would do it in a heart beat regardless the payouts they would owe the Big12.

My choices would be in no particular order Tennessee, Penn State, WVU, Cincinnati.

(12-15-2014 08:59 AM)IHAVETRIED Wrote:  

(12-14-2014 02:18 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  So I held a poll and spread it around a bit ... if ND was ACC #15, would you want to be ACC #16? The scores are rated (literally) as 1 (I'd rather have ebola) to 10 (I got a tingle).

Results (excluding irrelevant right ins like Buffalo):

Central Florida: 7.68 ... many votes
Cincinnati: 8.8 ... many votes
UCONN: 7.2 ... many votes
ECU: 8.0 ... many votes
Kentucky: 3.6 ... very few votes
Maryland: 3.25 ... very few votes
Memphis: 9.6 ... a few votes
Navy: 7.4 ... some votes
Ohio State: 1.0 ... very few votes
Pedo State: 7.25 ... many votes
Rutgers: 4.0 ... very few votes
USC-E: 4.8 ... a few votes
USF: 10.0 ... very few votes
Tennessee: 4.6 ... some votes
Texas: 6.9 ... some votes
West Virginia: 7.3 ... many votes <--- residual butthurt, very polarized





So ..... based on my HUGEEEEEEEEEEELY unscientific polling ... the realistic P5 teams to consider to pair with a hypothetical ND would be West Virginia, Texas, and Pedo State. There is more support for the ACC than I would have imagined from USC-E and Tennessee... they're almost an even halfway 5. I wouldn't rule them out ... but there would be a lot more hand wringing Maryland style than with the first three.

The only way to get ND as #15 FB is to get NBC/Comcast and Disney/ESPN to agree on a long long term deal (12-25 years). ND has to go whole hog (8 games). NBC has to take less than the 6 'home' games it is now guaranteed. ND must get MORE revenue. NBC has to get more revenue. ND has to get more eyeballs. ESPN has to get more revenue. ACC has to get more revenue. Would need to be a 6-8 year phase-in period. ND needs to have three votes on #16.

NBC is guaranteed seven home games, six in South Bend and a Shamrock Series ND home game moved someplace like San Antonio, New York, Chicago, etc....

(12-15-2014 09:10 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Notre Dame went .500 against the ACC last year. In the past they've gotten fat off of beating Big Ten teams. I wonder if they go .500 or worse all 3 years of this cycle, will that make them start to question their national goals just a little?

2015 ND vs. ACC games: @UVa, GT, @Clemson, @Pitt, Wake, BC (@Fenway Park).

I could easily see the ACC teams winning 5 of those (sorry Deacs, you're not ready). That would soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal of winning the ACC - especially if they end up missing a bowl because of all those losses. JMO though.

Respectfully, no, it won't. ND is not very likely going to lose five games against the ACC next year (in my opinion). Even if it did, that would not "soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal".

(12-15-2014 02:47 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 09:10 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Notre Dame went .500 against the ACC last year. In the past they've gotten fat off of beating Big Ten teams. I wonder if they go .500 or worse all 3 years of this cycle, will that make them start to question their national goals just a little?

2015 ND vs. ACC games: @UVa, GT, @Clemson, @Pitt, Wake, BC (@Fenway Park).

I could easily see the ACC teams winning 5 of those (sorry Deacs, you're not ready). That would soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal of winning the ACC - especially if they end up missing a bowl because of all those losses. JMO though.

No, it won't. ND is not going to lose five games against the ACC next year (in my opinion) and, even if it did, that would not "soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal".

LOL! Terry, I wrote "soften", not "change their minds immediately"...
...as for the "not going to lose five" assertion, we shall see...

I think it would come down to which one causes the least heartburn. Clemson, FSU, Syracuse, Pitt, VT, Miami would probably support WVU, but they would be just as happy with Cincy. UNC, UVa and Duke would be ok with Cincy, but VERY unhappy with WVU. Clemson and FSU would be VERY unhappy with UConn because of the perpetually pitiful football program. Cincy, who has good football and basketball, is the middle ground to keep the peace and it adds new territory for recruiting and cable subscribers for the ACC network (which WILL happen).

(12-15-2014 11:06 AM)cuseroc Wrote:  Louisville would likely support Cinci over WV. Syracuse and Pitt as well as Miami and VT would likely support WV over Cinci, unless WV support would "rock the boat" too much. No need to cause undue friction within the league.

(12-15-2014 02:47 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 09:10 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  2015 ND vs. ACC games: @UVa, GT, @Clemson, @Pitt, Wake, BC (@Fenway Park).

I could easily see the ACC teams winning 5 of those (sorry Deacs, you're not ready). That would soften up the Irish for accepting a slightly lower goal of winning the ACC - especially if they end up missing a bowl because of all those losses. JMO though.

Respectfully, no, it won't. ND is not very likely going to lose five games against the ACC next year (in my opinion).

I have to agree. While acknowledging that the Irish finished the year on a slide, I think ND is more likely to go at least 4-2 compared to 1-5 or 2-4 in those 6.

But Irish football is in an Era of great decline!