(04-22-2022 11:42 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(04-22-2022 09:57 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(04-22-2022 04:57 AM)XLance Wrote:  If the SEC invites Carolina, UVa and Duke, would the B1G counter with NC State, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech? Does ESPN want the B1G to have a foothold in Georgia?

No, here's what would happen:

SEC invites UNC, UVA, and Duke. They accept for $50M/year.

B1G starts sniffing around, but ESPN heads them off by offering the remaining ACC teams a sizeable (but < $50M) bump. They may accomplish that, in part, by saying they'll pay the same for 11 as they paid for 14 teams. ESPN may also offer more $$$ if the ACC would.
Just spitballin'

Or ESPN could just throw all 30 schools in a lump and divide them up to play the cavalry and head off impending doom at the pass.

Two 15 team conferences divided 3 X 5

BC, Cuse, Pitt, UVa, Duke
UNC, Wake Forest, NC State, Clemson, South Carolina
Louisville, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia Tech in one batch

GT, UGa, Florida, FSU, Miami
Alabama, Auburn Ole Miss, MSU, LSU
Mizzou, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, A&M in the other

Just spitballin' too

JR once made the point and I recently repeated it in another thread.
For the most part football has retreated below the southern borders of Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and South Carolina, and doesn't extend beyond the western borders of Texas and Oklahoma.
(BTW Clemson is only about 20 miles from Georgia in two directions).
It's one of the reasons that Tennessee has had such a hard time getting back on top.