(07-09-2017 02:19 PM)BePcr07 Wrote: ...would your power conference legitimately consider?
Seriously, are there any non-power schools that could contend for a spot in your conference?
Cincinnati to the ACC or SEC? Connecticut to the B1G or ACC? UNLV or New Mexico to the PAC? Anyone to the XII or is it a dead man walking?
The answer to this question is a question
"what non P-5 can you add that would not cause FSU, Clemson, GT, NC State, and VT to erupt over the inability to sell tickets for said game?" That's before you get to the question of actually making money for the conference.
That leaves Navy, Cincinnati, Tulane, and USF. Academically and culturally those four present no problems.
Tulane would be considered.
The issue for Tulane is their off and on commitment to sports. Do you trust them not to crawfish a third time on big time football? Otherwise their location for the ACC is ideal.
Their location in New Orleans and their academic status are a plus. While LSU would likely be pissed - it would add an ACC/SEC rivalry even if LSU refused to play them because it would facilitate talk.
FSU and GT have to not be opposed.
Navy would be considered.
The issue for Navy is not the return to the old standing order -
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/do...ro-sports. The ACC would take Navy for non-basketball sports no matter how bad their football became because they offer intangibles such as their games with ND and Army. Navy also pokes a finger into MD's eye.
But it's a Navy decision.
UVa and VT have to not be opposed (and they aren't) and ND would need to sponsor them.
Cincy would be considered.
Cincy's biggest problem is that their geography makes them third banana in KY and Ohio, and fourth banana in Indiana. As with Tulane and LSU, it would add to a Cincy-Ohio State "talking rivalry".
Louisville and ND have to not be opposed
USF would be considered.
USF is the leading non P-5 Florida school and their research portfolio is respected.
Miami and FSU have to not be opposed and one of the two have to sponsor them.
There are worse places than Tampa/St. Pete.
"Not being opposed" and "considering" are not the same as wanting.
ECU, Temple, UConn, USF, - these are all non-starters for the ACC.
Since there is probably no way to cleanly part up the B12, who the ACC would "consider" is predicated in part by who in the B12 can't get a ride. The ACC would not reject Texas, OU, Kansas, TCU, or Iowa State
out of hand. At the size level of 18, WVa might finally have a chance in the ACC - but that's looking into a murky future world.
Here's a more interesting question - if Chicago and Johns Hopkins wanted to field a P-5 football team, would the Big 10 acquiesce?
Other than New Mexico and a P16 scenario, it seems unlikely that any of the ACC, SEC, B10, or P12 actually add a non P-5.