By all accounts, UNC relishes being in the ACC with its traditions and rivalries and great basketball.
But if UNC went to the Big Ten and NC State went to the SEC, those two schools would stand to each see a net gain from their athletic programs of $10-20 million more per year.
The same is obviously true in Virginia.
In an era of tight budgets and exploding education costs, how can those state legislatures not insist that those schools change leagues if the opportunities arise?
I can't speak for UVA...but...UNC does not need the money. They have pockets almost without a bottom.
UNC's got to find a way to pay their players, agents & tutors somehow. Makes sense.
I posted this elsewhere, and I'll say it again.
I don't think this is going to go over very easy. It's not going to just happen the way Maryland did. If you remember the state legislative issues in Texas and Virginia, I think North Carolina will be just as bad if not worse. ACC basketball is an institution in North Carolina like none other.
UNC interested folk will fight any attempt by NC State to bounce to the SEC. NC State, Duke and Wake folk (it'll take all three), will fight any attempt of UNC to bounce to the Big 10. There will be a lot of angry people if a home and home Duke-Carolina game comes to an end. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it'll have to get very ugly first.
I feel like UNC is perfectly happy, but BIG might be most sense for them. I hear NC State with SEC a lot.
I'm sure UVA/UNC to BIG and NCSU/VaTech to SEC would make everyone happy... culturally and market-wise.
It will depend a lot if the ACC can circle the wagons and keep most of the teams together. I think the B12 will see this as a great time to pick off 2-4 teams. SEC may take 2. You take 4-6 more teams and ND gets cold feet, then it will be like a BE exodus and it will be a free for all. Thats when this stuff all goes out the window. No one wants to see their school left out.
(11-21-2012 10:07 AM)New York Bull Wrote: [ -> ]I feel like UNC is perfectly happy, but BIG might be most sense for them. I hear NC State with SEC a lot.
I'm sure UVA/UNC to BIG and NCSU/VaTech to SEC would make everyone happy... culturally and market-wise.
I don't think this will happen. Football drives the bus in college athletics...except in North Carolina. Duke and North Carolina separating would be like Michigan and Ohio St deciding to go to different conferences. I can't see it. UNC grads give a lot, and the potential income from the BTN will not offset the potential loss of endowment from disaffected alums.
UNC will not move to the Big1G until it is painfully clear that the ACC might get gutted. They like being the Godfather of the Tobacco Road Mafia. They basically look at the ACC as their little toy that they play with however they choose. As pointed out money is also not exactly something they do not have enough of. RamsClub Boosters stroke million dollar checks and put as much thought in it as me paying my cable bill. If the crap really hits the fan and ACC teams are scrambling to make it to a Big 4 Conference, UNC is in the cat birds seat because the SEC and Big1G will be offering them an invite. Makes me throw up in my mouth but they are the flagship school of the 10th largest and one of the fastest growing states and they have a Nationwide recognized brand product.
If Armageddon hit the ACC I definitely see UVA and UNC leaving for the Big1G. Both are Academic fits for the Big1G and UVA with it's $5Billion dollar endowment is one of the few schools in the country with Big1G type endowment. NCST and VT are a cultural and Football fit for the SEC. FSU and Clemson could fit in the SEC or Big 12.
I'd love to get NC and VA into the SEC to round it out, but that only happens if the B1G blows up the ACC first, and unless the NCAA allows pods/conference semi finals, I don't see the incentive for them to go to 16 with UVA and UNC
IMO they gone. Maryland just showed them how to find the door. I don't think that it is all about the money with them; I think that it may be about the academic presitige of being in the B10 and being directly associated with universities like Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan State etc; and indirectly with schools like California, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon, USC, etc. It is better for them to jump soon then to wait around until the house is completely in flames.
I think UNC, UVA, Duke and Syracuse will end up in the Big Ten.
NCS and UNC get a lot less in sport subsidies than either MD or RU. I don't see the amount changing significantly if they were to change conferences.
In someways I think taking Rutgers was a mistake, because a foursome of UMD, UVA, UNC and Duke would have made sense to go to the B1G together and keep the main important rivalries of the ACC alive. All four schools have the academics that the B1g requires, and Duke would have kept Northwestern company as the good "private" school. This would have allowed VaTech and NCSU to head to the SEC as well.
(11-21-2012 11:12 AM)bostonspider Wrote: [ -> ]In someways I think taking Rutgers was a mistake, because a foursome of UMD, UVA, UNC and Duke would have made sense to go to the B1G together and keep the main important rivalries of the ACC alive. All four schools have the academics that the B1g requires, and Duke would have kept Northwestern company as the good "private" school. This would have allowed VaTech and NCSU to head to the SEC as well.
Could still happen 14 is just a number...could go to 16 or even 18. Nothing shocks me anymore. UNC, UVA, Duke definitely fit the Big Ten mold. Then Notre Dame (if forced to) and Syracuse can fight over #18.
(11-21-2012 11:02 AM)JKMPirate78 Wrote: [ -> ]I think UNC, UVA, Duke and Syracuse will end up in the Big Ten.
Maybe that is the end game for the Big 10
UNC UVA Duke MD Penn St Rutgers Syracuse Indiana Purdue
Ohio St Michigan Michigan St Illinois Northwestern Wisconsin Iowa Minnesota Nebraska
Two 9 team divisions with no guaranteed crossover required for football. You could do 8 divisional games and 1 rotating cross divisional game. Plenty of Basketball too for the BTN along with Baseball, Hockey and Lacrosse.
(11-21-2012 11:39 AM)solohawks Wrote: [ -> ] (11-21-2012 11:02 AM)JKMPirate78 Wrote: [ -> ]I think UNC, UVA, Duke and Syracuse will end up in the Big Ten.
Maybe that is the end game for the Big 10
UNC UVA Duke MD Penn St Rutgers Syracuse Indiana Purdue
Ohio St Michigan Michigan St Illinois Northwestern Wisconsin Iowa Minnesota Nebraska
Two 9 team divisions with no guaranteed crossover required for football. You could do 8 divisional games and 1 rotating cross divisional game. Plenty of Basketball too for the BTN along with Baseball, Hockey and Lacrosse.
I think it is...if so Boston College, Pitt and UConn are so screwed.
(11-21-2012 10:04 AM)blunderbuss Wrote: [ -> ]UNC's got to find a way to pay their players, agents & tutors somehow. Makes sense.
They have had no problem doing that for decades.
(11-21-2012 10:04 AM)blunderbuss Wrote: [ -> ]UNC's got to find a way to pay their players, agents & tutors somehow. Makes sense.
(11-21-2012 11:55 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote: [ -> ] (11-21-2012 10:04 AM)blunderbuss Wrote: [ -> ]UNC's got to find a way to pay their players, agents & tutors somehow. Makes sense.
They have had no problem doing that for decades.
Touché
Big Ten Network would salivate over having Duke/UNC rivalry in their pockets. And the classic game library. ESPN would faint.