RE: Proposal to add Texas to ACC
Look, this really boils down to several options for the ACC. The dilemma is that the best options come at a price. Here's how I see it breaking down.
The idea of Texas coming with an independent deal like the Irish is a great idea and it has gained a lot of traction in the speculation circles, but Texas has habitually been a part of conferences. Now granted the conferences they have been a part of have had Texas at the center, but they have been conferences nonetheless. At some point I have to ask does Texas really want to be apart from a conference for football? I'm not so sure they would, but if they did the ACC would likely be the reason. Texas will want traditional games on the schedule to keep favor with their fan base. But that fan base would rather see games against Arkansas, Oklahoma, Baylor, A&M, Tech and other usual foes with a smattering of top names from around the country mixed in. In the ACC I could see Texas liking games with F.S.U. and Miami. Georgia Tech games might be interesting for them and maybe Clemson. N.D. is a given. But outside of those who would move the needle? So if Texas ever obliquely joins a conference and keeps football independence then the ACC would be it, but more for reasons of building a palatable home schedule than because they just want to be independent. So I'm not sold that bringing other Texas schools with them would be an issue with a 5 conference game schedule, especially if the could have a couple of annual ACC games and rotate 3.
But, if you want them as full members, and eventually the Irish as well, then work has to be done to attract the Horns. Face it, the ACC built a conference to be friendly for Notre Dame whether that was their intention originally or not. You have Southern recruiting areas that are now venues for Irish play and yet you have Pitt, B.C., Syracuse and the Virginia's for Beltway and New England appeal. However you have nothing for Texas. So if your goal is to attract the Horns as full members (and their network) you'll have to grant 4 slots minimum for a Western 1/2 division. That means you would have to rule out W.V.U. as one of those slots (unless your goal is to go to 18). If you do want to go to 18 then you will need a minimum of 5 western slots, and likely 6 to get the move done. Admittedly Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas along with one of the privates would fit well enough into the ACC academically, but I don't count six out there anywhere in the Big 12 that would pass muster. So my conclusion is this. If you eventually want Texas (and N.D.) as a full member you are going to have to plan on a 16 school conference to successfully accomplish this. If you count the Irish in then you stand at 15 and you will need three slots to make that western 1/2 division. That means two current schools need to exit to make it happen. Since N.C. State and Virginia Tech are the redundant brands that cost you no footprint loss, I think ESPN originally floated this concept 3 years ago to see how it would fly. So in order to get to 16 with Texas and N.D. fully a complicated swap would be needed. The SEC gets into Virginia and North Carolina and stops at 16. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas come to the ACC, and Louisville moves West. Deal done.
At 18 the SEC could still work the trade and take the two complicated little brothers, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. T.C.U./Texas Tech and Iowa State join the ACC with the aforementioned and now you have a western division of 6. If you like Miami or Louisville could shift west and instead of adding T.C.U./Texas Tech you replace that slot with West Virginia.
Baylor, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas now make your new Western Division.
Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Wake Forest make your Southern Division.
Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, and West Virginia now form your Northern Division.
The SEC adds the two I mentioned and now you have 8 schools taken which is enough to dissolve the conference without the help of the PAC or Big 10. If the PAC wants into Texas they have T.C.U. and Texas Tech with which to do it (or Rice or Houston).
With all of that said, and some rehashed, the simplest solution is just to take Texas as an independent with nobody promised a spot. The Horns will have 7 other games with which to schedule their in state rivals and key games.
Then the SEC takes Oklahoma and somebody and stops at 16. Everybody else can figure the rest of it out once both of our conferences have who we want.
If you want the Horns full time (and their network) then ESPN is going to have to have cooperation from Chapel Hill that heretofore it has not had.
There Marge I fixed it for you.***
(This post was last modified: 05-05-2015 07:49 PM by JRsec.)
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