(04-08-2018 01:56 PM)OrangeDude Wrote: I believe that if FSU had turned down the invite to the ACC in 1990 (FSU accepted the invite on September 15, 1990 while Miami accepted the Big East invite a couple of weeks later) and accepted instead an SEC invite the 8-team ACC would have stayed pat as they were.
Gene Corrigan pushed for expansion and was truly only excited about adding FSU, even though Syracuse tied them in a straw vote 4-4. If FSU had slipped through their fingers, they'd have done nothing. And though I am an SU homer, the fact that we actually split even with FSU back then is an honor and a privilege but probably says more about ACC mindset, then it did about our finally getting back to some national prominence in football back in 1987.
It is hard to prove, but my own personal feelings are during the first decade in the SEC in this alternate timeline FSU would have won the SEC East five out of the ten years with Florida taking three and Tennessee taking the other two.
Thankfully, from an SU fan's perspective, FSU did agree and the ACC was gifted the single greatest expansion addition in the modern era.
Cheers,
Neil
Just spitballing, but if Florida St turned down the ACC, would we have seen an eventual “merger” between the Big East football schools and the ACC into a new ACC? The SEC would also have added South Carolina along with Florida St. Arkansas and Texas A&M would make it 14. The ACC drops Temple. The B1G picks up Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Maryland, and Rutgers for 16 and stays. The ACC adds Louisville for 14. SEC adds Oklahoma and Oklahoma St for 16. ACC adds Cincinnati and Connecticut for 16. PAC makes a run for Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, and Houston for 16.
PAC
North: Washington, Washington St, Oregon, Oregon St
West: California, Stanford, USC, UCLA
South: Arizona, Arizona St, Utah, Colorado
East: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Houston
SEC
West: Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas A&M, Arkansas
North: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina
South: LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi St, Alabama
East: Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Florida St
ACC
South: Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest
East: North Carolina, North Carolina St, Duke, Virginia
West: Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Louisville
North: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Boston College, Connecticut
B1G
South: Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa
West: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern
North: Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan St
East: Ohio St, Penn St, Maryland, Rutgers