They seem like a better fit for our conference than the Big 12. I know they are getting paid considerably more now for being a Big 12 member, so I know it would never happen. But they just seem like they belong more with us.

Thoughts?

I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

(10-09-2019 01:24 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

They could fit in both actually. The ACC already has 14 members though. West Virginia would be a good 12th member for the AAC since we are losing UConn. They would also fit in the East Division for the AAC geographically.

Now, if you’re saying that because they are a P5 school, it’s only going to be a matter of time before the AAC is treated as an equal. The AAC is currently performing better that the ACC in football. Seven schools are currently in the top 40 RPI which matches SEC, Big 10, and PAC 12. So the AAC is in the mix. They fit the AAC well and would strengthen our brand. Just my thoughts.

I would think that WVU & Marshall would be the perfect pair to replace Buffalo & NIU in the MAC.

(10-09-2019 01:47 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 01:24 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

They could fit in both actually. The ACC already has 14 members though. West Virginia would be a good 12th member for the AAC since we are losing UConn. They would also fit in the East Division for the AAC geographically.

Now, if you’re saying that because they are a P5 school, it’s only going to be a matter of time before the AAC is treated as an equal. The AAC is currently performing better that the ACC in football. Seven schools are currently in the top 40 RPI which matches SEC, Big 10, and PAC 12. So the AAC is in the mix. They fit the AAC well and would strengthen our brand. Just my thoughts.

I think they'd be a better fit for the ACC because that's were their rivals are. Pitt VT and to a lesser extent Cuse and Miami plus UVA UNC and Duke would hate them and hate losing to them (at least in basketball) so some good rivalry potential there.

(10-09-2019 01:24 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

Yeah, I get the idea that some in the ACC didn’t think WVU was a good academic fit, but there are a lot of good matchups for them that would probably pull in strong ratings every year: WVU-Pitt, WVU-UVA, WVU-VT... would have been a better fit for the ACC than Louisville, and let’s be honest, Louisville would be a better fit in the AAC than WVU (I mean, they were in the American for a year after all).

I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.

(10-09-2019 02:27 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they'd be a better fit for the ACC because that's were their rivals are. Pitt VT and to a lesser extent Cuse and Miami plus UVA UNC and Duke would hate them and hate losing to them (at least in basketball) so some good rivalry potential there.

I get your point with the rivals part of it. They do have several in the ACC, but I think we can both agree the Big 12 is a strange fit for them. They would feel like more of a natural fit in the AAC as opposed to the Big 12. I don’t think the ACC would ever add them for the reason Chappy pointed out in the other post.

(10-09-2019 03:09 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 02:27 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they'd be a better fit for the ACC because that's were their rivals are. Pitt VT and to a lesser extent Cuse and Miami plus UVA UNC and Duke would hate them and hate losing to them (at least in basketball) so some good rivalry potential there.

I get your point with the rivals part of it. They do have several in the ACC, but I think we can both agree the Big 12 is a strange fit for them. They would feel like more of a natural fit in the AAC as opposed to the Big 12. I don’t think the ACC would ever add them for the reason Chappy pointed out in the other post.

ACC or SEC are a more natural fit for WVU. They have a SEC type fan base but the built in rivalries with the ACC in Football and Basketball make it seamless. ACC used Academics as an excuse of not inviting them last round but plugged their nose a bit with Louisville. WVU has a mandate to service the entire state of West Virginia so their scores get skewed a bit despite having some great programs. AAC is not an option as they will never leave the Big12 pay out $$$ unless it is for the ACC or SEC.

(10-09-2019 12:40 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  They seem like a better fit for our conference than the Big 12. I know they are getting paid considerably more now for being a Big 12 member, so I know it would never happen. But they just seem like they belong more with us.

Thoughts?

You answered your own proposition. But I still remember the northest cadre of football independents from the early 80's: BC, Syracuse, Rutgers, Temple, Penn State, Pitt, WVU, ECU, VT, Louisville and Cincinnati. Joe "look the other way" Paterno envisioned a new conference with said schools. Could have been a different world.

WV leaving the BE in a hurry opened the door for Temple in the BE. The league desperately needed an 8th team and still had to fight to overcome Novas veto. So Temple played one year of BE football but never BE basketball because then the split happened. So thanks again to WV, your departure led to the advancement of Temple.

For a month during the expansion craziness it looked like it was going to be something like...

Boston College
Syracuse
Rutgers
Pitt
West Virginia
Maryland
Virginia Tech
Miami

Virginia
North Carolina
NC State
Duke
Wake Forest
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State

ACC didn’t move fast enough to add them. West Virginia is definitely a better fit in the ACC than the AAC however. Would be a better fit in the Big East football conference

(10-09-2019 02:49 AM)Chappy Wrote:  I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.

NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO. Big 12 Expansion was a sham and a charade, borderline fraud. They were never going to expand, regardless of candidates.

(10-09-2019 07:50 AM)J Coog Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 02:49 AM)Chappy Wrote:  I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.

NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO. Big 12 Expansion was a sham and a charade, borderline fraud. They were never going to expand, regardless of candidates.

Uhhh… it wasn't a sham back when they let in TCU and WV.

(10-09-2019 12:40 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  They seem like a better fit for our conference than the Big 12. I know they are getting paid considerably more now for being a Big 12 member, so I know it would never happen. But they just seem like they belong more with us.

Thoughts?

I think they belong in the conference that wanted and paid them the most ergo the B-12 that took them and TCU after Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas A&M left for greener pastures and to get away from Texas.

(10-09-2019 12:40 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  They seem like a better fit for our conference than the Big 12. I know they are getting paid considerably more now for being a Big 12 member, so I know it would never happen. But they just seem like they belong more with us.

Thoughts?

Take the arrogance of UCF fans, add in some back country hick logic and then lower the academic standards and that was what it was like dealing with WVU.

I have no doubt that one day many that are in the current AAC will be in a conference with WVU...but it will be after 2025, and it wont be the AAC.

(10-09-2019 07:50 AM)J Coog Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 02:49 AM)Chappy Wrote:  I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.

NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO. Big 12 Expansion was a sham and a charade, borderline fraud. They were never going to expand, regardless of candidates.

They would expand for right member, but there is a Big Twelve bias against urban public universities like UC, Memphis and Louisville (remember, the B12 could have had them before the ACC took them).

(10-09-2019 01:24 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

How big do you want the ACC to be? For scheduling purpose and inter conference rivalry, 10 or 12 seems to be the ideal size for a conference.

Does a conference go to 4 divisions eventually?

(10-09-2019 02:49 AM)Chappy Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 01:24 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they belong in the ACC. They fit better with Pitt VT Cuse Miami BC UVa and a bunch of NC schools than they do in the AAC.

Yeah, I get the idea that some in the ACC didn’t think WVU was a good academic fit, but there are a lot of good matchups for them that would probably pull in strong ratings every year: WVU-Pitt, WVU-UVA, WVU-VT... would have been a better fit for the ACC than Louisville, and let’s be honest, Louisville would be a better fit in the AAC than WVU (I mean, they were in the American for a year after all).

I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.

It's true that a lot of ACC schools don't think WVU is a good academic fit and that they would probably never get in but as you said, there would be a lot of good matchups.

Had WVU been available when the decision was made, I think WVU would have been chosen because it was really FSU and Clemson deciding who the next ACC member would be as they were threatening to leave the ACC if another basketball school were chosen and WVU had the best football profile at the time.

I think the Big 12 would have taken Louisville for #10 and probably wouldn't have taken Cincinnati or Memphis. As Louisville was their 2nd choice and they didn't take more than 10 then or later when they extorted some money form the networks to removed their expansion clauses from their TV contracts.

So... even though WVU will probably never be invited they are still a good athletic fit for the ACC.

I’ve always wondered... if the ACC had taken WVU, would UL, UC and Memphis have all made it to the Big 12? I think it’s possible.
[/quote]

They would have just taken Louisville.

In hindsight, they should have taken WV, Louisville & BYU.
They would have the optimal # of members and weakened the ACC. (Who would they have added when Maryland left? Uconn, Cincy?) Also, I think it will be more difficult for the B12 to add BYU going forward for political reasons than it would have been at that time.

(10-09-2019 03:09 AM)NoQuarterBrigade Wrote:  

(10-09-2019 02:27 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  I think they'd be a better fit for the ACC because that's were their rivals are. Pitt VT and to a lesser extent Cuse and Miami plus UVA UNC and Duke would hate them and hate losing to them (at least in basketball) so some good rivalry potential there.

I get your point with the rivals part of it. They do have several in the ACC, but I think we can both agree the Big 12 is a strange fit for them. They would feel like more of a natural fit in the AAC as opposed to the Big 12. I don’t think the ACC would ever add them for the reason Chappy pointed out in the other post.

If the money were the same, and the BE/AAC where as stable as a P5 or a P6, and not going to lose any more members, WVU might prefer the AAC to the B12. XConn, Temple, Cincinnati, Memphis and maybe ECU are close enough for many in their fan base to make a road trip too. And that was important to the them while in the BE.

In that respect, they are certainly a better fit for the AAC than the B12 but the B12 has very attractive football and basketball opponents. So it would take a lot for them to give that up and I don't know if regional conference rivals would do that.