RE: Divide the ACC - Save College Football
Let's just consider that if we are going to build a solid conference around Texas and Oklahoma then we need to approach the SEC and Big 10 additions conservatively.
Tee reason I look at Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke, along with Notre Dame is because I don't see them as having major athletic value on their own (Notre Dame excepted) where it counts for networks.
Virginia and Notre Dame does this for the Big 10:
1. Adds enough value in Notre Dame to close the gap with the SEC in that area.
2. Virginia adds a key state and really strong University to the Big 10.
Duke and North Carolina give the SEC the state of North Carolina but at the same time fill a deficiency in basketball branding. This keeps the SEC from adding major football power, but gives the SEC something very beneficial to them and both add to the academics of the SEC.
If we limit our additions to a pair each it keeps our profits high.
Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State and Miami makes for a helluva 6 team eastern division.
Add Pitt and Louisville to Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and West Virginia to create the Norther division of 6.
That leaves Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, T.C.U. and Texas Tech for the Southern division.
You have everything you need in the Big 12 to make them highly competitive with the Big 10 and SEC.
If we must go to 18 to make room for Syracuse and Boston College there is another way to do it.
This is where the Big 10 takes Kansas and the SEC takes T.C.U. and the Big 10 takes Syracuse and the SEC adds Virginia Tech.
Big 12 Norther Division becomes this:
Boston College, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Pittsburgh West Virginia
The Big 12 Eastern Division becomes this:
Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, Wake Forest
The Big 12 South becomes:
Baylor, Brigham Young, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech
The Big 10:
Maryland, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
The SEC:
Duke, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Arkansas, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas A&M, T.C.U.
The SEC doesn't get in whopping value and outside of Notre Dame neither does the Big 10. But the Big 10 gets a major basketball brand in Kansas to the West and adds a physical presence in the State of New York with Syracuse. Virginia is still the major market and academic add and Notre Dame is the major sports brand.
The SEC gets two major basketball brands. Adds the state of Virginia and picks up a presence in DFW.
The resulting Big 12 has huge markets and five top football brands to build value around. Texas and Oklahoma are added to Clemson, Florida State and Miami for brand value. They pick up recruiting territory in Florida Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and B.Y.U. is recognizable to the nation. Pitt and WVU are reunited.
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