(04-20-2015 11:55 AM)Lou_C Wrote:  

(04-20-2015 11:46 AM)ken d Wrote:  On the realignment board, I floated an idea for bringing the Texas market into the ACC. It would require the cooperation of ESPN and the SEC. I wondered how ACC fans would view the proposal.

In a nutshell, ESPN would support moving Virginia Tech and NC State into the SEC, giving them market penetration that they seek. Then, the ACC would have room to add Texas, Oklahoma, TCU and Baylor as a group, so no one is on an island. And the SEC makes no more threatening moves that would hurt the ACC.

The two leagues would partner with ESPN to merge the Longhorn Network with the SEC network and scrap now unnecessary plans to add a new ACC network and save on administrative costs.

This combined network would now dominate states with almost half the US population. The Big Ten would be frozen out of its biggest target markets, Texas, NC and VA. Any further expansion by them would be only of marginal value, both financially and competitively.

The ACC can now be organized into four scheduling pods.

Texas, Oklahoma, TCU and Baylor
Florida State, Clemson, Ga Tech and Miami
UNC, Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest
Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and BC

Play every pod member every year, and two from each of the other three pods every year. The first two pods are competitively strongest, and each of these teams would get five SOS boosting league games every year. They would also have four games they would be expected to win a high percentage of the time, helping them stay high in the national rankings. The two weaker pods would get five games against teams they are competitive with, and four against the more powerful, giving them a better chance at bowl eligibility if the schedule OOC prudently. Every school would play every league member at least once home and once away every four years.

The league now would have two strong national brands - Texas and Notre Dame - under its umbrella. Its combined football power ratings would place it closer to the SEC which is above it than to the Big Ten which would be significantly beneath it. And I believe it would be a slight net plus in basketball ratings as well.

How do ACC fans view this?

I think you probably have to take Okie State instead of TCU to make that work, and I'd be more than fine with that.

On the surface, it seems unthinkable, but it makes a ton of sense. Not saying it could get done, how do you even approach VT and NC State with that move? But I've been thinking for a while...it's the cleanest outcome.

To extrapolate...the ACC and SEC would then have the Sugar AND Orange. And think about adding Texas-AM, UVA-VT, UNC-NC St to the end of the year ACC-SEC rivalries.

You'd really have the college football world largely revolving around the SEC and ACC.

I could certainly live with OK State as well. Besides, it would give us our very own billionaire.

This makes pretty rational scheduling pods for the SEC as well.

LSU, A&M, Arkansas and Mizzou
Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State
Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina
Va Tech, NC State, Vandy and Kentucky

That avoids the east/west power imbalance and enables the two strongest teams to duke it out for the title.

I have felt for a long time that NC State would thrive better if they were decoupled from UNC. Not sure how their fans would feel about it. They could, and most likely would, continue to play each other in every sport OOC regardless. That could make the rivalry stronger - it sure doesn't seem to hurt South Carolina/Clemson to be in different conferences.