(08-02-2020 10:34 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-02-2020 08:19 AM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  

(08-02-2020 07:58 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-01-2020 05:16 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  

(08-01-2020 05:00 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  Well, I'm not sure that's a good benchmark. A rule is purely self-interested if you only considered your interests in making it, even if other parties happen to like it too. I seriously doubt that the ACC would have abandoned the rule if word had filtered back during deliberations that South Carolina didn't like it.

And while we can't know everyone's motivation for sure, the rule does seem, as you say, to be in the "best interest" of the ACC. It allows for an OOC game, but only under the ACC-favorable condition that the game be played in an ACC state. It sacrifices out of state OOC games for no discernible reason, especially since ACC teams are allowed to travel out of state to play other ACC teams.

Rules like that usually come about when one only takes one's own interests to heart.

By your standard, it seems as if every conferences’ scheduling decision could be termed purely self-interested. The ACC was trying to mitigate risk (e.g., seek less travel) while allowing out of conference in-State rivals to continue their tradition.

Well yeah, and I've never claimed the ACC was more self-interested than any other major conference. I was talking back against the idea that it was more selfless, particularly compared to the SEC policy.

IMO, those who complain about the SEC not allowing the ACC to dictate which of their games was canceled this year and say their policy is selfish are IMO themselves being selfish, they have particular POVs that they are presenting as a general interest.

The difference being that college football is partly about traditions and school rivalries. The ACC allowed the close knit universities to have an opportunity to continue 100+ years of history (at least in Georgia and South Carolina) in the midst of a pandemic...possibly competing just meant more for ACC schools. Without a doubt, the ACC media rights would have increased if these games are played.

The SEC retort was, given the pandemic, money trumps tradition.

Now we're in the realm of speculating about motives. FWIW, as an SEC football fan, my initial reaction as to the way the SEC should respond to the ACC decision wasn't along the lines of money but principle - it appeared to me that the ACC was trying to dictate which of their common games would be canceled and which played, and in a manner that was advantageous to the ACC, and that the SEC should demure from going along on the general principle that you don't allow yourself to be cajoled like that, even if the ACC idea was a good one. It also seemed like the ACC was pursuing its interests while cloaking itself in the mantle of protecting rivalries.

The only really aggrieved party I can see in all this is Notre Dame - the ACC claimed it was motivated to protect traditional rivalries, but their rule canceled Notre Dame's game at Navy, a rivalry as traditional as any of the others being protected. That could have been accomplished by allowing all ACC teams to travel out of state to their one OOC game, not really a big deal from a pandemic POV given that all kinds of ACC teams will be traveling to other states for ACC games.

This year a disproportionate number of ACC v SEC games were scheduled to be played at ACC universities...with the ACC having 5x more home games and media rights than the SEC. UF at FSU, SC at Clemson, UK at Louisville, Miss St at NC St (even Ark at ND...if you count ND as an ACC school) while only GT at UGA tried to balance the ledger. The ACC had the most vested financial interest in scheduling out of conference games. The SEC’s leverage was that 2020 would be their best year to cancel OOC games.

You’re stretching logic to make yourself somehow believe that the SEC is the aggrieved party.

FWIW - I disagree with your assertion that travel is not “really a big deal from a pandemic POV”. I believe that ND and Navy absolutely made the right call by canceling the excess travel associated with the game scheduled in Ireland. Minimizing travel is absolutely something that universities should be considering. It is possible that ND could have been aggrieved by the ACC policy...they could work with Navy to potentially switch home&home years (which makes Navy the aggrieved party); regardless, it doesn’t detract from the willingness to at least allow OOC scheduling and maintain historic rivalries.