<a href='http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/hurricanes/orl-sptumacc30043003apr30,0,5363755.story?coll=orl%2Dsports%2Dheadlines' target='_blank'>http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/coll...rts%2Dheadlines</a>

Here is another good article on it:

<a href='http://www.andersonsc.com/and/sports/article/0,1886,AND_8215_1918546,00.html' target='_blank'>http://www.andersonsc.com/and/sports/artic...1918546,00.html</a>

My gut is telling me that Miami, Syracuse, and BC are on their way to the ACC.

And why not? Miami gets very little out of being in the Big East. The BE becomes a very minor football conference if those 3 teams defect, too. What will they have? The past glories of Pitt and WVU? :rolleyes:

The Big East would be in serious trouble without Miami, Syracuse, and Pitt.

In 2004, these would be the remaining football schools:

Pittsburgh (currently strong in basketball and football)
West Virginia
UCONN
Rutgers
Virginia Tech (strong in football)

This would be the major conference shakeup everyone has been talking about. I could see several conferences with changes in this case and I don't have a clue how it would all turn out.

Someone still needs to explain to me how the revenue for ONE extra football game (split 12 ways), will offset the costs of splitting the conference's TV, BCS, NCAA Tournament, and most importantly, ACC basketball tournament (the league's biggest cash cow) an additional three ways, not to mention the additional travel costs of adding three new members outside of the league's geographic footprint.

That would have to be one helluva football game.

I don't see ACC expansion happening... this is just the annual work of fans and football writers with nothing else to do in the offseason.

Someone would also need to explain to me how leaving the Big East would benefit those schools, considering they are all part of the same BCS cartel (the conferences receive the same payouts) and two of the three members mentioned have won national titles in football and basketball as BE members in the past two years...

But isn't this a frigging MAC board? Why the hell should we even care what the University of Coral Gables does?

axeme Wrote:And why not? Miami gets very little out of being in the Big East.

On the contrary. The Big East provides as much or more competition as the ACC in football.

And it provides significant attention in NYC for basketball (SJU and SHU). This has been very valuable for UCG which has recently had some good bball teams.

A move to the ACC would provide a fball title game, in which UCG thinks it would be a frequent participant. It would also provide bball revenue split fewer ways, and lower travel expenses.

It's not an easy decision for UCG.

Papa Lou BSU Wrote:Someone still needs to explain to me how the revenue for ONE extra football game (split 12 ways), will offset the costs of splitting the conference's TV, BCS, NCAA Tournament, and most importantly, ACC basketball tournament (the league's biggest cash cow) an additional three ways, not to mention the additional travel costs of adding three new members outside of the league's geographic footprint.

Check with Ken Lay.

The ACC is clearly interested. I mean, the reports in the New York papers last week weren't rumor. The Big East commissioner wasn't mincing words.

Honestly, I don't think Syracuse is eager to go at all. Syracuse prefers the situation it has now. I believe folks there have said they would only go if Miami and BC went.

And, honestly, I don't see why BC would go either. Geographically, it would be an abortion.

Still, if it happened, I think Pittsburgh could end up in the Big Ten.

Sure, the ACC now is on relative par with the Big East. But make this switch and the new ACC becomes a nat'l player with Miami and Fla. St. et.al.

I think BC benefits--home games in hoops will create huge interest in the area when the rivals are Duke, UNC, et.al. Football gets kicked up a notch.
I can see Syracuse's reluctance, but because of football, they really have no choice if Miami and BC go.
I think this IS of interest to MAC fans because the fallout could reach our more eastern schools in one way or another. You'd have an A-10 shakeout with possibly some effect on MAC teams too, especially in conjunction with the attendance rules.
If the pattern among BCS is to get bigger and bigger at the top, it does not bode well for those teams not in the top 60-70.
And, like rocketfootball, I see no way to figure out how it may fall.

B)

DrTorch Wrote:On the contrary. The Big East provides as much or more competition as the ACC in football.

Pfffffffffffffft.

In ya dreams.

So what happens to Va Tech? I doubt the ACC wants to tug their b-ball team along, but the FB program is rolling along.

If the ACC does expand with Miami, BC and Syracuse, the Big East will probably expand with eager schools like UofL, Cinncy, and probably East Carolina. CUSA schools will want to be in the Big East because of the East Coast Media markets that yield a better TV deal for UofL, Cinncy ect.. than they would get by staying in CUSA.

I give Marshall an outside chance of crashing the Big East party. UCF would probably be less likely than USF, given the better basketball program of South Florida.

KC

BC is very interested in going to the ACC. Their fans are also very for going to the ACC. I think Miami sees a lot of positives too. Syracuse seems to want to stay in the Big East unless Miami and BC go to the ACC.

That being said, I won't be surprised to see it happen.

We've been hearing about this major conference shakeup for two decades now. Hasn't happened, and it ain't gonna.

The ACC only needs three votes to block an expansion of one team, much less three. Wake and Duke are already on record as opposing ANY expansion of the league. NC State and UNC have noted their misgivings, as well, likely killing any chance for expansion.

To quote DevilGrad, I still say this will happen when monkeys fly out of my butt...

Some folks in Internet land really need to find a new offseason topic with which to kill time...

I understand what Papa Lou BSU is saying and in most cases the rumors will never happen. However, the ACC is eyeing a conference championship game and better TV deal. This might be enough to break down the opposers in the league, so I won't be surprised it this does eventually happen.

If someone came to me and said that Big Ten is going add a 12th member, I would be less likely to believe that and we are only talking about 1 team. The ACC would have a better benefit than just the conference championship game. They could get a better football tv deal. Adding Miami to the league make the league even stronger in baseball too.

HuskieDan Wrote:So what happens to Va Tech? I doubt the ACC wants to tug their b-ball team along, but the FB program is rolling along.

I still think they are headed to the Big 10.

rocketfootball Wrote:My gut is telling me that Miami, Syracuse, and BC are on their way to the ACC.

Could these three have football only in the ACC? and retain the Big East bball?

I'm not sure the Big East would turn down that offer (plenty of bball only members anyway)...and it would solve the ACC revenue sharing problem.

If some Big East fball members got angry...then what? I could see the Big East reforming itself w/ all the bball only teams.

Despite all this off-season "hoopla", I guess I don't see this happening, either. Syracuse in the ACC.....ugh!

Anyway, if it happens (and that's a big IF in my book), the BE will be "gutted" in terms of football BCS viability (outside of V-Tech), and would indeed have to add 2-3 programs. Their choices (from the perspective of geography and desirability) are very limited. The only obvious choice (to me) would be Louisville, as they would bring both good hoops and football, plus good facilities and a good fan base for both. After that, from an "all sports" affiliation, it gets pretty dicey.........guess they could get desperate and go for UC, which brings more in hoops than in football, but they are a regional rival for UL if the BE goes divisional (but, then again, in football they won't have enough teams to go divisional).

I can't see the BE being encouraged (by their BCS conspirators) to add more non-BCS fodder to the mix......what's the point as it just dilutes their pooling of money? Only possibility I see is if they want to promote their "super 75" type IA super programs, and then after the BE picks a few "bones" from the non-BCS programs, they try to relegate the rest of us to IAA land. The problem there is that there is no good fit for any number of pretty strong Western schools, such as CSU and BYU.