(04-10-2012 12:35 AM)tj_2009 Wrote: There probably would not be any good football games on the network or any good basketball games on the network. There would just be stuff that would not be picked up. Not sure which schools would leave. The only ones that I can think of are: FSU (if the SEC asked), Clemson (if the SEC asked), Miami (if the SEC asked)Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh or Maryland if the B1G asked. I cannot see the other schools leaving the ACC. The cable network would probably be 51% ESPN owned and 49% ACC owned similar to what the other conferences have.
ESPN can't air every good basketball game. The ACC has some great baseball programs. There would be plenty of good lacrosse in the mid-atlantic/northeast. There's plenty of men's and women's soccer. Track would be big with several schools. There would be non-sporting events shown on the network; a daily ACC sportscenter, weekly 30-minute segments about each university's athletics, throw in some academic highlights if more space is needed, shows about ACC legends, airing "classic" games in football or basketball. There's tons of programming to be had. And if the ACC had any balls it'd be able to get back one major football matchup per week to air on the network.
Only the Big Ten has a network ownership split like that. And I'm pretty sure the Big Ten is able to buyout much of Fox's share at a future date. I believe the Pac 12 owns most of/their entire network. Texas is having trouble getting the LHN picked up because it's just one school and not enough people give two craps to demand the station. If it included Texas Tech, Baylor and TCU then it'd probably be picked up fairly quickly.
FSU and Clemson have been in Big 12 rumor talks for at least a month or two now. If the two wanted to leave the Big 12 would listen to what they had to say. And if those two start looking around, a lot of ACC schools will start looking around. I find it hard to believe Miami would stay in a conference without FSU when it means they may never play FSU on a regular basis anymore. That would really hurt their athletic department. Would GT stay when 2/3 of its closest/southern neighbors are taking off? Maybe, maybe not. Would Maryland, who has well-publicized money issues jump with the southern schools and partner up with WVU in the north? Maybe, maybe not. Would Pitt see its new home potentially crumbling before it and partner back up with WVU and join the Big 12? Maybe, maybe not. Would the SEC talk to VT and NC State - or whatever schools are on their radar - if FSU and Clemson are looking to leave? I'd assume so. Would the Big Ten send some schools an "if needed" parachute? I'd think so.
Let's not be naive and think there's no chance of ACC schools jumping. If the last few years have taught anyone anything it's that almost anything is possible. If FSU and Clemson were unhappy enough with the ACC I believe they'd be able to lure a few other schools with them to the Big 12 if that's what it came to. If you feel differently than so be it. I've seen many threads on FSU sites discussing just this: If the ACC money isn't comparable they are willing to try a new conference like the Big 12. Hell, some of them don't even care what the money is, they want to leave the ACC that badly for various reasons. and yes, there are those that see nothing wrong with the ACC and want to remain (t)here. If I may generalize, they usually list academics as the biggest reason for wanting to stay, despite not being able to say how the ACC actually helps FSU academically in any substantiative way.
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Bowl Money: ACC trails SEC by $12.5 million/year
