(09-06-2013 12:15 PM)Milhouse08 Wrote:  My guess is SLU/Richmond. The AD commented the other day that it would likely be 1 east and 1 west team.

SLU looks a lot better than UD obviously just in terms of everything. Fan support is high at UD but they've done absolutely nothing in the last 20 years or so. No players drafted. 4 NCAA tournament appearances....1 win. No conference championships (regular season). 1 conference tournament championship.

People will say because I'm an X fan I don't want them in. That's not true. Fact is we've owned UD time and time again. Just look at our record vs. them in the last 30 years. They haven't won in Cincinnati in 32 years. It's not much of a rivalry to Xavier fans, as you've all seen we view UC as our biggest rival. Butler might be 2nd already honestly.

I'd be fine with them in because that's a GUARANTEED win every single year, but I'd rather have a team come in that adds more to the conference.

They weren't included for a reason.

And yet we split last year winning on our own home courts...

(09-06-2013 07:09 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 03:26 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  It seems like the former Big East members really hope we fail, no matter what they say publicly. It would support the narrative that the C7 were the ones holding everyone of the FB schools back and they can then justify their dishonesty to their conference mates. At least thats the way it comes across to me.

Do you think that WVU, and the ex-BE teams that joined ACC, and the ones that formed the American, are all "united" in that sentiment? Or is one faction pushing that narrative more strongly than others?

-----

As for Duquesne, their continued futility in MBB is a mystery to me. I remember thinking that Ron Everhart was going to turn them around when he was hired in 2006. And he did have some success (NIT once, CBI twice). But overall it just didn't happen (46-50 record in A-10 games).

I knew him when he was an assistant at Tulane. Really good guy. I hope he gets another chance somewhere.

I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

(09-06-2013 01:20 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 12:15 PM)Milhouse08 Wrote:  My guess is SLU/Richmond. The AD commented the other day that it would likely be 1 east and 1 west team.

SLU looks a lot better than UD obviously just in terms of everything. Fan support is high at UD but they've done absolutely nothing in the last 20 years or so. No players drafted. 4 NCAA tournament appearances....1 win. No conference championships (regular season). 1 conference tournament championship.

People will say because I'm an X fan I don't want them in. That's not true. Fact is we've owned UD time and time again. Just look at our record vs. them in the last 30 years. They haven't won in Cincinnati in 32 years. It's not much of a rivalry to Xavier fans, as you've all seen we view UC as our biggest rival. Butler might be 2nd already honestly.

I'd be fine with them in because that's a GUARANTEED win every single year, but I'd rather have a team come in that adds more to the conference.

They weren't included for a reason.

And yet we split last year winning on our own home courts...

When was the last time you beat us twice in the same year?

I'd rather just add SLU and stop at 11 or add Gonzaga as well to 12 but I understand the travel issues and the eastern schools want another eastern addition for balance.

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

(09-06-2013 03:26 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 02:59 AM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 02:17 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 12:37 AM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 11:00 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  And for good reason as Duquesne has been a joke for a very long time now. However, if - and it's admittedly a BIG if - Duquesne ever were to decide to get serious about competing in men's basketball, they would draw just fine and would easily fill up Palumbo and/or the lower bowl of Consol. And, in time, and for big games, they might even fill up both levels of Consol.

Remember, this wouldn't be St. Joseph's and St. Bonaventure coming to town, it would be schools like Georgetown, Villanova and St. John's - all well known and well respected commodities in Pittsburgh. Perhaps even more so than some of Pitt's new ACC foes?

I'm just saying that the natural resources are there. Duquesne is a good school with a ton of local alums - many of whom are quite successful and who would support their program if the program warranted such support.

The Dukes also have a state-of-the-art arena literally located across the street from their Uptown campus.

How many schools have that many things going for them who would also expand their television reach into a top 25 US market? Not many.

So I agree entirely that without a FIRM commitment from them to upgrade their recruiting. facilities, etc., this is all moot. Where I disagree is in the assertion that it couldn't work if they did commit. It absolutely could work if Duquesne wanted it to work.

The Dukes could easily replicate what Xavier has done in Cincinnati, Butler in Indianapolis and what schools like St. Louis, Providence and Villanova have done in their respective cities. However you have to pay to play and for too long Duquesne has been content to sit on the sidelines and be a fringe mid-major A-10 team. That option is quickly drying up and the leadership at Duquesne had better recognize it soon or they are going to be joining Robert Morris in the NEC before it is all said and done.

I'm not sure it would work if they did commit, at least to the level that it would work at other places that are the primary show in their respective town, but the word commit is sort of loaded with conditional vagueness. Playing more regularly, as they are, at the Consol shows some improved commitment. They played WVU and Xavier last year at the Consol and drew a reported 6.2K and 6.5K respectively but I have a feeling that was generously reported. I remember them playing fairly highly ranked teams to pretty sparse crowds. And I just don't know if Georgetown and Villanova resonate in Pittsburgh like they did in the 1980s when they were elite powers, and I don't know if those schools are going to retain that high major status down the road anyway.

Maybe you are right, and all it would take would be for Duquesne to win. I wish they would get in the Big East. I'm also pretty sure that is a pipe dream, unfortunately, and I would agree with the other poster they are behind the Flyers and the Bilikens no matter what because I think it is a mistake for the BE to just go after media markets...and I think that is why the BE took Creighton, because they realize that. But for Duquesne, it is now or never if they are going to try to make anything out of that program.

Why would they be dropped to mid-major level? I know the ACC would love for that to happen but thats not really in the cards. It's like an AAC fan wishing the ACC drops out of the P5. It's not going to happen, no matter how much posters and some people want it to. The TV people have already backed them as a major conference.

I have no personal wish for that to happen. I hope it doesn't because I am a fan of many of the Big East teams (in fact, Lou Carnesecca is one of my all-time favorite coaches), but the writing is on the wall with the way things are moving. Not division realignment, just the matter of $. And I don't blame anyone for questioning that, and I hope it isn't true, but ask yourself why Villanova was so desperate to add football to either get into the Big East football league and was begging to get into the ACC? Why did UConn move its football up? The writing is on the wall, I'm afraid, even a decade ago. You know, CUSA with Louisville, Cincy and Memphis in their prime was a mid-major too, as was the Great Midwest, and the A10 as well even with a Calipari-coached UMass, a Mark Macon running the point at Temple, and Jarvis at GW.

Villanova is very happy they didn't move their FB up. Also when were they begging the ACC for entrance? You must have them mistaken with one of the former FB playing members of the Big East.

The conference has about as much money as the other BBall programs in the P5. The schools don't have to sponsor a very expensive sport like FB. Each school is making over 4 mil a year in TV money and the top schools in the conference all have lucrative contracts with either Nike or Under Armour. They are in no position to be left behind in the money race.

UConn certainly wishes it didn't move up the ladder. They would have been making more TV money from their BBall in the BE than it would make from both FB and BBall in the AAC.

It seems like the former Big East members really hope we fail, no matter what they say publicly. It would support the narrative that the C7 were the ones holding everyone of the FB schools back and they can then justify their dishonesty to their conference mates. At least thats the way it comes across to me.

I hope the BE succeeds, and I'd love Duquesne to be part of it, but Duquesne won't be unless something completely unexpected happens. I don't think the BE fails, per se, I just think it will be "the best of the rest"...sort of like CUSA in its hey day. At least I hope that is the worst case scenario for the Big East. That's not horrible. You can still field great teams in a situation like that, just look at the MVC or the WCC. I just think it is a cold reality that it is going to be a much tougher place to compete with all the other conferences, particularly with some of the financial disparity involved, in the homebase region.

Villanova lobbied (while it could, right along with UConn and all the other football schools) for the ACC after Pitt and SU left, with the promise of still trying to move football up. It would have been a huge mistake for them to do that in the Big East though. That school has no ability to support a quality FBS football program as it is currently construed. Their gameplan to move football up was a joke aimed solely at protecting the basketball program, and it showed. I do believe, given the possible scenarios, they have found themselves in just about the best position possible (and that goes for GU, SJU, SHU and PC too). For Nova, the split was doubly important in separating itself from Temple.

I believe, in retrospect, UConn made a huge mistake by deciding to move their football up in the late 90s. Now, it was simply impossible for UConn to know when they made the decision to move up what was going to happen over a decade later, and at the time and for the decade thereafter it looked very much like the correct decision, but at the present it really appears that it hasn't worked out for them at all in retrospect, particularly with them being shut out of the Big East and relegated to Conference American. That football program is, I believe unfortunately, going to be an albatross for their athletic department. If I was them, I'd take the football program independent (or stick in the MAC or somewhere else as a football affiliate) and find my way into the Big East...and I think the Big East should take them even if they are going to always be looking to leave (because they likely never will). Otherwise, for the BE, I'd take a serious look at elevating UMass (particularly if UMass gives up on its misguided foray into the FBS) in order to neutralize the UConn/BC presence in New England because PC isn't going to get it done. The Big East with Dayton, St. Louis, UConn/UMass, and Duquesne/Richmond (yeah, I had to throw the Dukes a bone) would be a pretty ideal and formidable 14 team conference, IMO, but I still think it will lag in perception behind the five football power conferences.

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I disagree about the Barclays. MSG or bust. There's a major difference in hype level/prestige there, and unfortunately for the Big East, I think it is just a matter of time before the ACC is in MSG in some capacity. I don't say that as a hater of the Big East, far from it, but I just think that is the way things are heading and it has to do with $ and ESPN and all the hypidy hype hype that is going to flow from, as you said, SU/Duke/UNC/UL/ND/Pitt. It's another reason, though, that I think the Big East should try to move on UConn.

But as you said, anywhere in NYC would be better for any program than playing in Greensboro. It not just the sense of Pitt fans, it is flat out reality. That goes for Carolina schools too, even if their fans don't get it yet.

I don't think that individual fans of Pitt want the Big East to fail. I do think ESPN and the ACC as a whole definitely want us to fail. Older Pitt fans were with us in 83 when we were still building our conference cred, so they must remember the power struggles with the established conferences on our way to becoming top dog back then.

If the BEast goes to 12, I would say take St. Louis and Dayton. St. Louis bridges the gap to Creighton, Dayton strengthens the center of the footprint. Decent teams at the very least.

Duquesne would fill that gap in the footprint around Lake Erie, but that's about it. Not worth it.

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I see Pitt and Cuse fans keep saying that but it was Pitt and Cuse leaving which lead to the quagmire. Thats when everyone started looking for the exit. Before that we had TCU coming on board and looking at who would be #10/18 in the league (Houston or UCF).


You also assume that Cuse and Duke and all the other top teams will continue to be the top teams. How does Duke and UNC handle a conference schedule that has some actual competition in it? How does Cuse, Duke, UofL, Miami etc fair when all their old HoF coaches start to retire? They wont all continue on the way Coach K and Jim B have been progressing their programs. Someone has to make a bad hire.

How does the ACC cope with the new reality that will soon dawn on them. Not everyone can be on top. Cuse, Pitt, ND and UofL are used to that but not UNC or Duke. The new look ACC might have more dogs at the bottom than the old BE had.

How does Pitt, ND, UofL and Cuse recruit with their presence in the northeast being limited? I know they can still recruit right now but then it goes back to the new coaches. Do these programs take a step back? I know Pitt used to rely heavily on Philly/NJ/NYC. Can they still continue to pull those players in as steadily as they have in the past?

You can say the ACC is only worried about the B1G but they should also be worried about conference #3/4.

"There’s no debate on one point, said a source: The ACC would prefer to plant its flag in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Big Ten is thinking more Barclays.

Unless, of course, the ACC doesn’t move back its tournament. Then Barclays could become a legitimate option for the ACC after the Brooklyn arena’s contract with Atlantic 10 expires.

Can you imagine? The ACC, the Big East and the Big Ten playing meaningful games, if not their league tournaments, in the nation’s largest media market!"

http://nypost.com/2013/05/25/mecca-may-get-mightier/

One other thing-- the novelty of Duke-Syracuse matchups will be cool and should stay cool. But at a certain point the novelty part runs out... which may coincide with the retirements of Boeheim and Coach K... then it becomes a Mike Hopkins vs Steve Wojohowski (sp) battle which will be a lesser draw. I mean, the Yanks-Mets in '97 was great... after 5-6 years, nevermind 15, the NY matchups have lost their buzz or je ne c'est quoi (sp).

(09-06-2013 01:56 PM)Milhouse08 Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:20 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 12:15 PM)Milhouse08 Wrote:  My guess is SLU/Richmond. The AD commented the other day that it would likely be 1 east and 1 west team.

SLU looks a lot better than UD obviously just in terms of everything. Fan support is high at UD but they've done absolutely nothing in the last 20 years or so. No players drafted. 4 NCAA tournament appearances....1 win. No conference championships (regular season). 1 conference tournament championship.

People will say because I'm an X fan I don't want them in. That's not true. Fact is we've owned UD time and time again. Just look at our record vs. them in the last 30 years. They haven't won in Cincinnati in 32 years. It's not much of a rivalry to Xavier fans, as you've all seen we view UC as our biggest rival. Butler might be 2nd already honestly.

I'd be fine with them in because that's a GUARANTEED win every single year, but I'd rather have a team come in that adds more to the conference.

They weren't included for a reason.

And yet we split last year winning on our own home courts...

When was the last time you beat us twice in the same year?

Also not to mention its great you went 1-1 against us last year when it is your superbowl. That's awesome for UD and it's fan. Unfortunately the criteria to get a nice invite didn't go something like. Well did they beat Xavier at home?

I know you want to measure your program to ours, but the fact is we've spread our wings and flown higher than you can see for the past 15 years. But don't worry we're up there somewhere. :)

(09-06-2013 04:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I see Pitt and Cuse fans keep saying that but it was Pitt and Cuse leaving which lead to the quagmire. Thats when everyone started looking for the exit. Before that we had TCU coming on board and looking at who would be #10/18 in the league (Houston or UCF).


You also assume that Cuse and Duke and all the other top teams will continue to be the top teams. How does Duke and UNC handle a conference schedule that has some actual competition in it? How does Cuse, Duke, UofL, Miami etc fair when all their old HoF coaches start to retire? They wont all continue on the way Coach K and Jim B have been progressing their programs. Someone has to make a bad hire.

How does the ACC cope with the new reality that will soon dawn on them. Not everyone can be on top. Cuse, Pitt, ND and UofL are used to that but not UNC or Duke. The new look ACC might have more dogs at the bottom than the old BE had.

How does Pitt, ND, UofL and Cuse recruit with their presence in the northeast being limited? I know they can still recruit right now but then it goes back to the new coaches. Do these programs take a step back? I know Pitt used to rely heavily on Philly/NJ/NYC. Can they still continue to pull those players in as steadily as they have in the past?

You can say the ACC is only worried about the B1G but they should also be worried about conference #3/4.

"There’s no debate on one point, said a source: The ACC would prefer to plant its flag in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Big Ten is thinking more Barclays.

Unless, of course, the ACC doesn’t move back its tournament. Then Barclays could become a legitimate option for the ACC after the Brooklyn arena’s contract with Atlantic 10 expires.

Can you imagine? The ACC, the Big East and the Big Ten playing meaningful games, if not their league tournaments, in the nation’s largest media market!"

http://nypost.com/2013/05/25/mecca-may-get-mightier/

Pitt and Syracuse leaving didn't "lead to the quagmire", their leaving was a symptom of it. It has its roots the whole way back to 1979. No school on the football side did more to try to hold the conference together post 2003 than Pitt. You can scoff all you want, but it is absolutely true and the statements from other ADs and Tranghese himself support that notion. Pitt was primarily responsible for it not splitting post 2003, for the even 8-8 arrangement of basketball and football that allowed the Catholics to finally split off with minimal damage, and was also responsible for bringing in TCU. It failed to shore it up further and couldn't get other schools to commit long-term and that is when Pitt decided things were unsalvageable in 2010, and sent a letter to that affect. When Pitt reached the breaking point, believe me, it was broken.

(09-06-2013 05:52 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 04:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I see Pitt and Cuse fans keep saying that but it was Pitt and Cuse leaving which lead to the quagmire. Thats when everyone started looking for the exit. Before that we had TCU coming on board and looking at who would be #10/18 in the league (Houston or UCF).


You also assume that Cuse and Duke and all the other top teams will continue to be the top teams. How does Duke and UNC handle a conference schedule that has some actual competition in it? How does Cuse, Duke, UofL, Miami etc fair when all their old HoF coaches start to retire? They wont all continue on the way Coach K and Jim B have been progressing their programs. Someone has to make a bad hire.

How does the ACC cope with the new reality that will soon dawn on them. Not everyone can be on top. Cuse, Pitt, ND and UofL are used to that but not UNC or Duke. The new look ACC might have more dogs at the bottom than the old BE had.

How does Pitt, ND, UofL and Cuse recruit with their presence in the northeast being limited? I know they can still recruit right now but then it goes back to the new coaches. Do these programs take a step back? I know Pitt used to rely heavily on Philly/NJ/NYC. Can they still continue to pull those players in as steadily as they have in the past?

You can say the ACC is only worried about the B1G but they should also be worried about conference #3/4.

"There’s no debate on one point, said a source: The ACC would prefer to plant its flag in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Big Ten is thinking more Barclays.

Unless, of course, the ACC doesn’t move back its tournament. Then Barclays could become a legitimate option for the ACC after the Brooklyn arena’s contract with Atlantic 10 expires.

Can you imagine? The ACC, the Big East and the Big Ten playing meaningful games, if not their league tournaments, in the nation’s largest media market!"

http://nypost.com/2013/05/25/mecca-may-get-mightier/

Pitt and Syracuse leaving didn't "lead to the quagmire", their leaving was a symptom of it. It has its roots the whole way back to 1979. No school on the football side did more to try to hold the conference together post 2003 than Pitt. You can scoff all you want, but it is absolutely true and the statements from other ADs and Tranghese himself support that notion. Pitt was primarily responsible for it not splitting post 2003, for the even 8-8 arrangement of basketball and football that allowed the Catholics to finally split off with minimal damage, and was also responsible for bringing in TCU. It failed to shore it up further and couldn't get other schools to commit long-term and that is when Pitt decided things were unsalvageable in 2010, and sent a letter to that affect. When Pitt reached the breaking point, believe me, it was broken.

Oh come on now. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too. Pitt led the charge to turn down the ESPN deal and what two months later they announce they are leaving the Big East for the ACC without even having the decency to tell the commish? The league has to find out from reporters?

People also said that they couldn't believe it was Pitt who split first. Hows that for leadership?

(09-06-2013 06:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 05:52 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 04:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 01:29 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  I don't know about WVU but I do believe that the AAC and ACC schools want to see us fail for their own reasons. They don't like each other but they don't want to see us succeed.

The ACC wants MSG and wants it's northeastern competitor out of the way.

The AAC teams are upset they were the ones left holding the bag. The new schools are upset because they thought they were joining the Big East not the American.

I hope the American does well. Not the new schools fault this went down the way it did. Though I can never root for the ACC. I've been a fan of the Big East since '99. I've watched the whole raid go down. Can never be a fan of that conference. It's like they are our mortal enemy haha. They are still trying to hurt us by trying to take MSG. Good thing we have a 13 year contract with the only out for MSG is if we lose a bunch of teams.

I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I see Pitt and Cuse fans keep saying that but it was Pitt and Cuse leaving which lead to the quagmire. Thats when everyone started looking for the exit. Before that we had TCU coming on board and looking at who would be #10/18 in the league (Houston or UCF).


You also assume that Cuse and Duke and all the other top teams will continue to be the top teams. How does Duke and UNC handle a conference schedule that has some actual competition in it? How does Cuse, Duke, UofL, Miami etc fair when all their old HoF coaches start to retire? They wont all continue on the way Coach K and Jim B have been progressing their programs. Someone has to make a bad hire.

How does the ACC cope with the new reality that will soon dawn on them. Not everyone can be on top. Cuse, Pitt, ND and UofL are used to that but not UNC or Duke. The new look ACC might have more dogs at the bottom than the old BE had.

How does Pitt, ND, UofL and Cuse recruit with their presence in the northeast being limited? I know they can still recruit right now but then it goes back to the new coaches. Do these programs take a step back? I know Pitt used to rely heavily on Philly/NJ/NYC. Can they still continue to pull those players in as steadily as they have in the past?

You can say the ACC is only worried about the B1G but they should also be worried about conference #3/4.

"There’s no debate on one point, said a source: The ACC would prefer to plant its flag in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Big Ten is thinking more Barclays.

Unless, of course, the ACC doesn’t move back its tournament. Then Barclays could become a legitimate option for the ACC after the Brooklyn arena’s contract with Atlantic 10 expires.

Can you imagine? The ACC, the Big East and the Big Ten playing meaningful games, if not their league tournaments, in the nation’s largest media market!"

http://nypost.com/2013/05/25/mecca-may-get-mightier/

Pitt and Syracuse leaving didn't "lead to the quagmire", their leaving was a symptom of it. It has its roots the whole way back to 1979. No school on the football side did more to try to hold the conference together post 2003 than Pitt. You can scoff all you want, but it is absolutely true and the statements from other ADs and Tranghese himself support that notion. Pitt was primarily responsible for it not splitting post 2003, for the even 8-8 arrangement of basketball and football that allowed the Catholics to finally split off with minimal damage, and was also responsible for bringing in TCU. It failed to shore it up further and couldn't get other schools to commit long-term and that is when Pitt decided things were unsalvageable in 2010, and sent a letter to that affect. When Pitt reached the breaking point, believe me, it was broken.

Oh come on now. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too. Pitt led the charge to turn down the ESPN deal and what two months later they announce they are leaving the Big East for the ACC without even having the decency to tell the commish? The league has to find out from reporters?

People also said that they couldn't believe it was Pitt who split first. Hows that for leadership?

That was a false report. Georgetown led turning it down. As was said, Pitt sent a letter in May 2010 to both the commissioner and the chair of the conference presidents that it was going to explore other opportunities. The only surprise for anyone should have been the when, not the if. It was over at the point the letter was sent.

trying to get back on topic, the AD's comments suggest to me, what many have thought, there wasnt an agreement on team #12. IMO the appeal of a 10 team round robin was greater than the appeal of an 11 team league(st louis) and waiting to reach an agreement on team 12
im convinced the consensus is st louis as #11. id like to know which program each school supports as #12

(09-06-2013 06:10 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 06:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 05:52 PM)CrazyPaco Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 04:08 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(09-06-2013 03:35 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I'm a Pitt fan and I spent the better part of this past weekend and all day Monday socializing with friends and talking mostly Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (first place in the division this late in the season is virtually unheard of) and the state of college athletics and Pitt's place in it. I have to tell you that, among Pitt fans at least, I don't see things the way you describe at all.

I can't pretend to tell you how the administrators feel but for most of the fans there is more a sense of relief that we escaped that quagmire than there is any sort of animosity towards anyone remaining in either the Big East or the American. We're very grateful that we didn't end up in UConn's, USF's or Cincy's shoes and there's really no room for any spite for anyone.

You may choose to not believe that but that is the truth.

If we are concerned about anyone it's the Big Ten, not the Big East or the American of the A-10 or the CAA or anyone else. In fact, one of the most popular theories floating around this weekend was that UConn will be the B1G's next expansion target to secure NYC for that league. I'm not sure that I buy into that theory but that was the popular sentiment, not how well Villanova will fare against Creighton. We couldn't care less about that anymore than you would care how Pitt does against Wake Forest.

Like the Big Ten, the ACC does want to get into New York City and if it were available, I'm sure that MSG would be their top choice. However, I don't get the sense that anyone would be too broken hearted if we had to settle for Brooklyn instead. In fact that seems to be how most expect this to play out with the Big East playing its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and the ACC playing its conference tournament at the Barclay's Center. That would not be good news for the BE, IMHO as there is no way Georgetown/Villanova is going to generate anywhere near the buzz that would be generated by say Duke/Syracuse.

I think the sense, at least among Pitt fans, is that anywhere in the greater NYC area would be better for our program than playing in Greensboro, NC. Hell, I think we'd rather play in Newark or even the soon-to-be-renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum than we would in Greensboro.

However, again, I don't think any of that has anything to do with the Big East or the American - or the Atlantic 10 or the CAA or the MAAC. It only has to do with the ACC and its new footprint as well as it's aspirations going forward.

I see Pitt and Cuse fans keep saying that but it was Pitt and Cuse leaving which lead to the quagmire. Thats when everyone started looking for the exit. Before that we had TCU coming on board and looking at who would be #10/18 in the league (Houston or UCF).


You also assume that Cuse and Duke and all the other top teams will continue to be the top teams. How does Duke and UNC handle a conference schedule that has some actual competition in it? How does Cuse, Duke, UofL, Miami etc fair when all their old HoF coaches start to retire? They wont all continue on the way Coach K and Jim B have been progressing their programs. Someone has to make a bad hire.

How does the ACC cope with the new reality that will soon dawn on them. Not everyone can be on top. Cuse, Pitt, ND and UofL are used to that but not UNC or Duke. The new look ACC might have more dogs at the bottom than the old BE had.

How does Pitt, ND, UofL and Cuse recruit with their presence in the northeast being limited? I know they can still recruit right now but then it goes back to the new coaches. Do these programs take a step back? I know Pitt used to rely heavily on Philly/NJ/NYC. Can they still continue to pull those players in as steadily as they have in the past?

You can say the ACC is only worried about the B1G but they should also be worried about conference #3/4.

"There’s no debate on one point, said a source: The ACC would prefer to plant its flag in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Big Ten is thinking more Barclays.

Unless, of course, the ACC doesn’t move back its tournament. Then Barclays could become a legitimate option for the ACC after the Brooklyn arena’s contract with Atlantic 10 expires.

Can you imagine? The ACC, the Big East and the Big Ten playing meaningful games, if not their league tournaments, in the nation’s largest media market!"

http://nypost.com/2013/05/25/mecca-may-get-mightier/

Pitt and Syracuse leaving didn't "lead to the quagmire", their leaving was a symptom of it. It has its roots the whole way back to 1979. No school on the football side did more to try to hold the conference together post 2003 than Pitt. You can scoff all you want, but it is absolutely true and the statements from other ADs and Tranghese himself support that notion. Pitt was primarily responsible for it not splitting post 2003, for the even 8-8 arrangement of basketball and football that allowed the Catholics to finally split off with minimal damage, and was also responsible for bringing in TCU. It failed to shore it up further and couldn't get other schools to commit long-term and that is when Pitt decided things were unsalvageable in 2010, and sent a letter to that affect. When Pitt reached the breaking point, believe me, it was broken.

Oh come on now. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too. Pitt led the charge to turn down the ESPN deal and what two months later they announce they are leaving the Big East for the ACC without even having the decency to tell the commish? The league has to find out from reporters?

People also said that they couldn't believe it was Pitt who split first. Hows that for leadership?

That was a false report. Georgetown led turning it down. As was said, Pitt sent a letter in May 2010 to both the commissioner and the chair of the conference presidents that it was going to explore other opportunities. The only surprise for anyone should have been the when, not the if. It was over at the point the letter was sent.

"But the Big East passed on a television contract that would have put it on the same financial plane as the A.C.C., and must now regret that decision. Big East officials are irate that Pitt led the charge (with Rutgers close behind) to reject that deal, meaning it jeopardized the league’s security in both the short term (by leaving) and in the long term (by helping shoot down a lucrative contract)."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/sports....html?_r=0

I know Nordberg denies that but many many people from the Big East said he did.

Swofford also says he called Marinatto and told him what was happening but every reporter who was at the game who told Marinatto could tell he had no idea by his facial expressions and how he reacted. I doubt he would be at a FB game surrounding himself with reporters if he knew. Oh and it was the day Dave Gavitt died.

Are you honestly suggesting that everything was honky-dory until the day Pitt and Syracuse left? Is that really your belief or is this something more cynical?

Do you not remember the 10,000 strong disagreements between the football-playing schools and the basketball-only schools that preceded it?

Do you not remember West Virginia and Louisville openly playing footsie with the SEC and anyone else who would listen for the year leading up to Pitt's and Syracuse's departures?

Do you not recall the league's ill advised attempt to strong arm the football schools into accepting Villanova as a football-playing member despite the fact that Villanova had no gameday or practice facilities and no intent to build either?

If you want to point to any "aha! moment" for me as to when I absolutely knew Pitt had to leave, the Villanova debacle was it. It was clear at that point that we had all grown in different directions and Pitt needed to get the hell out of dodge when a good opportunity came along, which, fortunately we did. That truly was an absurd idea on every level and everyone knew it at the time.

Are we really going to ignore all of that and pretend that it didn't happen to push your foolish narrative?

As for ESPN's television proposal, a lot of schools opposed it and those schools were subsequently all proven right. However, the fact that there was such strong disagreement at all, and more importantly that it became public, probably gives you a window into why so many schools left when they had the chance.

However, the schools who led the charge against accepting ESPN's deal did not fall under "football" or "basketball" schools - just schools who knew the league's value and those who did not.

In addition to Pitt, Rutgers also opposed it. Do you think the Scarlet Knights opposed it because they knew a Big Ten offer was coming a year or so later or because Tim Pernetti, a former TV exec, knew the deal was undervalued? Also, Notre Dame and Georgetown opposed it. Were they trying to kill the league too?

Pitt and Syracuse didn't kill the Big East, Roy Kramer did when he implemented the BCS and started all of this conference realignment in the first place.

Why didn't the 10 football schools just separate and create their own conference? This includes when TCU and Boise were in the mix. Nice 10 team grouping with some great schools. Hoops would've still been excellent.

Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, West Va, Boise, TCU, Rutgers, South Fla, Cincy, Connecticut. Basketball home and homes. Firmly hold northeast football eyes. Instead, there was this backstabbing rush for lifeboats... these mighty schools couldnt together continue building a great league?

I have told this story before but it fits so I'll tell it again.

A few weeks before Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving the Big East for the ACC, I was driving home from a vacation my wife and I had taken to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Regrettably, we opted against a pretentious OBX bumper sticker. We were sans children at the time or as I like to call them, "the good old days!"

Anyway, that day was the opening weekend of CFB and West Virginia was playing Marshall. We were tired of listening to music and I was curious to hear what their announcers were like/status of the game/etc. so we turned on the radio to give it a listen. Well, we didn't have it on for two minutes before that game was delayed by inclement weather (which we were also driving through).

The delay lasted a very long time - at least two hours - and to fill time, the announcers basically turned it into a WVU football talk show. Well, caller after caller after caller talked about West Virginia's need to get out of the Big East and how being in the BE was killing their program and all the rest. They also basically said, "whatever happens to everyone else happens." The announcers agreed and would elaborate on those points.

Then, at some point, WVU AD Oliver Luck joined them and he too echoed those sentiments and openly discussed all of the reasons WVU had to get out of the Big East and how they were first in the pecking order of schools looking to leave the league.

I was very surprised to hear an AD of a league school openly talk about leaving and even more surprised to hear him "big time" everyone else. And yet there Luck was doing just that and ad nauseum.

It went on for a good 45 minutes to an hour and Luck's points were well made. However, it was also during that drive that I told my wife, "Pitt needs to get serious about getting the hell out of this godforsaken league or we're going to be left behind." I knew that once one or two schools left, everyone who could go would go. I also knew that it was very likely that at least some schools would be left behind and I did not want to be one of those schools.

My wife chided me to relax and that it would all work out but I was very disturbed by what I was listening to and I knew that the end was nigh for BE football.

In the next day or two, I read an account that the Big 12 was interested in Arkansas, Notre Dame and Pitt. I knew ND would turn them down and I suspected Arky would too but, given what I thought were our alternatives, I was all for Pitt going. At the time the B12 was at nine or 10 teams depending on what Missouri decided to do and my thought was to wait that deal out, then partner with West Virginia and either Syracuse (my preference), Rutgers or Louisville as the final B12 team. I just knew that we had to get out.

Then a few weeks later, late on a FRIDAY night, my wife was reading her twitter feed or Facebook account and she informed me that there was a rumor floating around that said Pitt and Syracuse were going to the ACC. I told her that all sorts of rumors had been floating around and that I wouldn't hold my breath.

Well, the next morning we woke up around 10 a.m. or so and my phone had like five or six texts that all said weird things like, "Yeah, baby!" and "Thank God!" Finally, one just said, "ACC!" And the final one, from my traditionalist friend, Ken said, "Bad move! We're going to regret this."

I then turned on College Gameday and saw a graphic with our logo, Syracuse's logo and the ACC logo and I knew what had happened and was not thrilled as much as I was relieved. I knew that not everyone was going to make it off the island and I was just glad that we had.

In fact, I was so relieved by that news that later that day, Todd Graham blew a 27-10 second half lead at Iowa by continuing to run a no huddle hurry-up offense - like an imbecile - and that gave the Hawkeyes just enough time to come back and win. However, and surprisingly, I didn't really care about that because I knew then that our long term future had been secured.

Well, how the hell does my wife hear this rumor from her couch in Pittsburgh on a Friday night and Marinatto doesn't find out about it until Saturday morning while he's sitting in a press box in Morgantown, WV? He was either lying or grossly incompetent and either way, I'm glad we left that mess.