Conference realignment discussion - v. 2015

[gtmoBlue]

One of the possibilities thrown out in the conference realignment rumor mill is Wake Forest being left out in the cold and having to choose between the AAC or the Big East.

So that being said, how realistic do you think this is? And if so, who else might join them?

https://twitter.com/MHver3/status/703756178770272256

Just perused some of MHver's run on, never take a breath, ramblings. He out-Stevers Stever20, with his nonstop football ramblings. Covers various fronts simultaneously, without links, articles, or data (for the most part). He either likes to hear himself talk/post or figures (Steveresque) that if he throws out enough crap, wide spectrum, that something's gotta stick.
I will check a few sources and make a comment tomorrow (with links).

For my interests the ACC rumors are the best (Pitt and WF as the weakest links, with S'cuse and BC close behind). Should 3 P5 conferences raid/gut the ACC...it would not be worth hanging around with so many legacy teams gone-Md, Va, NC, Duke. Also no ACC network dollars. I would think that S'cuse would come back and possibly ND. Both would fly football independently and all other sports to the BE. Boeheim has openly criticized the move and ND would look at a return to stop blood loss.

Wake? lol. Pitt? nah. Duke to the B1G, nah. However, S'cuse, ND, Puke, and maybe WF - together...Maybe.

[NJRedman]

It would take a power conference consolidation apocalypse for a team like Wake to be left out. Thats something thats not very likely, and even then they more than likely go with AAC schools than drop FB completely. Though if all of that happens and they decide to drop FB we would accept them in a New York minute. Same with Vandy, Duke, UConn or any other P5 school east of Omaha.


...east of Omaha!

[notkirkcameron]

I know Wake Forest gets thrown around a lot, even by me in various realignment scenarios, but the thing to remember is that they are mentioned because they are the sick man of the ACC. Nobody else is banging down the door to grab Wake.

Wake have only been to the Final Four once, and that was in the 1960s. Wake has made it past the first weekend of the tournament only once (2004) since Tim Duncan left 20 years ago. Aside from the lucrative Greensboro/Winston-Salem television market (#46 nationwide), what do they deliver exactly?

[whiteandblue77]

I know Wake Forest gets thrown around a lot, even by me in various realignment scenarios, but the thing to remember is that they are mentioned because they are the sick man of the ACC. Nobody else is banging down the door to grab Wake.

Wake have only been to the Final Four once, and that was in the 1960s. Wake has made it past the first weekend of the tournament only once (2004) since Tim Duncan left 20 years ago. Aside from the lucrative Greensboro/Winston-Salem television market (#46 nationwide), what do they deliver exactly?

The Demon Deacon Mascot alone get's my vote (even Wojo looks impressed):

[NJRedman]

I know Wake Forest gets thrown around a lot, even by me in various realignment scenarios, but the thing to remember is that they are mentioned because they are the sick man of the ACC. Nobody else is banging down the door to grab Wake.

Wake have only been to the Final Four once, and that was in the 1960s. Wake has made it past the first weekend of the tournament only once (2004) since Tim Duncan left 20 years ago. Aside from the lucrative Greensboro/Winston-Salem television market (#46 nationwide), what do they deliver exactly?

Maybe a change of conference where they aren't the small little school would help? Too bad they will never leave their buddies in the triangle.

[GoldenWarrior11]

For the UConn/Cincinnati crowd, look at what happened when Boston College joined the ACC - winless in both football AND basketball. Their athletic programs are absolutely putrid right now, but at least they're getting money right?

Flipside - look at Providence/Seton Hall. They were consistently fighting to to be in the middle of the Old Big East (if they weren't at the bottom). With the limitation on the number of teams, they have real, competitive opportunity to finish in the top half of the league each year (as do all other Big East teams).

Reason #347 why the Big East doesn't need an abundance of new members.

[gtmoBlue]

Perhaps the Big, Bad GOR is actually the Wiz of Oz? Smoke, mirrors, and essentially a windbag. Not the big roadblock most think it is.

http://sportspolitico.com/2015/02/16/wi ... ure-raids/

Interesting take on the GOR phenomenon.


Did a few searches on: P5 expansion, Big 12 expansion, P5 Conference realignment... not much currently out there. It appears that most of MHver3's arguments are based on 3 year old articles and data. Once on the various school fan-sites this old news gets endlessly rehashed, revised, and regurgitated. The vast majority of active discussion(s) are merely internet fanboard-based and driven discussions, rumors, and innuendo.

Like this old article: https://sidelinesapp.com/item/big-ten-l ... t-invites/
...and this one from a UConn site: http://www.theuconnblog.com/2016/1/4/10 ... -for-uconn

Other than the OU Prez' continuing comments - No smoke, no fire.

[Xudash]

Perhaps the Big, Bad GOR is actually the Wiz of Oz?
Smoke, mirrors, and essentially a windbag.

http://sportspolitico.com/2015/02/16/wi ... ure-raids/

Interesting take on the GOR phenomenon.

Thanks for sharing.

When it's all said and done, it's kind of like a marriage, isn't it? If Party A has its very good reasons for parting from Party B, and is well past the day of seeing any value in sticking around, it will do so. Beyond that and under such circumstances, a "marriage" couldn't work even if Party A were forced to stick around. Like the article mentioned, imagine the resentment that would ensue.

The Big East will fully arrive this year - within the next 4 weeks - as we send teams deep into the Tournament.

Let's fix the missing piece during this NCAA Tournament. Then we can get past the absurd notion that it would be beneficial to the Big East to dilute itself with weak mid-majors, and we can move beyond the notion of adding wayward FBS schools that should be focusing more on their basketball asset than their football asset.

[mpwalsh8]

I know Wake Forest gets thrown around a lot, even by me in various realignment scenarios, but the thing to remember is that they are mentioned because they are the sick man of the ACC. Nobody else is banging down the door to grab Wake.

Wake have only been to the Final Four once, and that was in the 1960s. Wake has made it past the first weekend of the tournament only once (2004) since Tim Duncan left 20 years ago. Aside from the lucrative Greensboro/Winston-Salem television market (#46 nationwide), what do they deliver exactly?

I believe Wake Forest gets mentioned because their president himself made a statement about their inability to keep up with the costs of football.

Old link for 2013: http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2013/ ... -get-paid/

I don't see Wake getting left out but I could see Wake opting out if they decided that the cons of fielding FBS football outweigh the pros. I think Wake would actually be a pretty good fit for the BigEast were they to drop or scale back football. I'd take Wake over just about any other candidate mentioned with the possible exception of UConn (were they ever to give up on football).

[notkirkcameron]

Too bad they will never leave their buddies in the triangle.

Perhaps, but I remember similar discussions about how Missouri would never give up its rivalry with Kansas, and how A&M and Texas were destined to play each other until Judgment Day.