Conference Realignment Thread v. 2016

[_lh]

UCONN does not WANT to be in the AAC but they are.

What UCONN WANTS and what they get aren't necessarily the same thing and maybe it never will.

UCONN WANTS to be in the ACC or BIG 10 and will settle for the Big XII but so far, none of those three WANT UCONN.

[gtmoBlue]

maybe I misunderstood, but if the privates are some how left out of the p5 under some new realignment, wouldn't it be more likely for them to form a new conference than to join the BE?
I don't know who would be on the outs but some combo of the following IMO would appeal more to them

Duke
wake
BC
Cuse
Northwestern
Vandy
would be the core and they grow from there. Just throwing out names: TCU,Baylor,Tualne, UConn, Temple, Cincy, Memphis Rice?

Private Football 4/5 schools in the B1G, SEC, PAC12 are not affected. No private schools in the Big12. The ACC would be the targeted conference. Under the premise of an SEC/B1G raid on the ACC for football purposes -

The B1G snaggs UVA and UNCheaters, with S'cuse as a longshot pick. The SEC takes Florida State and/or GT/VT/Clemson. For sake of example lets say Fl St and VT. That would leave an 11 team ACC which is northern/mideast power centered in football. The former BE schools would likely dominate in football most years, with Clemson, NCST, and Miami competing periodically.

Northern Tier -
BC, L'ville, Notre Dame, Pitt, S'Cuse.

Southern Tier -
Clemson, Duke, GT, Miami, NCST, WF.

Aside from Duke, the Northern group would also dominate in basketball as well.
The ACC could stay at 11, expand to 12 or 14 by raiding the AAC (Cincinnati, Temple, UConn), A-10, and/or C-USA.

Be that as it may...Duke, the sole remaining power basketball team in the ACC southern tier, is an historic outlier. They are small, private, and hated by all of the historic (original) ACC teams. Six of the leftover 11 are still state supported schools - still holding control and sway in the ACC. With their primary rivals all gone (Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina) what incentive is there for them (Duke) to remain? Duke has a large following in NY and love to play in NY when they get the chance. They are a better fit for the Big East than remaining in a pillaged ACC. They meet all BE criteria AND "move the needle" as an accession. With the ACC GOR effectively broken by the 4 football defectors. Duke accepts the offer and joins a likeminded and configured BE with whomever else the BE goes after for a 12 team Big East. it ain't rocket science.

[anXUfan]

I suppose if you're going to spend your time worrying about things that are unlikely to transpire soon, if ever, the offseason is the time to do it.

[gtmoBlue]

I suppose if you're going to spend your time worrying about things that are unlikely to transpire soon, if ever, the offseason is the time to do it.

I really want to thank you and adoraz for all your kind, thoughtful sarcasm. Attitudes and reactions like yours are the normal, expected, and the main reasons why the vast majority of folk are always surprised and shocked when change occurs.

The Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Nicola Tesla, and others - all had to put up with and weather the similar, perhaps worse, criticisms of folks with your slant on things, all the while you enjoy the fruits of their labors.

This is merely sports-college hoops speculation, visioning, and getting ideas of what may come. Surely not worrying or fretting over the end of taxes, the paying of the national debt, and the reimbursement of monies back into the Social Security trust, "things that are unlikely to transpire soon". The other main point is that folks tend to forget that the 2 egos that run the B1G and SEC are grand ones. Those 2 men covet power, money, and fame - and they are hell bent on achieving their aims.

For years there was online speculation irt an "All-Catholic League", even so far as to give prolonged discussions on several boards as to what name such a league would take. Perhaps you remember some of that dialogue. I periodically took part in several of those discussions over the years, however, I always thought it was an exercise in futility, a pipedream, - as such a conference would never in 10,000 years come to reality.

In 2013, thanks to football and the football 5...things changed, again. It effectively took 8 years to kill the old BE. Only this time, a subset of basketball acted rather than reacted, and the closest thing to an "all Catholic" configured conference was formed - the Big East as we know it today. After years of speculation, dreaming, and "what if" machinations on message boards...It only took 9 months for the C7 Presidents and power brokers to go from disheartened and angry action to reconfiguring the conference. The footballers, ESPN, and whomever, planned, plotted, and designed the demise of the former Big East, took 8 years to get'er done. The C7 resurrected a near all-Catholic, Phoenix-like, current Big East in 9 months. The impossible, improbable, speculation, and popular fantasy became a reality - in less than a year. Potentially adding a post-raid ACC school or schools, perhaps a school from one of the other FF to the BE? It can happen.

Big change: It can...and will happen - not in the sweet by and by - soon.

[DeltaV]

I think the championship by Nova should close this discussion until the next big football realignment. I looked back... The mighty BIG? They haven't won since 2000! Hell, the PAC's last trophy can go to a bar and order itself a drink. Ours is fresh... And conferences that win championships don't add mid major schools. Sorry Dayton, SLU, Davidson. Maybe if they invent the teleporter, that will make Gonzaga an option.

But for now, we wait and see if anything that we want drops from the football 5 tree. Wake? Vandy? I'd go for that pair. I doubt duke gets left behind in any case, their basketball brand and academics makes them valuable enough. The fruit (Syracuse)? I think some conference would be dumb enough to believe their claim of NYC's team, but they could come back. No publics though. Would we even want BC in the event of an ACC meltdown? I think currently I'd side with PC and say no to that.

[Xudash]

I think the championship by Nova should close this discussion until the next big football realignment. I looked back... The mighty BIG? They haven't won since 2000! Hell, the PAC's last trophy can go to a bar and order itself a drink. Ours is fresh... And conferences that win championships don't add mid major schools. Sorry Dayton, SLU, Davidson. Maybe if they invent the teleporter, that will make Gonzaga an option.

But for now, we wait and see if anything that we want drops from the football 5 tree. Wake? Vandy? I'd go for that pair. I doubt duke gets left behind in any case, their basketball brand and academics makes them valuable enough. The fruit (Syracuse)? I think some conference would be dumb enough to believe their claim of NYC's team, but they could come back. No publics though. Would we even want BC in the event of an ACC meltdown? I think currently I'd side with PC and say no to that.

You are spot on with this.

I believe that's exactly how the presidents are thinking: wait and see if more distinguished programs come available. And they are in no rush about that, especially now.

The only way something happens absent of this outcome is if Fox demands or needs more content. Frankly, I don't see that happening either.

We are going to be at ten programs for a long time.

[stever20]

I think the championship by Nova should close this discussion until the next big football realignment. I looked back... The mighty BIG? They haven't won since 2000! Hell, the PAC's last trophy can go to a bar and order itself a drink. Ours is fresh... And conferences that win championships don't add mid major schools. Sorry Dayton, SLU, Davidson. Maybe if they invent the teleporter, that will make Gonzaga an option.

But for now, we wait and see if anything that we want drops from the football 5 tree. Wake? Vandy? I'd go for that pair. I doubt duke gets left behind in any case, their basketball brand and academics makes them valuable enough. The fruit (Syracuse)? I think some conference would be dumb enough to believe their claim of NYC's team, but they could come back. No publics though. Would we even want BC in the event of an ACC meltdown? I think currently I'd side with PC and say no to that.

You are spot on with this.

I believe that's exactly how the presidents are thinking: wait and see if more distinguished programs come available. And they are in no rush about that, especially now.

The only way something happens absent of this outcome is if Fox demands or needs more content. Frankly, I don't see that happening either.

We are going to be at ten programs for a long time.

I think Fox is the big X factor. It would be interesting especially if they don't pick up that much Big Ten basketball.

[Bill Marsh]

I think the championship by Nova should close this discussion until the next big football realignment. I looked back... The mighty BIG? They haven't won since 2000! Hell, the PAC's last trophy can go to a bar and order itself a drink. Ours is fresh... And conferences that win championships don't add mid major schools. Sorry Dayton, SLU, Davidson. Maybe if they invent the teleporter, that will make Gonzaga an option.

But for now, we wait and see if anything that we want drops from the football 5 tree. Wake? Vandy? I'd go for that pair. I doubt duke gets left behind in any case, their basketball brand and academics makes them valuable enough. The fruit (Syracuse)? I think some conference would be dumb enough to believe their claim of NYC's team, but they could come back. No publics though. Would we even want BC in the event of an ACC meltdown? I think currently I'd side with PC and say no to that.

You are spot on with this.

I believe that's exactly how the presidents are thinking: wait and see if more distinguished programs come available. And they are in no rush about that, especially now.

The only way something happens absent of this outcome is if Fox demands or needs more content. Frankly, I don't see that happening either.

We are going to be at ten programs for a long time.

I think Fox is the big X factor. It would be interesting especially if they don't pick up that much Big Ten basketball.

You nailed it, Stever.

[whiteandblue77]

If the Football 5 went indy and Delany is still commish the B1G would annex the entire BE for Basketball and Olympic sports, and add UCONN. 25-team superleague for basketball.

[DudeAnon]

I think Fox is the big X factor. It would be interesting especially if they don't pick up that much Big Ten basketball.

So here's a theoretical. Lets say FOX asks us to expand to 12. Can't we just say no? When the media deal does expire I can only imagine we aren't going to be exclusive to FS1 again. So its not like they are running the league.