Conference Expansion: Stanford, California and SMU Join the ACC

[PhDeac]

Conference Expansion: Texas & Oklahoma to the SEC?

Part of the goal could be to force the SEC to be an incestuous conference solely reliant on beating Texas Tech and UCF noncon, ESPN hype, and rivalry games against Clemson, Tech, and FSU.

I don’t think the ACC would want to add Baylor or Texas Tech.

 

[deacdixieboy]

This could also force ND into the ACC when Michigan and USC dump them to play UNC and Clemson.

Nope. Somehow ND won in this too. They count as an ACC for purposes of scheduling for the other two per what I read earlier.

 

[deacdixieboy]

The Big 12 had one of those “we will announce expansion plans” a few years ago. The announcement was no expansion. I’m expecting the PAC-12 to say the same thing.

 

[PhDeac]

I agree. The Pac-12 doesn’t need Baylor and Texas Tech either.

Curious to see if the Big XII adds anyone. I doubt it. I don’t see what their plan is going forward but raiding the AAC doesn’t seem to help.

 

[awaken]

WVa feeling pretty dumb joining a conference that crumbled a few years later.

 

[Biff Tannen]

WVa feeling pretty dumb joining a conference that crumbled a few years later.

Yeah as opposed to all of their other great options.

 

[LilburnDeac]

Part of the goal could be to force the SEC to be an incestuous conference solely reliant on beating Texas Tech and UCF noncon, ESPN hype, and rivalry games against Clemson, Tech, and FSU.

I don’t think the ACC would want to add Baylor or Texas Tech.

IF the "Alliance" is serious about limiting the SEC's power, they will also refuse to play in even rivalry games against SEC school. Can you imagine the uproar (pun intended) in SC if Clemson refuses to play the Gamecocks? The state legislature would immediately get involved. But in GA hardly anyone would care if UGa didn't play GT.

 

[Dekin]

Seems significant that in 3 years we could see Wake vs USC instead of Norfolk State and Clemson vs Oregon instead of Wofford. Or do you believe the working group of ADs they have established will just meet and do nothing. In addition I think they will modify the football playoff proposals.

So if these cross-country games started, how many Pac 12 fans would travel to ACC games and vice-versa? I don’t think attendance would be great at these games, unless the home team filled the stadium - which some teams would do.

 

[Wild bill]

FWIW, the SEC cheats in every imaginable aspect. They will cheat when it comes to testing this season. If Dan Mullen thinks he's about to lose a game to a COVID forfeit, there is zero chance his roster is going to have a full round of accurate tests. You can substitute Mullen's name for essentially every coach in the SEC, except for possibly Clark Lea. As long as a player doesn't die on the field from COVID, which is a risk that SEC schools and their fanbase are willing to take, no high profile SEC teams are going to lose games due to COVID absences/forfeits.

Lea just hasn't been there long enough.

 

[Wild bill]

Water polo, ice hockey, wrestling, and lacrosse. Shit like that. Is that really a thing anyway? How many sports a conference offers? All this NIL stuff was started over hoops and football. Those are the two sports that matter. When you're talking about 24 sports versus 20, that's a difference of 2, assuming women and men get one each. Why is that even a thing to consider? This just comes off as haughty bluster by east and west coast elites. "Ooooh, we offer a polo and fencing team. Does your universitaaay?" *sips tea*

I think eventually lacrosse could catch on, much like soccer. Otherwise, only beach volleyball, er, only women'sbeach volleyball.

 

[Wild bill]

This could also force ND into the ACC when Michigan and USC dump them to play UNC and Clemson.

I don't think Michigan appears as regularly on ND's schedule as it once did. Navy and USC will remain for sure. ND can play anybody they want whose willing to play them. It's only when they become unable to do so (and that could happen) as it did last year that they might come around.

 

[EatLeadCommie]

This alliance is big on hype, short on reality. Nobody cares about a scheduling alliance unless you're going to matchup the top teams against each other every year, which they won't do because it potentially hurts playoff representation. And without it, you aren't going to draw TV eyeballs either. Why would anybody care about a scheduling alliance if Ohio State is going to play Oregon State or Wake is going to play Northwestern? Financially, and eyeballs-on-the-TV-wise, the SEC is still in the driver's seat. Just ask the Big 10 how great adding the DC (Maryland) and NY/NJ (Rutgers) markets was. With streaming, TV markets are less relevant by the day.

The alliance is an attempt to step in the NCAA's vacated position regarding NIL, or to create some kind of lobbying entity so that Washington steps in and restores a degree of amateurism to college sports. I don't have a problem with that, honestly, but it's going to be the wild west until then, and everybody knew that.

 

[Biff Tannen]

More likely to get smacked down on anti-trust violations than successfully usher in a new era of college football.

 

[thatguy2016]

Seems significant that in 3 years we could see Wake vs USC instead of Norfolk State and Clemson vs Oregon instead of Wofford. Or do you believe the working group of ADs they have established will just meet and do nothing. In addition I think they will modify the football playoff proposals.

we are never going to see WF vs. USC in a regular season football game

 

[EatLeadCommie]

I think eventually lacrosse could catch on, much like soccer. Otherwise, only beach volleyball, er, only women'sbeach volleyball.

Lacrosse is getting bigger down here in TX. Even ice hockey became a thing when the Stars moved to Dallas. But that's at the HS and club level. At the college level, a few things drive the ability to field sports-- money (obviously), location (determines demand for certain sports), and whether the admin is pushing sports as a means to showcase Title 9 compliance.

 

[macktheknife]

I hate these Covid times. Everything in American life today gets spun to the negative. At this point in time there is no way to know the ramifications of this alliance. But it could turn out to be very positive. If it were up to me I'd go get Penn State and Vanderbilt to join ACC and let ND twist.

 

[Biff Tannen]

I hate these Covid times. Everything in American life today gets spun to the negative. At this point in time there is no way to know the ramifications of this alliance. But it could turn out to be very positive. If it were up to me I'd go get Penn State and Vanderbilt to join ACC and let ND twist.

Good call. How are you going to accomplish that ?

 

[LilburnDeac]

So if these cross-country games started, how many Pac 12 fans would travel to ACC games and vice-versa? I don’t think attendance would be great at these games, unless the home team filled the stadium - which some teams would do.

Do Power 5 schools really expect visiting teams to bring a lot of fans?

 

[skinnydeac]

Do Power 5 schools really expect visiting teams to bring a lot of fans?

No, but if 15% more of their own fans show up instead of mowing the yard because they are playing a P5 team instead of Elon, then it's worth it. It's also better to be on ESPN2 at 3:30 with 2 million viewers vs ESPN+ at noon with 1.5.

 

[Frosty]

No, but if 15% more of their own fans show up instead of mowing the yard because they are playing a P5 team instead of Elon, then it's worth it. It's also better to be on ESPN2 at 3:30 with 2 million viewers vs ESPN+ at noon with 1.5.

Yup. Just look at this year's schedule. Replace one of ODU or Norfolk State with USC, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, OSU, Penn State, etc. and we definitely sell way more tickets. Bringing in Illinois, Northwestern, or even Oregon State sells way more tickets than either of those games.

Add in the novelty of playing at a lot of those schools like once every ten years too. More Wake fans will probably travel to watch us play at the Big House, Happy Valley, or the Coliseum as opposed to looking forward to an every other year trip to Syracuse.

I know most years will be something like Arizona at home and Purdue away, but those are still probably net winners compared to some random CUSA team.