Here’s one for all you relegation-heads. Kyle Smith proposes a form of relegation for ACC hoops. I don’t have a subscription so I can’t read it
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/04/18/acc-mens-basketball-relegation
Okay, I was able to read it. He’s basically saying to set up 2 or 3 divisions and move up or down, depending on how well you do the previous year.
I’m just depressed that Smith basically thinks the ACC needs to be a gimmick league
I get what he’s trying to do (guarantee more Quad 1 games for the top teams) but one big issue is determining that the season before is rickety, especially if teams are more likely to make drastic moves up or down in the portal era (assumption on my point). From a pure schedule optimization perspective, it would be better to do the schedule grouping based off of partial current season results, but that is logistically difficult. C-USA did it 1-2 years I believe, where the top-6 or so played their last 5 games against each other.
The promotion/relegation based off of previous season is a horrendous sell to fans though, especially when it hasn’t been the status quo.
That C-USA thing is the better way to do it in a vacuum, but would it fly with our media partners? I’m skeptical…
Same. Also, those mid-major conferences have to do wacky things because they have a hard time building strong non-conference schedules and typically only have 1-2 teams who could get an at-large if things go well. The ACC has the option of just Being Good At Basketball if it wants more bids.
So my personal opinion based on my love of promotion/relegation leagues…
You can’t do this with a college-level sport.
Here is why:
I love promotion/relegation… so it has to be done correctly… this would just be dumb promotion/relegation if the ACC does this.
Excuse me, what??
Brilliant move on his part. (A) wouldn’t be the first power forward to make a move to tight end, a couple of guys even making the NFL, following the Jimmy Graham path (four years playing hoops at Miami before one season of football and then the NFL), and (B) if he DOES keep pursuing the 5th year for hoops (probably a better immediate payday), it keeps him in school working out.
Sam V has Cedric Coward at 29 in his latest mock and thinks Coward will stay in (not go to Duke).
That’s impressively high for Coward. Givony over at ESPN has Coward at #56 on his Board Board. Same list had Grünloh at #60.
I mean, if some random number called me (well first of all, I don’t answer my phone if I’m not expecting a call) and said he was Ryan Odom asking me to renew my season tickets, I don’t think I’d believe it either. But I guess if I took a minute to think about it, I don’t have friends/enemies who would try to prank me like that and unless they’re asking me for a credit card or something, there’s no payoff if it’s a scam.
Dry monotone: “Um, hey, um, this is uh… Ryan Odom. Just wondering if you want to renew your, uh, season tickets.”
Pause.
“Oh. Okay, I understand. Well, um… what if I paid you a million dollars.”
Sam seems very high on Coward. Norlander mentioned on the cbs podcast the other day that Vecenie had specifically called him out when Norlander was putting together his top 100 players before last year. (Sam and Norlander used to work at CBS together)
They still do work together, you just never hear Sam on the pod because Norlander and GP talk so much.
Speaking of…here’s some potential rage bait for your Friday morning. Also, Cassell North is funny considering they’ve won in Cville 2x in the last 15 years
Realized I just sparked a potential debate and now fully expect Dave to argue VT’s side 
In today’s transfer NIL environment?
Tech is gonna kick our butt!!! …. In wrestling…
I’ll believe anything basketball related there when I see it.
Edit - in Reading through some of that to be reminded that we had the same record as them in conference play last year was shocking… I had kinda edited that from my brain.
Time for a return to normalcy for the Hoos!!