The ACC will have a team compete in 3 of the 4 elite 8 games. Big 10 zilch …
7 Likes
As nice as it would be to have 3 ACC teams in the FF, let’s hope St. Peter’s beats UNC, then Duke, then loses to Miami in the national title game.
2 Likes
Thank god the 3rd ACC team isn’t VT. The one silver lining in this.
The ACC doing well doesn’t really move the needle for me. I’d rather the conference does well in November and December more so than March.
4 Likes
So excluding UVA, you’d rather that the conference perform like the Big10?
1 Like
Basically I want Duke and VT to lose in just about any circumstance. I typically root against UNC too. Other than that, I don’t want ACC teams to lose but I’m not excited or anything if they do well.
4 Likes
I always pull for ACC teams in March. More wins in the tourney is more money for the conference.
3 Likes
I do the same. Except for VT, I pull for the ACC in the tournament. Especially this year when everyone says how weak the conference is. As a conference, we are losing the revenue battle and the NIL battle. I want to at least keep winning on the court. It also is to UVA’s benefit when the conference is strong.
I want to see UNC v Duke in the final four. I know lots of UNC and Duke fans and many of them don’t want their teams to meet in that game. They are too worried about the consequences of losing that game. On the Duke message board, lots of fans saying they would rather lose to Arkansas than have to play UNC. According to them, the risk of losing to UNC is greater than the reward of beating them. To be fair, it would be huge bragging rights for UNC, especially to end Coach K’s career (after beating them in K’s final game at Cameron), while denying K a final four victory and picking up one themselves.
The downside of both teams making the FF will be the non-stop ESPN hype of that game for 6 days. I don’t know that I can take that.
1 Like
Would Duke fans rather face UNC or St Peter’s? There’s a decent chance of losing to UNC and it’d be embarrassing for K’s career to end against your biggest rival, but at least they’re a blue blood. There’s a much smaller chance of losing to St Peter’s, but it would be exponentially more embarrassing.
1 Like
Per their message board, Duke fans are praying for the Peacocks to win.
Here is a link - beginning around page 45 of this thread after UNC won last night:
1 Like
A meeting between UNC and Duke in the final 4 would crush the ACC is weak narrative. It would put the sports most rabid rivalry front and center on the biggest stage in college basketball if not all of sports.
Brought to you exclusively by courtesy of the ACC …
2 Likes
I disagree. The storyline wouldn’t be about the ACC. It would be about Duke, UNC and Coach K.
7 Likes
I don’t think you understand marketing. The ACC’S most storied rivalry. With a chance at the finals. The story of this tournament so far IS the ACC along with St Peters.
If you don’t think this game would showcase the ACC you need to go take a class in marketing for beginners …
3 Likes
I hope you’re right. I would love for next week’s Duke-UNC game to be a 2 hour infomercial for the ACC’s greatness. I would be shocked though.
The ACC can only benefit from all this. And the UNC and Duke fan bases are so triggered right now, it’s delightful. Both would rather not be in the tournament at all than lose in the Final 4 to the other. One will be euphoric and the other will be devastated and may not come back up for air for months. You could probably have all kinds of fun this week messing with them on their boards.
4 Likes
I’m sure it’s been mentioned, but the biggest benefit to the ACC is just $$. I think if Hubert makes the final 4, that’s also good for the conference because UNC keeps its status as a brand. Miami’s success this year seems like a cul-de-sac, not something they could build off.
3 Likes
Love the cul-de-sac comparison for Miami is good. Feels like they are good for a run every 6-8 yrs but nothing consistent and Laranega is likely gone when his extension is up. I hate UNC but agree it’s good for the acc when they are good especially with Dukes future in uncertainty. Having a tie to the past while Virginia continues to build is important.
3 Likes
To me, nothing was more satisfying (outside the natty) than winning the ACC when K, Roy, Pitino, and Boeheim were still full strength brands. I’d rather us be on top of a strong ACC than a weak, has-been ACC. And our strength and results have much more to do with us than how good other ACC teams are.
5 Likes