I would think the top 3 targets for the Big10 in the ACC are UNC, GT and UVA. This is based on their current criteria, the AAU being the one that they will not compromise. As far as brand and TV market, I donāt think either matters that much. Entry into a mega conference would take care of both.
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This is why we need to partner with UNC. We still add a lot. For next round of media rights TV markets will still matter and we have good ones. Plus add a lot of intangibles (good other sports, clean rep) that will be attractive. Also one of these conferences is gonna figure out you need bottom feeders for football that can provide other bonuses to the conference. UVA does that
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I know a colleague who teaches at Nebraska and when they joined the Big 10 they were regarded as inferior institutionally by the Big 10 and by the Nebraska administration. There thus has been a big push to bring their programs up to the quality of Big 10 schools but they have struggled to do so because of funding. So, I think institutional quality does matter but Iām not claiming itās THE most important characteristicānot at all.
My guess is that if the Big 10 could have a do over they would take neither Rutgers nor Nebraska despite the rabid Nebraska fan base (at least for football).
Also, while football is most important by far followed by basketball, the conference TV networks do want quality programing throughout the academic year which means that baseball, soccer, and lacrosse do matter. Lacrosse has become increasingly a major part of several Big 10 athletic programs such as Michigan and Ohio St..
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Hold up, Rutgers is in the Big10 sir? Shit I actually forgot
Appreciate your posts on the āwhat should beā bigger picture. The general population of sports meat heads like many of us can learn something from actual professors
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When are they going to change their name from the Big Ten? After this theyāre up to 16 right.
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Aaaaaand itās official. Sounds like Big isnāt done raiding PAC too
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Washington and Oregon are next up. Will put them at 18. Rumor is they want 20. Notre Dame and UNC
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B16 it still works
Saw someone on another board say Pete Thamel (a reliable source) said in an interview or on a podcast of some sorts that Clemson and UNC are trying to make moves. UNC has been a huge target for the B1G in realignment talks for a few years now.
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A source told ESPN that the exploration of finances and what it would take to make the move has been going on for weeks. While finances are playing a big role in the move, competitiveness, brand and the overall landscape of the future of the sport have played a bigger role.
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UNC and UVA must see that the BIG10 giving oodles of money to two of their biggest ābrandā competitors (UMich and UCLA) could be very bad for them. I think only Berkeley can really survive on the - basically - no athletics model. The funding differentials could be a pretty big difference and hopefully UVA can find a way to capitalize on it. Also, I want to play Maryland every year in the BIG10+i
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Us watching UNC walk out the door:
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If they stop at 20 weāre dead meat. We basically need them to go to 24 and Notre Dame to still want to stay independent. Then sneak into 7th or 8th place in the beauty pageant.
If Iām the B1G ranking those schools (and remember, they pride themselves in being a research consortium first and an athletic conference second - at least thatās the lip service they give) I think Iād go
1 ND - obvious
2 Stanford - great overall sports program, most academically prestigious school in FBS
3 UNC - huge brand, good finances,
4 Duke - huge brand, basketball power, academic prestige
5 Washington - big market, good athletic support, better academics than Oregon
6 Oregon - Nike
7 Arizona - giant enrollment and alumni base, growing Phoenix market, basketball power
8 Kansas - much in common with current neighbor state B1G schools, basketball power
9 Virginia - good all around sports program, wealthy alumni, prestigious public school, smaller enrollment, not great football support, overshadowed by VT football
10 Cal - large enrollment, rich area and alumni, poor support of athletics, athletic department is broke
11 Colorado - large Denver market, limited sports achievements
12 Georgia Tech - scattered/poor athletic history, large Atlanta market, overshadowed by Georgia, difficult academics
13 Utah - tiny market, loyal fanbase, isolated from other possible schools
14 Pitt - completely redundant with Penn State, probably even overshadowed in its home market by PSU
In my scenario, I was hoping ND stays independent and Kansas and Arizona go to the SEC. Iām still debating the order of 7-12 too. Not sure I have it right and I keep changing my mind.
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Just saw speculation for the B1G super conference, their target once they have their roster set is $130 million per school. Excuse my language but what in the honest fuck? Isnāt the acc like only $30million?
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Imagine the bags we could drop er I mean imagine the additional facilities for graduate student research we could fund!
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First on the agenda is for our Behavioral Sciences department to study the effects of having Elliot Cadeau, the #1 pg in the 2024 class, on the UVA Menās Basketball team. I say we give the researchers a $30 million budget.
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Interesting thread on Reddit
So UNC, Duke, UVA to the Big 10. FSU, Clemson to the SEC. I think they would need 8 schools to be able to dissolve the ACC. I assume someone would be interested in VT, Miami, and GT?
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Does ND get a vote to count towards the 8? Either way, ACC should have the votes. Between the B10, SEC and Big 12 wanting ACC schools to join, more that 8 schools will be willing to dissolve the GOR.