ACC votes to add Stanford, Cal, SMU: Conference presidents approve expansion to 18 schools

[UConnSwag11]

If Rutgers could get into the Big 10, no reason why UCONN shouldn’t be pushing to get into the SEC!

 

[Fishy]

I don’t really understand conferencing so can someone explain this to me like you were explaining to a 10 year old?

What is the ACC’s benefit in adding three schools who don’t offer anything except punching bags at the bottom of the conference? Especially when the conference is the ATLANTIC COAST conference adding schools from the PACIFIC COAST?

What is SMU’s benefit of not taking any media money until next decade? I understand Cal and Stanford’s conference imploded but what is SMU’s play here?

SMU joins a power conference and likely makes more money with zero television revenue than they currently do in the AAC. Huge profile jump for them as well.

 

[superjohn]

Rick Pitino on X: "It's great that the ACC has added Stanford and Cal. I hear the Big East is looking to add teams from Panathinaikos & Olympiacos - it's only a nine hour flight ‍♂️" / X

 

[uconnric]

UConn's athletic director has a lot of explaining to do. This makes no sense on any level. The fact that UConn can't even get an invite to join the ACC makes no sense. They are a fit in many ways. If this truly is a political decision because on a grudge that some school has over UConn, then this should be made transparent once and for all. This isn't fair and in an era of NIL and big money for athletics, this puts UConn at a big disadvantage.

We saw last night firsthand what the big discrepancy in talent level means for the football program. Moves like this will eventually extend to our basketball program and other sports if things aren't changed right now.

You're going to have to explain why this is AD Dave's fault at all. They added Calford out of desperation and Notre Dame's influence. SMU opens up Texas to them. We were never going to be added at this point no matter what our AD did and it's foolish to blame him.

In the long run I can't imagine how this works out positively for Cal or Stanford or for the ACC. But now they still get a check. Clemson and Florida State were still opposed to the move, supposedly NC State flipped their vote. ESPN has some extra football money now that they don't have to fund the Pac 12. Once they leave, the ACC crumbles like a house of cards. They probably think they gained some relevance with these additions, but that's hard to see.

 

[REB1094]

Rick Pitino on X: "It's great that the ACC has added Stanford and Cal. I hear the Big East is looking to add teams from Panathinaikos & Olympiacos - it's only a nine hour flight ‍♂️" / X

 

[upstater]

You’re right. I just saw a report that it was NC State that flipped (making me more disappointed we didn’t beat them) and the vote was 12-3. I thought they would buy off the bullies to get unanimity. The interesting thing is that the $50M will be split between an extra payoff for each member and a performance based pool. Since 50 divided by 15 isn’t that much to begin with they have managed to really pull off the perfect exacta - most schools will probably barely get enough to pay their extra costs while the bullies will get an extra pittance that will really piss them off. There is no path where this is sustainable.

It's probably about holding the conference together and getting more votes to prevent dissolution of the GOR.

We could easily envision a scenario in which the SEC and B1G were able to entice enough members into voting for dissolution, but now that fantasy is over. With the addition of the 3, it isn't possible for the P2 to open enough spots to entice members to vote the end of the GOR.

BUT, who knows, SMU is now incentivized to see a new deal for all members as quickly as possible.

 

[REB1094]

SMU joins a power conference and likely makes more money with zero television revenue than they currently do in the AAC. Huge profile jump for them as well.

Thanks, hopefully they have fun at the bottom of the conference

 

[upstater]

That's not what I said. I said UConn is not going to want to join the remnants of the ACC, as in the schools that are left once all those teams leave. It would be like someone signing on to join Washington State and Oregon State in the current Pac 12

I just named the remnants.

You think any of the conferences are adding these schools?

 

[navery12]

I just named the remnants.

You think any of the conferences are adding these schools?

Yes

 

[upstater]

Yes

If BC, Cuse, Wake Forest and the like aren't the remnants because they've been taken, then who the heck are the remnants?

 

[navery12]

If BC, Cuse, Wake Forest and the like aren't the remnants because they've been taken, then who the heck are the remnants?

BC and Wake I would assume will be, the rest you mentioned have value and I imagine end up somewhere else useful. I imagine SMU gets left behind too, probably Georgia Tech. If it's all those schools you listed then I'd have no problem making that move

 

[Hey Adrien!]

A screenshot of a tweet of mine from this morning:

 

[Iluvsuebird]

UConn's athletic director has a lot of explaining to do. This makes no sense on any level. The fact that UConn can't even get an invite to join the ACC makes no sense. They are a fit in many ways. If this truly is a political decision because on a grudge that some school has over UConn, then this should be made transparent once and for all. This isn't fair and in an era of NIL and big money for athletics, this puts UConn at a big disadvantage.

We saw last night firsthand what the big discrepancy in talent level means for the football program. Moves like this will eventually extend to our basketball program and other sports if things aren't changed right now.

Yeah, it has been so hurtful so far, right? Stop it already. Making decisions based on football almost derailed us once before. STOP IT. We are not a football school. We are a basketball school. Embrace that and stop being a pretender.

 

[Fishy]

Yeah, it has been so hurtful so far, right? Stop it already. Making decisions based on football almost derailed us once before. STOP IT. We are not a football school. We are a basketball school. Embrace that and stop being a pretender.

Ah, yes, the appearance of the basketball-only jackassery.

Just wait until Geno retires and learn that we’re not going to be able to pay $4M for a women’s hoop coach anymore.

 

[huskymedic]

SMU joins a power conference and likely makes more money with zero television revenue than they currently do in the AAC. Huge profile jump for them as well.

They’ve probably been assured that they’ll get some additional revenue on facility rentals

 

[shizzle787]

But that's exactly what is likely happening, they're at 14 (*15 w/ Notre Dame) now, and going to 17/18. That lends itself perfectly to moving the conference schedule from 8 to 9 games

Math is hard. You can't have an odd number of conference games with an odd number of football teams.

 

[dogpause]

Why do we assume that UConn didn't get an invite? Is it possible we wanted nothing to do with a crippled conference that will continue to lose schools at some point?

 

[shizzle787]

It’s really about safety in numbers. You don’t want to be the Pac 12 or the Big East after realignment, you want to be the Big 12.

If the ACC loses 4-6 schools to the SEC/Big 12 in 10-12 years, you’re still at 12-14 schools and, at a minimum, you’re in a better spot to keep the Big 12 from pulling off UL, SU, Pitt or whoever.

My guess is that they will make a run at West Virginia as the current Big 12 contract gets towards the end.

The next conference to get cooked is the Big 12. A lot of smaller brands and IMO the clear #4 brand-wise in football among the four.

 

[EnochRoot]

Half of UConn fans are clutching at pearls that the school was left behind by the ACC again.

The other half of UConn fans could not GAF if it means the school stays in the Big East.

Count me in the latter group.

 

[wingsfan055]

Yeah, it has been so hurtful so far, right? Stop it already. Making decisions based on football almost derailed us once before. STOP IT. We are not a football school. We are a basketball school. Embrace that and stop being a pretender.

Things can change quickly my friend. The AD is very fortunate to be basking in a national title in basketball right now. But, if/when Geno retires or has sudden, unexpected health issues and DH decides to leave for greener pastures or if his recruits don't pan out, UConn sports can be in a very different situation.

Most will agree that being in the Big East and having football as an Independent is not a sustainable strategy in this new "money era". So, what's the AD's strategy to get UConn in a top conference? Why wont he communicate his strategy? Thats his job. Students, alumni, and future recruits would like to know.

 

[navery12]

Math is hard. You can't have an odd number of conference games with an odd number of football teams.

I'm not following at all, what do you mean? How would a 9 game schedule not work?

 

[shizzle787]

I'm not following at all, what do you mean? How would a 9 game schedule not work?

17*9 = 153. 153 is not divisible by 2. The ACC's options are an 8 or 10 game schedule, and a 10 game schedule is not going to fly with Florida State, Clemson, or Georgia Tech.

 

[DALTX]

I don't even remember what SMU stands for

I'll let Google or Wikipedia do their thing, but I've heard of one professor from another AAC school who says it stands for "small mediocre university".

I'll add: without a baseball or softball team

 

[Vowelguy]

NC State's what I heard. They only needed one.

And once again the BS talk about state school X being joined at the hip with state school Y is blown to bits.

 

[Hunt for 7]

I know we all hate BC because of the history, but I would not have a problem adding them to the BE if they get kicked out of the ACC. Calhoun would be seething…but it could make for a fairly significant rivalry. I mean while they were in BE and during the Calhoun era we usually won, but before that not only did they steal a couple of good CT high school players from us they usually beat us.