Say "So Long" to the ACC

[QueencityApp]

So Dook and Wake to the SBC?

All the small private schools go to the SoCon

[T-Dog]

That's the first I've ever heard of that person "reporting" this. Many radio people and/or clout chasers will report 10 different things and hope one is accurate.

There's probably been discussions. There always are. Some are information, others are through intermediaries in order to have plausible deniability.

The big issue for anyone looking to leave the ACC is the Grant of Rights they signed in 2016 that goes through 2036. All contracts are negotiable, but that's a rough starting point for the B1G or SEC. Only way it could be broken is if a majority of ACC members vote to leave, effectively disbanding the conference.

But as the money difference grows between the ACC and the SEC, B1G and B12, the discontent will grow.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Was it not a few months ago reports in newspapers about the ACC schools looking at changing the funding. Model. In the conference?

Seems it was in the Greensboro paper and focused on Wake. It being an ACC article I skimmed it at best.

[APPdiesel]

It was 2 years ago on our very radio show that Marc Ryan shared a scoop, that sources he trusts told him both Clemson and FSU had had conversations with the SEC, but that at the time the SEC didn’t see the streaming value in adding two schools from states in which the SEC already has members.

Besides money of course realignment will become less about market penetration (just having a team there…I mean anybody could add the local DeVry and claim they’re in a market) and more about saturation (owning a larger percentage of the eyeballs in a tv market) and boxing out the other major conferences.

[AppSt94]

It’s all about greed.

[BambooRdApp]

"Greed is Good" so someone said in the 80s....it turned out not to be so good for Bud Fox.
For all the changes happening in college athletics, time will tell whether it is good or not to the various segments (coaches, players, schools, TV, fans, etc.)..
My initial take for me, the personal fan, it has not been so great...free agents, no restrictions to transfer once, etc. Who is on my team this year.... concerned if we have a great player one year..they are at a P5 next year..makes it less fun for me.
It may be great for players as they get paid and I believe they deserve it, etc.
No clue on how to make it better at this point for fans at schools like App. St. that does not have access treasure trove of nil money...

[Tru2ASU]

I think you have to ask yourself if you see the existing teams in these conferences willing to split their revenues with 4 more teams, and you will have your answers.

[Saint3333]

Well bye, you brought this on yourself.

[spacemonkey]

Well bye, you brought this on yourself.

Hard to feel sorry for the ACC. The Wake Forests of the world are going to be eager to sign a game with us soon. They will be left out. Unfortunately, UNC will be in better shape than ever in football but will have a harder time in basketball. The best recruits are going to care about money....not tradition. Blue bloods will get hurt the worst. But in a North Carolina centric world they should get the best recruits if they end up in the BIG. (Especially if Notre Dame folds and joins the BIG) The BIG will be the brand and the SEC will be a close second. Whichever way Notre Dame falls will probably lead to the 1 vs 2 between the SEC and BIG. There will be a clear 1 and 2 and then the next level which I think App can compete in but not dominate conferences 3,4,5,6,7. Champions ships will come few and far between with an 18 team conference in any sport. I also think the SUNBELT will end up with 16 or 18 teams and a east/west division just like the SEC and BIG. Could easily see WakeForest and ECU in the east division in the future. I personally would rather have Charlotte and ECU. Keep it public schools and stay away from the private schools.

[t4pizza]

No way that Wake would join the Sun Belt, if for no other reason than simply because of academic profile of the conference. Wake sees itself as a top flight academic school and isn't going to join a conference of regional public universities with some questionable academic schools (I'm looking at you Coastal, etc). It would be easier to see them go independent or follow Duke.

[AppStFan1]

No way that Wake would join the Sun Belt, if for no other reason than simply because of academic profile of the conference. Wake sees itself as a top flight academic school and isn't going to join a conference of regional public universities with some questionable academic schools (I'm looking at you Coastal, etc). It would be easier to see them go independent or follow Duke.

If this actually happens I am wondering if perhaps we see a new league form. I think a combo of some current AAC, Sun Belt, and CUSA schools with those left behind in the ACC exodus could form a pretty good academic and athletic league.

[T-Dog]

Was it not a few months ago reports in newspapers about the ACC schools looking at changing the funding. Model. In the conference?

Seems it was in the Greensboro paper and focused on Wake. It being an ACC article I skimmed it at best.

They would need a majority of members to agree to it at minimum. Maybe a super majority? And considering how some ACC schools are football over everything (Clemson, FSU, Miami, NC State), others are basketball above all (UNC, Louisville, Duke, UVA), a rooster in the hen house (Notre Dame), others are just happy to be there (Wake, BC, Pitt), getting a consensus would be hard.

[Bootsy]

Many of the ACC schools are research-driven institutions, which puts them in a different class across many different methods of categorization. Many (if not most) of the schools now populating CUSA, SBC and even AAC are former teacher's colleges.

This usually counts for some degree of separation, even in the sporting world.

Anyways, I'm not counting on an ACC split...yet. If it did happen, I believe the departing schools do it to maintain relevance. The money is merely a side benefit.

[canes_mj]

I think the ACC will likely lose some teams but not in this way. Not sure how valid this report is...3 different conferences inviting 10 different ACC teams all at the same time? Doesn't seem right. I think UNC and Duke will end up going as a package deal to Big 10. Some speculation that NC State and VT may end up in SEC since they don't have a team in those states to expand their footprint (SEC would prefer UNC and UVa but those schools fit Big 10 profile better academically.). Notre Dame is staying independent; they're expected to sign a huge new tv deal, and now with the expanded playoff they have a clear path to the playoff, which was their only other potential reason to join a conference...including ND in these tweets makes me question how much validity there is to this report. I do think teams will leave eventually but don't think there's much to this.

[kornegaylw]

I think the ACC will likely lose some teams but not in this way. Not sure how valid this report is...3 different conferences inviting 10 different ACC teams all at the same time? Doesn't seem right. I think UNC and Duke will end up going as a package deal to Big 10. Some speculation that NC State and VT may end up in SEC since they don't have a team in those states to expand their footprint (SEC would prefer UNC and UVa but those schools fit Big 10 profile better academically.). Notre Dame is staying independent; they're expected to sign a huge new tv deal, and now with the expanded playoff they have a clear path to the playoff, which was their only other potential reason to join a conference...including ND in these tweets makes me question how much validity there is to this report. I do think teams will leave eventually but don't think there's much to this.

I agree that UNC and Duke are a package deal. I don't see a world where they want to be separated.

And the SEC taking NCSU and VT makes just as much sense.

In all honesty though I think there will be a strong grassroots movement to keep UNC/Duke/Wake/NCSU & maybe UVA/Clemson together. These teams and fan bases only know each other and the thought of a divorce is just that, a thought.

[Black Saturday]

Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel

[Black Saturday]

The ACC scattering is back in the headlines, wonder if it has any trickle down effect for little 'ol App State?

[AppSt94]

Meh. It’s the off-season. It sounds like a lot of posturing, mostly from FSU’s AD saying that they need more money. At most, I think that they are looking to blow up the GOR. I don’t think that any of the individual members of the ACC offer enough to raise the payouts to SEC or Big10 levels.

[fjblair]

https://www.si.com/college/2023/05/17/a ... ppens-next

Who knows, but with all the realignment and money grabbing, the NIL and the portal, college football is morphing into something I no longer recognize.

[APPdiesel]

The conversation has turned to uneven revenue distribution to keep the “magnificent 7” in the ACC. They allegedly have their 8th (Louisville) and depending on the conference bylaws that could be enough to nullify the GOR. If that happens bring one more, break off into your own 9 team conference, steal the ACC’s media deal from ESPN and everyone will get a larger cut of the pie.

The schools demanding more account for a vast majority of the ratings. Clemson, FSU, UNC, and Miami are who ESPN *really* wants. They DGAF about Syracuse and Pitt. So they’d have a good shot.

We always joke about kicking ULM out of the Sun Belt and we all know you can’t do that. But the ACC bell cows now know they have the option of breaking away. If the money is there, they’ll do it.