ACC Expansion

bellyseries

bellyseries

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I am puzzled as to why people think VT would be a good expansion school for the ACC. It is in the middle of (a beautiful) nowhere. It would open up zero new media or recruiting areas.

Of course I couldn't beelieve the SEC took SC and Arkansas, especially SC. Talk about your small markets.

Anyway, I'd rather have Central Florida than VT.

Whaddya think?
 
I think major media market stuff is overrated. Clemson, AU, and UT are in small to med markets, yet they have tradition and excellent fan following. Blacksburg is next to nowhwere, but VT's football attend is +50K and expanding, and I am sure their alumni are well represented throughout the state and the region. I think VT would be a solid add for the ACC. Just my opinion.
 
I agree with you Gbird also VT is a technical school, so the admissions are similar. But I keep hearing this expansion talk every year and I dont put much creedance in it. I will believe it when I see it.
 
Gotta agree with Goldenbird on this one. VT would be an excellent addition to the ACC.

Whenever I hear someone talk about the major TV markets, I cringe. No offense, Belly. But in college football, major TV markets don't exist in the same places that they do for sit-coms and network TV shows.
 
My reasons for supporting VT have nothing to do with media or recruiting.

I look at type of school/programs - VT is a solid academic school with good to above average athletic programs - a plus for the ACC, IMHO.

I also look at geography - I guess I am a purist, but I think a conference called the Atlantic Coast Conference should make it mandatory for its members to be in a state where there is an Atlantic Coast - goodbye, Louisville, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, etc., but hello VT, UCF, Miami.

Last, I look at natural rivalries, and I think VT has a good one with Virginia, and could have good ones with both Tech and FSU, with Maryland and Clemson right behind.

IMHO, VT would be a good add to the conference. I wish it had happened when FSU joined, but I hold out a slim hope that it will happen in my lifetime.

GO JACKETS!!
 
I agree any expansion should include schools which have a border on the Atlantic ocean, otherwise the Coast in ACC should be changed to Central, eh.

I feel Syracuse should be considered, because the NY market would help the conference in publicity. A lot of broadcasters have attended the 'Cuse. I know they are in snow country but they do play in the Carrier Dome. IMHO, they are also a good Basketball fit. Just some thoughts!!!!

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Call me crazy, but I think Louisville would be a great add -- DESPITE the name of the conference.

I don't think we should add a California school, but I also don't think we should shun a good fit just because they're not on the coast.

It makes no worse sense to me than Arizona in the PAC-10, or for that matter some of the Mountain West schools that are not in the Mountains. :-)

I would rather have Louisville than a Syracuse or Boston College. I think they fit the conference better. In Louisville, KY, people are southern oriented and they care about college sports big time -- like in nearly all of the rest of ACC country. Not true in the Northeast. Also, IMO those people would LOVE to take away game trips to places like Atlanta and Charlottesville.

Louisville would bring a top ten all-time hoops program, a currently very solid borderline top-25 football program, and a truly valuable media market where college sports really matter.

One other thing -- they play Kentucky every year and usually beat them. That wouldn't break my heart either!
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Oh yeah additionally I think the other two schools to add are VT and Miami.

VT would solidify the football and the rivalry positions in the North -- immediate wars with the likes of Maryland, Virginia and UNC.

Miami goes without saying. Awesome football program, decent hoops, awesome baseball, awesome market, would make us the dominant conference in the dominant college football state -- and from the way UF's hire is going, the Gators may take a step down soon.
 
As I said before, I like adding Miami and VT, the thrid team (to even it to 12) is tougher. My hunch says WVU ( I know, I know, no coastline ). Why? Rivals with Md and VT.
 
Let me say something up front: I think the most important part of Tech is academics and if we add schools to the ACC, they have to be academically strong FIRST. And honestly, I don't know what schools would help the ACC spear forward in academics and athletics.

When you look at the average student at VT, they are as good as the kids at UCF. Unfortunately, UCF doesn't have the reputation yet, but they aren't a bad school at all. The middle 50% SAT score for VT is 1080-1270; UCF is 1050-1230. GPA's and everything is comparable. Honestly, I think UCF has a better upside than VT, but I don't want UCF in the ACC either. I won't even discuss WVU. While they love their sports up there, academically, they need some help.

I'm not too happy about Miami either. They have similar students to UCF even though they are a private school. They do have some good academics like 6 year medical programs, but I'm not wild about them. Syracuse is a bit better, but nothing that excites me.

Does anyone know of any good schools on the east coast that are strong academically and are decent in sports?
 
I think that would narrow it down to BC.

I think to join the ACC a school shouldn't be an academic liability, but I think if we set the standards too strict we will never expand. Some may think that's fine, but if the Big 10[11] brings in a 12th team (a discussion that keeps popping up ) then most feel the dominoes will start falling quickly and the ACC needs to be ready to pick up the best plums from the Big East. I think UCF may be a great pgm one day, but I don't think entry into the ACC is going to be instant magic for them (building fan base). Just curious -- what is their average home attendance now?
 
I think that 12 years ago when we were looking at them joining the ACC, FSU was a third-tier school. They certainly weren't much when I finished HS in 1987.

However their academic rep has improved immensely since they came in the ACC. Their football program's national rep has helped them get there, too.

Nobody is going to look down on GT because of who we play football and basketball against. Noone looks down on Vandy for being in the SEC, and noone looked down on Rice for being in the same conference with Texas Tech.

However just by joining the ACC a school's academic rep could begin to look up. This could definitely be true with a Louisville.
 
I would like to start by saying that this decision hedges on one thing and one thing only, ACC basketball ticket allotment. The North Carolina Coalition (NCC) (Duke, Wake, UNC and NCSU) are not going to reduce their ticket allotment to the tournament to add a football championship game and possibly another bowl bid to a game that will not add revenue to the conference. The only way to increase seating os to move to a Dome and if you think the NCC is going to allow the Tourney to move to the Georgia Dome every year you are dreaming.

Do you think the ACC made or lost money on the following bowls: Tangerine, Seattle, Humanitarian? I could argue that the only bowls that turned a profit were Orange, Gator and Peach. We would have a lot of work to do, as a conference, to get our bowl slots to that of the SEC.

But if we went to 12 teams (10 or 11 is the wrong number) I would add Miami, BC and Syracuse. All three have very solid football programs. Basketball is always solid at the 'Cuse and Miami is up and coming. I can't speak to BC because I have no idea how good they are at hoops. Oh yeah, I think they have a fairly decent program at Miami in baseball.

This mix would bring in the largest possible television market which would help GT as we need exposure given the type of athlete we need to recruit. From an academic standpoint BC is solid and I view Syracuse as no different than Clemson. Miami is a different beast but hey the last ACC school we brought in was a party school so what the heck. Additionally, a road trip to Miami every other year (we should alternate the away years with our FSU game) would not be shabby.

ACC Division A: UNC, Wake, Maryland, FSU, GT, BC


ACC Division B (or Orange): NCSU, Duke, UVA, Miami, Clemson, Syracuse


Football: 8 Conference games. You play everyone in your division each year plus have 1 permanent opponent from the other division (Tech's should be Clemson). The other 2 conference games rotate between the remaining 5 schools in the other division (You play home one year, away the next and then rotate)

Hoops: 16 Conference Games, 10 against the other 5 teams in your division and one each against the other division.

Bowls:

BCS, Cotton (Big 12), Peach (SEC), Gator(Big East), Seattle (Pac 10), Tangerine (Big 10)

Does this work for anyone?

MacDaddy

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Actually not bad! My hesitation on BC and the Cuse is simply geography and tradition. Atleast Miami has FSU as a traditional rival. I do agree its an excellent academic \ athletic balance. BC has gone to the big dance quite a few times (at least in the last 10 - 20 years ). I have a personal preference toward keeping the ACC from becoming too "stretched out" but I think your scenario would be a pretty good outcome.
Keep working on it!
 
Everybody has good points pro-VT. I would point out that before Beamer and the Big East their football tradition consisted of a Thanksgiving day game with VMI.

I guess I'd like the ACC to be a little more adventurous, like it was with FSU.
 
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