Most Likely Scenario for GT Athletics Future

[MatatoGT]

I’ve listened to so many podcasts, watched so many YouTube videos, and read so many articles hypothesizing on the future of conferences in college athletics. With speculation across the board, some is more consistent that others. I find Tech is in the most murky unknown middle, some saying we could get an invite to the B1G, some saying the SEC would offer to prevent that, some saying we go to the BigXII, some saying the ACC holds, some saying it half falls apart and we are left in a new reduced ACC.
I know there’s a huge thread on this, but I wanted the wisdom of the most obvious group of experts on this- StingTalkers.
I’m not asking what you’d prefer to happen, but given the truth serum what do you most honestly believe will happen.

 

[justafan]

Short term, weakened ACC. Long term, second-class member of one of the two remaining conferences.

 

[ee8384]

Shut it all down. Focus on education and research. 10 years later, GTRI has $1T in profit, buys the SEC, cancels all previous SEC TV deals and has helicopters fill in Sanford Stadium with water and concrete (quick setting, ancient Roman-mixture). Restart football and force all opponents to spot Tech a 28 point lead. Since Tech is paying athletes 10X the amount of the other SEC teams every game becomes a question of whether Tech will break the Cumberland scoring record.

 

[justafan]

helicopters fill in Sanford Stadium with water and concrete (quick setting, ancient Roman-mixture)

Yes. Entomb it like Chernobyl

 

[smokey_wasp]

Short term: Staying in a slightly weakened ACC (though I am not sure I would use the term "slight" in this case.

Long term: We end up in some sort of ACC/Big 12 mashup

 

[BackstreetBuzz]

I think it is another scenario. UGA and Bama get sick of sharing revenue with Vandy, MSU, Missouri, etc. Ohio State and Michigan get sick of sharing revenue with Rutgers, Northwestern, Iowa, etc. Top 18 schools form a super conference, GT winds up in a Triple A type conference.

 

[midatlantech]

Short term: Staying in a slightly weakened ACC (though I am not sure I would use the term "slight" in this case.

Long term: We end up in some sort of ACC/Big 12 mashup

I hope not.

 

[thegtstunner08]

SEC will eventually call us home.

 

[TechRush]

We join the conference of misfit toys known as the Big 12.

Either that or ACC stays together and replaces UNC, Clemson and FSU with Coastal Carolina, App St and USF and to be honest, who wants to see that?

 

[juraitwaluzka]

Eternal chaos, no stability ever again, I don't see any way out of the vortex that has been created.

 

[BuzzLaw]

We didn’t go to Mississippi for nothing. We’re going to the SEC. We’re just not morons that make public spectacles of ourselves.

 

[00Burdell]

Shut it all down. Focus on education and research. 10 years later, GTRI has $1T in profit, buys the SEC, cancels all previous SEC TV deals and has helicopters fill in Sanford Stadium with water and concrete (quick setting, ancient Roman-mixture). Restart football and force all opponents to spot Tech a 28 point lead. Since Tech is paying athletes 10X the amount of the other SEC teams every game becomes a question of whether Tech will break the Cumberland scoring record.

Whoa, two for one night, is it?

 

[MidnightJacket]

Let me preface my response by saying I'm optimistic by nature, but I think the odds on our future are probably about:

• 50% B1G - I think a lot hinges on exactly how B1G the conference wants to go. They're definitely going to 20, but are they planning on going to 24? Maybe if the right set of teams is available. They invited us before, it was leaked a year or two ago we were one of the teams they've recently vetted and are still seriously considering. This seems to always get forgotten by people who are speculating about this. We may not be their #1 target, but I like our chances of being in their top 6. New territory, big market, huge airport, easy to travel to from virtually anywhere in the country, great academics, we're a football school, critical state for recruiting, down the eastern I-95 corridor where the B1G needs to expand, natural travel partner and rival for other southern programs they'll definitely be considering, and Atlanta is the heart of college football. Too many reasons why it makes sense. Don't think we'll go in at full shares initially, but I think there's a good shot we do indeed get in. And IF the SEC takes FSU and Clemson, B1G is going to need to grab somebody from the deep South, so GT and Miami are it.
• 25% SEC - Sure, there's plenty of reasons why it doesn't make sense, but there's a few why it does. Keeping B1G out of the south, built in natural rivalries, the draw of Atlanta for engaging fans, goodwill built up between Tech and SEC. The SEC business model is fundamentally built on rabid fanbases. While that doesn't bode well for Tech at face value, I'd argue it's partly because Tech is better suited for SEC matchups (than ACC ones) where there is a culture of football. Ole Miss sold out their game last year against us. Our game against Tennessee in the Benz was sold out and over capacity, with somewhere in the ballpark of a 50/50 fan split. Even our hosted baseball regional against Auburn a few years back (sorry to bring it up) was well attended. Even after all these years after leaving the SEC, our fanbase is more engaged by SEC opponents than ACC ones. We're not going to be the SEC's #1 target, but if they add 8 teams to go to 24, which is a BIG IF and not something I anticipate them doing soon unless they move to block the B1G, but if they go to 24 I think there's a good shot of us being in that top 8.
• 15%BigXII - I've got the % low because 1, I think it's more likely we end up in the B1G or SEC, and 2 I think the BigXII is beholden more to grabbing intriguing matchups than bigger markets. Intriguing matchups for them are teams that pair well with WVU: Pitt, VT, UL, NCSt, and Cuse I think are at the top of their wishlist based on who's available. They'd probably like Miami, but I think Miami ends up in the P2. If NCSt and VT end up in the P2, GT becomes more attractive.
• 10% reformed, weakened ACC - If everybody is right about how unattractive Tech is as a program, and IF TV is only considering what GT is today based on the last 5 years, we're up öööö creek without a paddle. But if it comes to this, better to be in a broken ACC that still has a network and enough pull to grab the most attractive remaining G5 programs than to go to the AAC and take whatever we're forced to.

 

[OptionJacket]

We didn’t go to Mississippi for nothing. We’re going to the SEC. We’re just not morons that make public spectacles of ourselves.

I’d love to believe that but GT has a proven track record of 60 years making the absolutely wrong big picture decisions. I have not seen GT make a right big picture decision regarding athletics in my lifetime (although joining the ACC at that time was the right call). Maybe Cabrera and JBatt are the guys who finally get it right. But the fact that we still have a coach with a lifetime contract continuing the mediocrity doesn’t give me a lot of hope.

 

[USCJacket]

0.01% chance GT is back in the sec. There is really no interest to bring a school back who left on their own, and is not on the same football level currently as other options (Clemson, FSU). Just reality at this point. Something would really have to change in a hurry from a school perspective for this to happen.

It’s 1 of 2 options.

1. B1G - Fits perfectly from a so called academic perspective (even though academics at this point mean nothing) to go along with a major market with a lot of B1G transplant alums.
2. Combined conference of the remnants of ACC / B12 becoming 1 league.

 

[swampsting]

It’s 1 of 2 options.

1. B1G - Fits perfectly from a so called academic perspective (even though academics at this point mean nothing) to go along with a major market with a lot of B1G transplant alums.
2. Combined conference of the remnants of ACC / B12 becoming 1 league.

1. B1G don't want/don't need us. They ain't getting 1990 GT, with a championship football team and a Final Four hoops team. They're getting 2024 GT, with 21 wins in the last five football seasons and a basketball team with 12 losing seasons out of the last 20. Ain't nothing we can offer them they ain't already got. They're already in the Atlanta market, especially for recruiting. Maybe - maybe - their number of alums in the metro ATL makes a difference. But they ain't worried about them coming to games. They want eyeballs on sets or screens, be it broadcast or streaming or beamed straight into skulls thanks to Elon Musk, and they'll have that without us. If they do, they'll look at us the way the SEC looks at Vanderbilt. And get treated that way too.
2. Probably the most likely scenario.

 

[JJacket]

If we end up in the Big12, I will do myself an injury.

 

[madRazor]

If we end up in the Big12, I will do myself an injury.

i will too, and fair warning, i plan to use a huge pink dildo on you

 

[USCJacket]

1. B1G don't want/don't need us. They ain't getting 1990 GT, with a championship football team and a Final Four hoops team. They're getting 2024 GT, with 21 wins in the last five football seasons and a basketball team with 12 losing seasons out of the last 20. Ain't nothing we can offer them they ain't already got. They're already in the Atlanta market, especially for recruiting. Maybe - maybe - their number of alums in the metro ATL makes a difference. But they ain't worried about them coming to games. They want eyeballs on sets or screens, be it broadcast or streaming or beamed straight into skulls thanks to Elon Musk, and they'll have that without us. If they do, they'll look at us the way the SEC looks at Vanderbilt. And get treated that way too.
2. Probably the most likely scenario.

What you said for above for #1, is how I feel regarding GT and the sec. There is no value for the sec to bring GT back. Vandy is the true outlier in that league now as it relates to attendance and other fans filling the stands. They are living the dream, until the next form of expansion comes in Promotion / Relegation.

I only think the B1G is an option because of what may or may not be in GT’s favor still (like it was during the rumor) a decade. If not then…..

Like you, I think GT is in whatever the combination of the ACC / B12 merger ends up being. A lot of people think Miami, NCSU, UofL, etc will be in that new ACC / B12 combined league as well. On paper, it’s much better vs the current ACC (considering FSU, Clemson are soon to be gone).

Utah, BYU, Oklahoma State, Arizona, TCU, etc are much better vs Syracuse, UVA, BC, etc.

 

[ClubSeats]

fill in Sanford Stadium with water and concrete (quick setting, ancient Roman-mixture).

Instead of filling it in with concrete, might be more effective to fill it with cement