<p>The Ivy League started as an athletic conference, and the synergistic effect of their collective prestige allowed ALL of its members to reach new heights of prominence. Now there are WAY too many top-quality applicants for Ivy schools to handle. Seems to me like the time is right for another athletic conference to step forward and bridge the gap between the Ivy League and the other merely excellent (academically) leagues such as the Big 10 and Pac 10. The ACC seems to be in the best position to do this. Here's how:</p>
<p>Swap Florida State for Vanderbilt of the SEC (Vandy's got to be tired of getting the crap beat out of it by schools with far-less-stringent acadmeic standards).</p>
<p>Promise Georgetown it could join the ACC if its football program was upgraded.</p>
<p>Once the "rising tide raises all boats" effect lifts Maryland up to a level about where U of Wisconsin is, and Clemson and VaTech are up to around where Georgia Tech is, maybe Notre Dame would finally want to join a conference for real.</p>
<p>Imagine the natural rivalries that this would bring into focus:</p>
<p>it's not quite that easy, and i don't think i would want it that way; i love the acc for all of the schools it encompasses. you can't just switch the acc around! it is perfect the way it is! (except it might be better if bc had not joined...ickkk)</p>
<p>You're probably right...it really is good right now, and changing things might make it worse rather than better. What do you find icky about BC?</p>
<p>BC doesn't belong in the ACC!! I just stumbled upon this thread, but yeah...it really doesn't. ACC = Southern and REALLY NC-heavy. Maryland's really the furthest north it should get. Look at the states in the ACC...Virginia. South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Maryland, and Georgia. I know that technically it's "Atlantic Coast," and there's nothing saying it HAS to be the South, but Massachusetts? Doesn't fit.</p>
<p>bc's basketball team, minus craig smith, is full of thugs and unsportsmanlike athletes. obviously this is my ridiculous opinion, but it was hard during the duke-bc acc championship for me to know who to root for! ha ha ha but clemson and vt are good schools, and it is the nice balance--among other things-- that makes the acc a great conference</p>