<p>This perpetual conference expansion business falls under my ‘they’re going to slay the Golden Goose’ prediction.</p>
<p>The only $ensible rationale for expanding to 16 with UVA and UNC-CH, in my opinion, is to be able to tell ESPN to go fly a kite. I don’t necessarily believe further expansion is productive, but as the linked story said, it’s a whole new world out there and the path to that new world is paved with cash.</p>
<p>I do agree that a 16-member B1G with the southerners would spell the end of the present ACC. Well, they (ACC) have no one to blame but themselves. They tried to take on the SEC media-wise, and they lost. Some years the ACC and the SEC football championship games are both held in Atlanta. I was there one such week. Plenty of signs and SEC souvenirs all around Atlanta. The ACC game? Meh. When is the last time you read more than 8 words of ink (or online) about the ACC football championship?</p>
<p>What are your odds that UVA and UNC will vote to waive Maryland’s ACC exit fee?</p>
<p>B3G becomes a reality. Six divisions of five teams with their own playoffs to determine … well, who cares what it determines. </p>
<p>On the other hand, to ensure a return to relevance, the Big Whatever should consider focusing on adding plenty of creampuffs to each team’s schedule and avoid too many hard games. They should call the SEC for further details on manipulating the schedules and early voters as well. Splitting the few remaining powerhouses in different divisions should do wonders for undefeated records or the irrelevant one loss record a la SEC.</p>
<p>UVA and UNC aren’t leaving the ACC unless VT and Duke also leave, also the ACC is heavly backed by ESPN which isn’t going to let what happened to the Big East happen to the ACC.</p>
<p>I see we have some fans of Greg Swaim, The Dude of WV and MHver3 on this forum. Perhaps a little side order of TuxedoYoda as well? </p>
<p>I’ll see you folks in 4 years or so. My guess is the ACC is still going to be hanging around. Not so sure about all of the other so-called “Power 5.”</p>
<p>Too many rumors out there. I would rather wait and see. If the Big 10 expends further, it had better be for academic and athletic powerhouses such as Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Duke.</p>
<p>^Alexandre, to be an athletic powerhouse, it needs to be a powerhouse in at least two of the three big sports in America: baseball, football, and basketball. Duke sucks in two of those. If we talk about Olympics event, it got to be swimming or T&F in which the US has by far the most golds. Duke is awful in those too.</p>
<p>I don’t think so Sam Lee. Duke’s Basketball program alone makes the its athletic department a powerhouse. When you add less prominent sports, like Lacrosse, Golf and Tennis, Duke definitely holds its own. If memory serves, Duke is a top 25 athletic program in the Director’s Cup. Besides, from an academic point of view, it would join Chicago, Michigan, Northwestern, UIUC and Wisconsin, making it one of the strongest academic groups in the nation. But I honestly do not see Duke joining the Big 10.</p>
<p>There’s no reason for ND to join, and I’m not sure the members of the B1G, other than perhaps Delany, want them. Dollars could override that. Although Georgia Tech has been frequently mentioned it pales in comparison to the University of Georgia in support in that state. But the real issues is not actual eyes, its getting fees from cable companies for the Big 10 network.</p>
<p>Losing the ACC would just be sad. At some point, it just gets ridiculous. The ACC is a great division. Sometimes I think they should trade Clemson for Vanderbilt and then they would be perfect, imho.</p>
<p>But, to split up the tobacco road basketball group would be a true loss to collegiate sports, no matter how much us tarheels hate the dookies.</p>
<p>Great book: “To Hate Like This Is To Be Happy Forever.” It would be a loss.</p>
<p>Those critics also credit the divisions in the SEC for helping to keep the best teams from facing each other every year in league play, thus enhancing the chances of national title bids in that league.</p>
<p>Enhancing the chances? Must be the understatement of the year when it comes to the SEC. </p>
<p>The Big12 would be helped by bringing in a bunch of creampuffs and scheduling glorified high schools a la SEC. For Texas and the Sooners, it will still be decided in the Red River shootout. The rest of the schedule could be a lot easier. Well, unless the winner of that game gets swindled by arcane statistics as a few years back.</p>
<p>I personally would like to see the move of the four teams to the Big 12 since it could, would, should bring Carolina to the B1G. I wouldn’t mind UVA and Duke being added to the B1G. Georgia Tech? Not so much. Boston College? No, absolutely not. Pitt? No one has mentioned them, but they have a B1G academic/athletic profile and it would re-establish the rivalry with PSU. I certainly would prefer them over BC.</p>