The Official Conference Realignment Rumors Thread

[Birds of B'more]

Greg, from your lips to God's ears. According to the NY Times, Pitt and Syracuse are in talks to join the ACC. If this is true, I am curious how Texas would fit in.

Saw the NY Times article. Smart move by the ACC if true. Now they need to end this talk with Texas and add UConn and Rutgers along with Pitt and Syracuse. The ACC would own the entire eastern seaboard and nearly every major TV market within it.

[Majin Buu]

Saw the NY Times article. Smart move by the ACC if true. Now they need to end this talk with Texas and add UConn and Rutgers along with Pitt and Syracuse. The ACC would own the entire eastern seaboard and nearly every major TV market within it.

Agreed. Swofford and the ACC have been very hard to read throughout this whole process and need to make quick work of this and get rid of Big East football. They might have a big opportunity to play ESPN against the relaunched NBC sports Network (Versus) and Fox to really get paid this time. NBC/Versus in particular has a lot of space that can be filled and a desire to also showcase olympic sports. Texas and the LHN would complicate that. As far as Texas, the only thing the ACC should offer is deal like BYU has with the WCC and the WAC (for now).

[Greg Pappas]

No surprise that Swofford is doing what he and the ACC needs to do to remain a major player. He had to act, and it appears it's begun. Good for us (ACC).

[Remember The Alomar]

If this is true, the ACC just became the defacto basketball conference in America.

[PrivateO]

Crumble Big East Conference, crumble.

[Birds of B'more]

Apparently the talk of the ACC raising it's exit fee from $12 to $20 million has happened too. That will make anyone think twice about going to the SEC.

I have to say I'm very impressed with Swofford & Co. right now. I was extremely disappointed in the TV deal they negotiated with ESPN....I think it was a cop-out and had they been more creative they could have got a lot more money. Hopefully this expansion will open up the chance to renegotiate some things.

[PrivateO]

Apparently the talk of the ACC raising it's exit fee from $12 to $20 million has happened too. That will make anyone think twice about going to the SEC.

I have to say I'm very impressed with Swofford & Co. right now. I was extremely disappointed in the TV deal they negotiated with ESPN....I think it was a cop-out and had they been more creative they could have got a lot more money. Hopefully this expansion will open up the chance to renegotiate some things.

From what I've read, it seemed it was a unanimous decision. That likely means that if the SEC is looking East for #14, it's going to be WVU.

I'm still reading a ton of articles/rumors as having Pitt/Cuse as 13/14, and then Notre Dame and Texas as 15/16 for everything but football.

I'm all for Pitt and Syracuse joining the ACC as full members, but I don't know what to think of Texas and ND.

[Birds of B'more]

From what I've read, it seemed it was a unanimous decision. That likely means that if the SEC is looking East for #14, it's going to be WVU.

I'm still reading a ton of articles/rumors as having Pitt/Cuse as 13/14, and then Notre Dame and Texas as 15/16 for everything but football.

I'm all for Pitt and Syracuse joining the ACC as full members, but I don't know what to think of Texas and ND.

Horrible idea. Neither of those two add a single thing without football, and Texas is absolutely toxic. Take UConn and Rutgers as 15/16 and own the whole east coast.

[PrivateO]

Horrible idea. Neither of those two add a single thing without football' date=' and Texas is absolutely toxic. Take UConn and Rutgers as 15/16 and own the whole east coast.[/quote']

Agree completely. No university should ever want to play cards with Texas. All they want is their Longhorn Network.

[OregonBird]

Rutgers? I know its the NYC TV market but their academics and sports aren't anything spectacular.

[mweb]

Rutgers? I know its the NYC TV market but their academics and sports aren't anything spectacular.

Not much after NYC TV market matters imo. Plus the football team has been quite good of late other than last year.

[mweb]

Getting Syracuse and Pitt are great gets and I agree with others that Rutgers and UConn would be the other two schools to target.

I'd have interest in Villanova for basketball as well since it would bring in the Philly market(4th in nation). Then they could take another basketball school to get to 18 if they care about having an even number. St John's would solidify the NYC market. GTown obviously is a nice get program wise.

[mweb]

Rutgers? I know its the NYC TV market but their academics and sports aren't anything spectacular.

Academics seem solid to me based on this.

[Birds of B'more]

Academics seem solid to me based on this.

Rutgers is definitely up to par academically. And maybe them playing schools like Florida State and Virginia Tech instead of Cincinnati and Louisville will generate more interest in their football program....and between them, UConn and Syracuse, that will get you about as much as you can get as far as college sports in NYC.

[Birds of B'more]

TCU just released a statement expressing their concern about the Big East. If I'm the SEC, I know who my target for the 14th member is.