If a team leaves then the ACC gets the money they school makes from the new conference they go to. Edit - this was incorrect. Here is the actual one. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...illion-exit-fee-went-info-effect-immediately/ I was incorrect, it's basically 3 years worth of cash under the ACC rules at the time. So, it might be worth it, but will be a huge one or two year hit.
They have a fanbase in eastern Ohio, WV (duh) and into DC, Baltimore, and parts of Pennsylvania. They aren't as big as most of the SEC teams, but it does expand the footprint. With West Virginia added, the SEC may be more prominent than the ACC in DC. That would be impressive.
Thanks. I honestly didn't know but understand that drives the decision making more than what makes sense on a map.
Right. Keep in mind I predicted Missouri and TAMU (there is a blog post somewhere). WVU would definitely be one of the higher targets if there was another round of expansion. What Involnerable said in this thread is exactly right: it is about markets. Also, Any SEC team has veto votes. So FSU, Clemson, even GT are unlikely to ever get in. Same with Texas, not that it even matters. I think the whole SEC West would veto that.
WVU would make sense for expanding markets, as would VT and NC State if ACC teams came on the table (this is assuming UNC would never leave their bounceyhoops league--although it is possible that State would actually do a better job at delivering NC football fans than Carolina would. purely speculation, but possible)
I agree. It would have to be something like 4 divisions of 4 teams and it would be even more years between playing some teams in their own conference. The North division -UT, UK, Vandy and VTech or WVU The Toothless division -Bama, AU, Ole Miss, Miss St. The West division- Ark, A&M, Mizzou, LSU The East division - UF, UGa, USC, NC St.
You could make it work with a nine-game conference schedule to where you preserve two rivals and get to play every team in the conference at least once every three years. Of course, the conference title game would still take some work, but consider the following nine-game schedule based on your plan. *3 games against division opponents *4 games against opponents in one other division (rotating yearly) *2 games against permanent rivals in the two remaining divisions. On your scheme, UT would be permanent rivals with Bama, Arkansas, and Florida. So we'd play them every year, plus our three division opponents, plus the remaining three teams from whichever division is up next on the rotation. Maintain permanent rivals, play everybody relatively often, no problem.
I don't think UT would want VT or UVA in. Maybe not a North Carolina school either. Same with SCAR. I would bet West Virginia and either OU or OSU would be the next 2.
Yeah, Jeremy Foley would probably go crying to Mike Slive about that. Funny, he never complains about the huge recruiting advantage they have merely by location.
How about it brings in one of the last remaining confederate states? That do anything for ya? Just need NC and VA. Then we change the name to the Stars and Bars conference and kick out Kentucky.
