Syracuse, Pitt ACCepted; who’s next?

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Background from yesterday here.

This morning, SportscenterU on ESPNU reported that Pittsburgh and Syracuse have officially been accepted, and that others are being considered, and Yahoo! Sports confirmed this:

But USA Today reported early Sunday that the ACC presidents had already voted on Saturday morning to accept Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the league. Citing an anonymous source, the newspaper said the ACC was still considering adding two other East Coast teams and that Connecticut and Rutgers would be the candidates.

ACC officials have scheduled a 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday teleconference but did not disclose the subject of the call.

Barron confirmed that 11 of 12 ACC presidents attended a meeting in Greensboro, N.C., on Tuesday—the other participated by phone—and unanimously approved raising the exit fee to $20 million—up from $12 million to $14 million—for any member leaving the conference.

“The great thing is that the conference is strong and committed to a unanimous commitment to staying together,” North Carolina State Chancellor Randy Woodson said. “And to the extent that this is kind of a dramatic shift in conferences, we’re trying to be proactive and stay strong.”

Also, from WRAL:

The ACC announced Sunday that its council of presidents unanimously voted to accept the two schools from the Big East. The move increases the ACC’s membership to 14 and sends the Big East scrambling to replace two of its cornerstone programs.

Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said in a release that the school’s leadership “could not envision a better conference home for Pitt.”

The ACC says it extended invitations after the schools submitted letters of application to join the league. It is unclear when the move will take effect. The Big East’s exit fee is $5 million, and schools wanting to leave must provide 27 months’ notice.

The ACC scheduled a 9:30 a.m. ET teleconference with the media.

Commissioner John Swofford said the expansion “geographically bridges our footprint between Maryland and Massachusetts.”

Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor called the ACC “a perfect fit” for a program that was one of the founding members of the Big East.

“We are pleased that Syracuse adds a New York City dimension to the ACC, a region in which we have built strong identity and affinity, and we look forward to bringing ACC games to the Big Apple,” Cantor said. “Overall, for Syracuse, this opportunity provides long-term conference stability in what is an uncertain, evolving, and rapidly shifting national landscape.”

The ACC again sees the solution as raiding the Big East. Who’s next: UConn and Rutgers or Texas and Texas Tech?

Whether we like it or not, the cozy southeastern basketball conference most of us grew up with no longer exists. One impact of this will likely be a shift away from Greensboro and Charlotte for the ACC Tournament and Championship, respectively. It won’t be suprising to see the ACC Tournament hosted by the Meadowlands or the Championship game at whatever they’re calling the new Giants Staidum nowadays.

Join the discussion on the SFN Forums and stay tuned…

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36 Responses to Syracuse, Pitt ACCepted; who’s next?

  1. Ashman87 09/18/2011 at 8:14 AM #

    Tommorrow’s going to be REALLY INTERESTING sinc UNC has their response to the NCAA, and the OU and Texas Board of Regents (eqivalent to our BOT) meet tommorrow as well.

  2. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 8:23 AM #

    Too bad we can drop/exchange Miami during this transition. We have the perfect excuse too with their coming NCAA problems – of course thanks to UNC, we can’t use that against them. We still really need a football power to round out the 16 to make sure we are still relevant in that discussion. Man, though, what an exciting BB league. K seems all for it, but Roy is probably getting ready to file for early retirement… (but that may be due to any forthcoming academic changes over there as well 🙂 )

  3. Master 09/18/2011 at 8:24 AM #

    I am not in favor of Rutgers and UConn. I just think that is a dilution of our football conference. Whatever doubts anyone has about the future of football in the ACC, this would seal it.

  4. triadwolf 09/18/2011 at 8:32 AM #

    There was a pretty strong statement yesterday by Wellman that the ACC will not accept a team that cannot participate fully in ACC’s revenue sharing. He specifically referred to teams like Texas and Notre Dame as examples. Sounds like the only way Texas is next is if they’re willing to share all the revenue for the Longhorn network.

    On the other side if UConn and Rutgers are next, I’m fine with that. That pretty much will have the ACC dominating the entire east coast and reaching more TV sets than any other conference – no other conference can even come close no matter what 16 teams they bring on. It’d be nice to have a team like Texas, but I can live with these four teams from the Big (becoming little) East.

  5. GoldenChain 09/18/2011 at 8:42 AM #

    If nothing else the Texas talk looks like it spurred some schools to contact the ACC. From the beginning I’ve agrued that the ACC wasn’t going anywhere because they’re holding some lucrative TV contracts.
    I think the Texas thing is more remote now because the rest of the league is not desperate now and Texas would likely want a disproportionate cut.

  6. PackFamily 09/18/2011 at 8:44 AM #

    I would like to see Louisville as a realistic addition. Basketbal is strong there and they have had decent succes with football. WVU is strong in both sports but their fan base would embarass the ACC. They and MD should go to the Big 10 together.

    I guess the playoff system is inevitable now. I know i am in the minority but i am not for it.

  7. gotohe11carolina 09/18/2011 at 8:46 AM #

    I might take UConn, they’ve got a fairly good market (because of basketball yeah I know) but they are a brand. Rutgers, well I don’t know what they are good at or even why anyone outside of Jersey would’ve even heard of them. If we’re looking for a school like this I’d rather have St. Johns, ACC in the MSG would be pretty sweet. I know they don’t have a football team, but I want them for b-ball.

    Just spitballing here but what about Navy. They bring us everything that Rutgers does in terms of markets (c’mon Rutgers doesn’t get us NYC), but if they can make it big and compete in our conference and given what we have I don’t see why they couldn’t they could be the most popular team in the conference nationally fooball wise.

  8. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 8:49 AM #

    Texas might be a bit more willing to be more generous with their revenue sharing now as they are starting to somewhat run out of options. I guess they are big enough to go fully independent if they chose, but conference doors are starting to close as seats get taken. We still need two, and need a football power, so maybe they’ll be able to negotiate something. However, expansion to the north seems most likely. Controlling the entire east coast has some advantages, especially if we can turnover a couple strong FB schools.

  9. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 8:53 AM #

    Of course the timing of this was directed by the UNC/ACC black helicopters, right? Announcing this just prior to the NCAA response to the findings will ensure that pretty much misses the entire news cycle. Just kidding guys – keeping the lunatic in the lunatic fringe 🙂

  10. Ed89 09/18/2011 at 9:08 AM #

    I’d prefer to see Louisville and Penn State (over UConn and Rutgers), and then we’ll probably have North and South Divisions. Play everyone in your division once in Football, and home and away with everyone in Basketball. The sprinkling of inter-division games would almost be like OOC games, but would start some rivalries. This concept keeps the “old” ACC intact a little better.

  11. nav 09/18/2011 at 9:09 AM #

    You have to wonder if the Big East will hold these teams to the 27mo waiting period. If so then there will be some awkward meetings at the Big East conf meetings next summer.

  12. leewolf 09/18/2011 at 9:20 AM #

    Louisville and West Virginia are academically more like ECU than any current ACC member, they will not get consideration due to this unless we are in a last-resort situation.

    Pitt and Syracuse are good additions and this (along with upping the buyout to $20 million for ACC schools) solidifies that the ACC will be one of the last major conferences standing. Both programs are pretty strong athletically, Pitt has been a consistent bowl contender over the last decade and Syracuse seems to be picking up under their new coach. I like the additions.

    UConn and Rutgers will be 15 and 16 if/when that happens. They fit the bill academically and we lock up the East Coast as noted above.

    I’m not thrilled about this but it is better than ending up out in the cold with a Big XII/Big East/ACC remnant conference with Iowa State, Baylor, TCU, USF, UCF, Cincinnati, etc.

  13. Wulfpack 09/18/2011 at 9:38 AM #

    Gotta give props to the conference office for making this happen so fast. This ensures our survival. I’m really glad to see both schools join. We know there will be two others. I think there are plenty of suitors.

  14. Wxwolf 09/18/2011 at 10:02 AM #

    I wonder if with the expansion to 14 or especially 16 if there will be a new divisional alignment that would put the Big Four back together again?

  15. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 10:17 AM #

    Wx, I think with 16 you’d have four pods of four, and most likely ours would be the big 4 geographically. I don’t think you can really add any schools in that area. Unless you add two from the west, and that might split up the southern teams, but most everyone’s scenario is the big four back together again in a pod.

  16. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 10:23 AM #

    If there’s no “football power” we can take, I’d personally like to see us add another FL school – maybe USF or UCF. USF is probably a bit further along right now, is ranked, has Skip Holtz, and just knocked off ND. UCF I would guess has a bit larger TV market, but they have to be fairly comparable. I’d personally prefer USF just to see State play every so often locally. It would help open up more FL recruiting, and somewhat help to balance the northern expansion.

  17. GAWolf 09/18/2011 at 10:34 AM #

    Which president didn’t show at the meeting???

    That is scary. If it was FSU or Clemson, look out for having to say bye bye to an automatic BCS birth.

  18. triadwolf 09/18/2011 at 10:42 AM #

    Great point Tampa-Pack about taking one of the FLA schools. You are absolutely right about us taking a “football power”; Penn State, Notre Dame, etc. are not coming to the ACC. I think Texas is only an option because they backed themselves into a bit of a corner with the longhorn network and we are a likely viable option with both TV contracts being with ESPN.

    We already have schools that can and have been football powers. Pittsburgh has nine national championships in football. Even though it’s been a while since the last one, they’re a strong program. Then there’s Miami, FL.ST., and VT that have very good recent success and are currently in upper tier.

    UConn and Rutgers have had limited success in football, but both are strong academic schools and make sure the current ACC members essentially have a chance to hold their relative positions within the conference. Do you think Wake, Duke, or NC State for that matter, would vote to have 4 top football powers come in the conference? There has to be some balance and most of the teams seriously mentioned offer that.

  19. cWOhLFrPAiCKs 09/18/2011 at 10:43 AM #

    ^They did say that the one member not in attendance was teleconferencing. Not sure who it was, but may have had more to do with previous obligations or short notice. I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions from that.

  20. Tampa-Pack 09/18/2011 at 10:49 AM #

    ^GA I took that as they were in agreement, just not able to attend, but in full agreement. I also read where everyone supported the increase in the exit fee. I don’t THINK anyone’s looking to leave or they would have voted against the exit fee. I could be wrong, but I took it as a schedule/personal issue, not a disagreement.

  21. State Fan 09/18/2011 at 10:49 AM #

    So, I guess this squelches all of the speculatory BS about the SEC.

  22. 61Packer 09/18/2011 at 11:28 AM #

    Those of you who applaud this had better realize that sooner than you think, Clemson and Maryland will probably be replaced on our home football schedule by Rutgers and UConn, and we could end up playing Duke, UVA, and Va Tech even less than once every 5 years, like we do now. ESPN helped destroy our basketball rivalry with Maryland by hyping Duke-Maryland instead, and you can bet Duke and UNC will get the more frequent matchups against the better Big East basketball schools.

    Those of you who love the ACC Tourney had better realize that sooner than you think, this event will leave Greensboro and become a Madison Square Garden fixture, with only cable tv coverage spread out even longer than the dreadful 4-day event we now have. And any chances of us being allowed to again play Duke, Maryland and UVA twice a season will go away forever.

    Rivalries be damned in this full speed ahead expansion, which I believe will result in many longtime Big Four season ticket holders handing them in. And if our future schedules look like a Big East schedule, which I’m certain they will, I will consider doing the same. I can stomach games like South Alabama, Liberty and Central Michigan because I know we have upcoming games vs UNC, UVA, Maryland, Clemson and FSU, but I believe that over half of those will soon be replaced with former Big East teams like Rutgers and UConn, whom I couldn’t care less about. Will you?

  23. MP 09/18/2011 at 11:58 AM #

    Fair point 61Packer – For me the answer to “Will I care” is the same with or without expansion: If we are relevant (i.e. good) in a sport, I will care. If not, I won’t.

    Expansion or not, NC State can better control the interest of its fans by demonstrating an actual commitment to excellence, not what we have seen the last 2 decades.

  24. coach13 09/18/2011 at 12:02 PM #

    I like the Pitt Syracuse add…could care less about UCONN or Rutgers.

  25. State Fan 09/18/2011 at 12:06 PM #

    On the down side, it narrows the field of teams that case face and beat UNC in the Continental Tire/Meineke Car Care/Belk Bowl.

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