SouthernJet Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Interesting read... If I was the ACC commissioner... Monday, May 04, 2009 8:28am Last week, Penn State's Joe Paterno made a public pitch for the Big Televen to expand to an even dozen, sanction a football championship game, all in an attempt to make the conference relevant after Thanksgiving. If I was the commissioner of a certain conference, I would be reading between the lines. By naming Syracuse, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh as hypothetical candidates, JoePa is really saying that Penn State doesn't have a natural rival in the Big Televen -- and he wants one. Yesterday. No offense to Michigan State. Seems to me that Paterno is still longing for that East Coast Super Conference he envisioned back in the 80's, and based on his comments last week, life in the Big Televen really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Same could be said for ACC, post-raid, um, expansion. The crown jewel of the ACC expansion was supposed to be a marketable ACC FB Championship Game, but the last 3 games have had less than desirable attendance numbers and TV ratings. So, if I'm the commissioner of the ACC, I'm already making under-the-table phone calls to the my member presidents, as well as the presidents of Penn State and Rutgers, to see what it would take to expand the league to 14, transform the conference into the premier East Coast Super Conference (face it, Swofford: this BC experiment has failed miserably), and accomplish what was originally intended 6 years ago -- render the Big East irrelevant. As long as the Big Televen brass is steadfast in its refusal to even consider expansion, I'm just as steadfast into seeing what it would take to get Penn State and Rutgers. Hold on, yo -- what about basketball, here? Simple. The ACC, for the foreseeable future, will never return to playing a "round robin" schedule. So by expanding to 14, you lose nothing in hoops that you haven't already lost. So having said that, I might as well create what Paterno envisioned a long time ago -- an East Coast Super Conference. Imagine these division alignments: COASTAL Duke Georgia Tech Miami North Carolina Penn State Virginia Virginia Tech ATLANTIC Boston College Clemson Florida State Maryland NC State Rutgers Wake Forest Seven schools per football division, and nine(9) conference games. Some Benefits for Penn State football - Natural cross-division rival -- Rutgers - No less than two(2) desirable intra-division rivals (Virginia Tech, Miami) Some Benefits for Rutgers football - Natural cross-division rival -- Penn State - Natural intra-division rival - Boston College - Chance to expand its 'brand' and recruiting in the South by having to play Clemson and FSU every season Some Benefits for the ACC - With nine(9) conference games, no school would have an excuse -- other than pure laziness -- for playing 2 FCS schools ever again - Opportunity to add the new Giants Stadium to the ACC FB Championship Game rotation. In case you forgot, the ACC did request a bid from the Meadowlands to stage an ACCCG, so the conference WAS thinking about life in the Northeast. - Maryland and Boston College would have some much needed company. Of course, there's always the question of how to structure basketball with a 14 school league: Split into 2 divisions, or leave it as is...? That's a question for another column or fan debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Big Least should have split a decade ago. The football schools should have extricated themselves from the non-football schools. They should also jettison that former power known as Notre Dame unless they agree to be a football memeber. They bring nothing to the table. To make the Big Least irrelevant it would have to get UCONN, WVU or Pitt. Rutgers? A crappy BBall school and barely registering FB school. UCONN will never do that and I doubt the others will either. Cuse was flirted with, but doubt Boeheim would allow it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangreenman Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Big Least should have split a decade ago. The football schools should have extricated themselves from the non-football schools. They should also jettison that former power known as Notre Dame unless they agree to be a football memeber. They bring nothing to the table. To make the Big Least irrelevant it would have to get UCONN, WVU or Pitt. Rutgers? A crappy BBall school and barely registering FB school. UCONN will never do that and I doubt the others will either. Cuse was flirted with, but doubt Boeheim would allow it. Exactly...Plus Rutgers and Penn State are not exactly natural rivals... When Penn State was playing a mainly east coast schedule, it was LOONG before Rutgers was anywhere close to relevant. There is no real benefit for either the ACC or Syracuse if they jump to the ACC, so that won't happen... WVU would probably be your best shot from the BE...But they only joined the BE about 4 or 5 years ago so I doubt they're gunna make what is practically a lateral move (ACC has a slight edge in football, but is still far from a powerhouse conf.) Pitt? Well...I doubt it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Exactly...Plus Rutgers and Penn State are not exactly natural rivals... When Penn State was playing a mainly east coast schedule, it was LOONG before Rutgers was anywhere close to relevant. There is no real benefit for either the ACC or Syracuse if they jump to the ACC, so that won't happen... WVU would probably be your best shot from the BE...But they only joined the BE about 4 or 5 years ago so I doubt they're gunna make what is practically a lateral move (ACC has a slight edge in football, but is still far from a powerhouse conf.) Pitt? Well...I doubt it as well. I think JoePa might move if he could drag one team out of Pitt, Rutgers and maybe even Syracuse with him.. But he will probably be gone before its a decision and then its someone elses agenda at PSU that counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Big Least should have split a decade ago. The football schools should have extricated themselves from the non-football schools. They should also jettison that former power known as Notre Dame unless they agree to be a football memeber. They bring nothing to the table. To make the Big Least irrelevant it would have to get UCONN, WVU or Pitt. Rutgers? A crappy BBall school and barely registering FB school. UCONN will never do that and I doubt the others will either. Cuse was flirted with, but doubt Boeheim would allow it. Except that the Big East was formed to be an Elite basketball conference. These are schools that play football, but want to be in a basketball conference. Notre Dame brings a LOT to the table as a basketball member. They have a good program that plays very competitive basketball. Rutgers may be a candidate to leave. VaTech and Miami were football schools in a basketball conference, and maybe Rutgers is going in that direction too. If that happens, we'll be sad to see them go, but the Big East will replace them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Exactly...Plus Rutgers and Penn State are not exactly natural rivals... When Penn State was playing a mainly east coast schedule, it was LOONG before Rutgers was anywhere close to relevant. There is no real benefit for either the ACC or Syracuse if they jump to the ACC, so that won't happen... WVU would probably be your best shot from the BE...But they only joined the BE about 4 or 5 years ago so I doubt they're gunna make what is practically a lateral move (ACC has a slight edge in football, but is still far from a powerhouse conf.) Pitt? Well...I doubt it as well. West Virginia joined the Big East in 1991. They had longstanding rivalries with the other conference schools before that, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I just don't see any of the current Big East teams leaving to concentrate on Football. I just don't see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I just don't see any of the current Big East teams leaving to concentrate on Football. I just don't see it. I agree. They should leave to have what the all the other conferences have, a dual threat FB and BB conference. The football schools are subsidizing the BB only schools. Except that the Big East was formed to be an Elite basketball conference. These are schools that play football, but want to be in a basketball conference. Notre Dame brings a LOT to the table as a basketball member. They have a good program that plays very competitive basketball. Rutgers may be a candidate to leave. VaTech and Miami were football schools in a basketball conference, and maybe Rutgers is going in that direction too. If that happens, we'll be sad to see them go, but the Big East will replace them. I do not disagree with any of your three points. Ok, maybe I think Rutgers should join Buffalo and Temple in the MAC. I know why the Big East was formed. The intent was to form an Eastern BB league. Maybe, the powers that be approached the next decade with blinders on and missed the emergence of CFB. Maybe, they did not have any foresight that the schools that played football might want the security of a football conference. Whatever it was, they did little proactive thinking when it came to CFB. They first rejected admittance and then allowed Penn State to slip away to the Big Ten. Why? Did Rutgers and Temple bring that much to the table? No. Outside of UM football, none of the other teams brought anything close to what PSU did. "BE FB could have been a contender." As far as Notre Dame goes, as you said above, BE is a BB conference. They do not add anything to your BB conference. Another good BB school. Yeah. BE needs a national FB team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangreenman Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 West Virginia joined the Big East in 1991. They had longstanding rivalries with the other conference schools before that, however. Right...I was thinking of Louisville when I typed that...My mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyjunc Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Ugggh, they already ruined basketball. let's not ruin anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 If a football school leaves the Big East it only means that Memphis will be brought in as a replacement anyway. Not too concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyjunc Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 If a football school leaves the Big East it only means that Memphis will be brought in as a replacement anyway. Not too concerned. Memphis w/o Cal is equivalent to NC State. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Memphis w/o Cal is equivalent to NC State. I wonder if the same can be said of PSU when JoePa finally leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Memphis w/o Cal is equivalent to NC State. You know that Memphis actually has historically had a pretty good program for a non-major conference... Villanova played Memphis in the 1984 Final Four, actually. If Memphis joined the Big East, then we'd have every team that participated in that Final Four in the conference... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otter Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 You know that Memphis actually has historically had a pretty good program for a non-major conference... Villanova played Memphis in the 1984 Final Four, actually. If Memphis joined the Big East, then we'd have every team that participated in that Final Four in the conference... Memphis made the championship game back in the early 70's as well. I remember them having a big rivaly with Louisville. They'd be a good fit in the Big East if one of the other teams leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyjunc Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I wonder if the same can be said of PSU when JoePa finally leaves. I THINK Schiano is going to go to Penn State so that could help them but yeah replacing a legend is never easy and people forget PSU hasn't been very good w/ him in the last 10-15 years. You know that Memphis actually has historically had a pretty good program for a non-major conference... Villanova played Memphis in the 1984 Final Four, actually. If Memphis joined the Big East, then we'd have every team that participated in that Final Four in the conference... I do know that and that FF I believe was removed from the records for Cheating. They have been to multiple FFs before Cal but that program was not good post '85 outside of a few years here and there until Cal got there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 If a football school leaves the Big East it only means that Memphis will be brought in as a replacement anyway. Not too concerned. Memphis w/o Cal is equivalent to NC State. F'in Woofies......... And would Memphis leave the easier conf with auto bid to get creamed in BE without a Calipari coaching/recruiting them?? I think not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 I wonder if the same can be said of PSU when JoePa finally leaves. No, actually IMHO if PSU is smart and hires the best guy, and not who Joe Pa wants, then PSU will emerge better in long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 No, actually IMHO if PSU is smart and hires the best guy, and not who Joe Pa wants, then PSU will emerge better in long run. That might be the second guy, but I see the first guy being a hand picked replacement. Don't they have a guy that has been there like 30 years waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 That might be the second guy, but I see the first guy being a hand picked replacement. Don't they have a guy that has been there like 30 years waiting. actually No......... PSU has told JoePa he isnt getting his choice,,If that was case, his laughing stock, horrific coach kid Jay would get gig.. Schiano has agreed behind closed doors to come.. Question is, when that time comes will PSU still want Schiano? Things change...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 actually No......... PSU has told JoePa he isnt getting his choice,,If that was case, his laughing stock, horrific coach kid Jay would get gig.. Schiano has agreed behind closed doors to come.. Question is, when that time comes will PSU still want Schiano? Things change...... They could do a lot worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangreenman Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 F'in Woofies......... And would Memphis leave the easier conf with auto bid to get creamed in BE without a Calipari coaching/recruiting them?? I think not. Memphis would have an easier time recruiting if they make the move to the Big East. They would also get more television money and national attention playing a Big East schedule... To add, the move would also open up a Big East recruiting pipeline in the SE now that UMiami is gone and SFLA isn't exactly a major player for any top recruits... I think the move would be good for all parties involved. Move DePaul to C-USA and let Memphis come to the BE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Memphis would have an easier time recruiting if they make the move to the Big East. They would also get more television money and national attention playing a Big East schedule... To add, the move would also open up a Big East recruiting pipeline in the SE now that UMiami is gone and SFLA isn't exactly a major player for any top recruits... I think the move would be good for all parties involved. Move DePaul to C-USA and let Memphis come to the BE. more money, yes..more vicctories and better seeding, no.. It would be a tuf call for them,uts pretty nice skipping thru season, gettin ahigh seed and not getting beat up up quality acc or be depth...,but with calipari gone, they would have to do it to just get on map again if they fall off now.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uart Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Memphis would have an easier time recruiting if they make the move to the Big East. They would also get more television money and national attention playing a Big East schedule... To add, the move would also open up a Big East recruiting pipeline in the SE now that UMiami is gone and SFLA isn't exactly a major player for any top recruits... I think the move would be good for all parties involved. Move DePaul to C-USA and let Memphis come to the BE. Yep. There are plenty of reasons for Memphis to be in the Big East. Its an auto-bid vs. better competition, a chance at an at-large, and more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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