ESPN: Pitt and Cuse in discussions with ACC

[texaswarrior74]

ACC officials are now saying they have formally received applications from both Pitt and Cuse and have been contacted by at least 12 other schools for potential membership.

Dominoes are falling.

[bilsu]

We always mention Butler, when we talk about a basketball only conference. Why would they want to join a new conference? They are very successful where they are at. Why would they want to change. I suspect their facilities are not as good as a lot of teams in the Big East. Their facilities fit where they are at.

[Pakuni]

We always mention Butler, when we talk about a basketball only conference. Why would they want to join a new conference? They are very successful where they are at. Why would they want to change. I suspect their facilities are not as good as a lot of teams in the Big East. Their facilities fit where they are at.

Couldn't that be said of pretty much any team that's moved in the last decade? Pitt has been pretty successful in the Big East, haven't they? Nebraska had a decent run in the Big 8/12, no? Utah did pretty well in the Mountain West.

The answer is simple = $$$$$
Butler would a lot more money (and is more likely to keep Brad Stevens longer) in a reconstituted Big East than in the Horizon.
Butler's facilities would match up plenty well with, and in some cases exceed, those of some Big East members.

[GGGG]

I am struggling with why the ACC would even want them?  I can see a conference wanting to share their revenue with a Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, A&M or ND because of their $$ draw, but Syracuse football?  Sixth in average football attendance in the BE, 14th in undergrad enrollment, and the last in BE TV market size (82nd nationally).  Is Jim Brown coming back or something?  

There is a reason the ACC passed on these teams last time.

That is a damn good question.  Why would they want these schools?  Pitt is somewhat understandable.  But Syracuse?  Why not West Virginia?

The ACC actually wanted Syracuse last time, but Virginia Tech pressured the conference politically and they recinded the Syracuse invite.

[Chili]

New Big East (Assuming football schools leave and Big East returns to its bball roots)
Marquette
Notre Dame
DePaul
Seton Hall
St. John's
Providence
Villanova
Georgetown

Add
Xavier
SLU
Butler

That's 11 teams. You can play a 20-game conference schedule where you play everyone home-and-home.

This but NO SLU! Why add them? An 18 game round robin home and home schedule is perfect. Again, why SLU? Adds nothing.

[Chili]

That is a damn good question.  Why would they want these schools?  Pitt is somewhat understandable.  But Syracuse?  Why not West Virginia?

The ACC actually wanted Syracuse last time, but Virginia Tech pressured the conference politically and they recinded the Syracuse invite.

A lot of this is prestige. ACC has a lot of academic heavy hitter schools with UNC, Duke, Miami, Virginia, Georgia Tech & BC - both Cuse and Pitt add solid academics with good athletics. Cuse isn't just the Syracuse market, but all of upstate New York. Yes their football sucks, but the school has a lot of solid qualities.

I also thinks this opens up West Virginia to the SEC to be the 1st northern school in the conference.

[Blackhat]

Great time not to have an athletic director.   

You're telling me you can't get a national search done in 3 months? 

 Airplanes and email have been invented.  Get names, resumes and get some interviews going. 

[Aughnanure]

I hope this makes it less likely Texas joins a conference and they join Notre Dame as independent. Having more power schools that need to put the rest of their sports in a conference is the best we can hope for now.

[Warrior1]

As someone who went to both Butler and MU, we do not want to be anywhere near BU. The amount of money they spend on sports is pennies. Most fans of BU readily admit that there is no way they could compete in a BigEast let alone an A10. Their athletes take a bus, live in basically McCormick with all the other students, practice in regular Hinkel which is amazing but needs massive renovations. It makes it all the better to see what they accomplished, but Marquette, on a money and facility standpoint is on a different level. Make that ten different levels above.

We NEED to stay in the BEAST.

[Villacats]

New Big East (Assuming football schools leave and Big East returns to its bball roots)
Marquette
Notre Dame
DePaul
Seton Hall
St. John's
Providence
Villanova
Georgetown

Add
Xavier
SLU
Butler

That's 11 teams. You can play a 20-game conference schedule where you play everyone home-and-home.

No need for a hoops conference to have more than 9 teams. And Notre Dame will want no part of us, they're gone.

Add Xavier and then Dayton or Butler.

[Aughnanure]

This is BAD.


Source: Pitt, Syracuse apply to ACC

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6980644/pitt-syracuse-apply-join-acc-ranks-source-says

The Atlantic Coast Conference has been approached by at least 10 schools about possible membership, a group that includes the Big East's Pitt and Syracuse, both of which have tendered letters of application, a high-ranking ACC official said Saturday morning.

In addition, amid a "fluid landscape" in conference alignment, the ACC presidents have unanimously approved to increase the buyout for schools to leave the conference from $12 million-$14 million to $20 million, the source said, making it a highly unlikely scenario that any ACC teams defect from the conference.

University athletic directors and ACC officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to the current membership, but the increased buyout will make it much more costly for them to go back on their word. The increase in the buyout was approved at the annual meeting of university presidents this past week.

Another ACC source confirmed the addition of teams is not only valid, but a very real possibility. ACC officials have declined to comment, and no sources were aware of a timetable.

This is familiar territory for the ACC, which added former Big East teams Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College in 2004 and 2005 to get to its current 12-member format. Should it happen again, this move would likely be even far more difficult for the Big East to overcome.

For schools to leave the Big East, they must pay $5 million and give 27 months notice.

The New York Times first reported on Friday night that the ACC was in talks with Syracuse and Pittsburgh about leaving the Big East to join the league.

If Syracuse and Pittsburgh decide to leave the Big East, it could lead to another dramatic shuffle in college athletics. Texas A&M has announced its intention to join the Southeastern Conference, leaving the future of the Big 12 in doubt.

Baylor and Iowa State have already reached out to the Big East as a backup in case the Big 12 falls apart.

Big East spokesperson John Paquette said Saturday that league commissioner John Marinatto had no comment on word that Pitt and Syracuse have inquired about membership in the ACC.

Syracuse is a founding member of the Big East, and Pittsburgh joined the league in 1982.

Mike Finn, the ACC's associate commissioner for football communications, told The Associated Press late Friday night he was unaware of any such talks and didn't know anything about the Times' report.

Former Syracuse quarterback Donald McPherson, a Heisman runner-up in 1987 when the Orange went 11-0-1, approved of the school's push for membership in the ACC.

"I like the move," said McPherson, elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. "The landscape of college sports is rapidly changing and frankly, the Big East is not strong enough to survive it's current course.

"It's only asset the Big East has is the TV market, which may house the birthplace but has never been the soul of college football."

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte, whose program is scheduled to join the Big East next season, said Saturday he was worried about what appears to be another pending conference shakeup.

"But if you are great at your craft there will always be a place for you," Del Conte said. "I feel great about how we are healthy athletically and fiscally. I feel good about the things we can control. There are so many moving parts and it's an amazing journey college athletics is on. I'm not sure who really knows when it will be over.

"It's crazy," Del Conte added. "It's nerve wracking for everyone in college athletics. There are earthquakes going on all around us. And we don't know when they'll settle."

[Aughnanure]

No need for a hoops conference to have more than 9 teams. And Notre Dame will want no part of us, they're gone.

Add Xavier and then Dayton or Butler.

Marquette
St. John's
Villanova
Georgetown
Xavier
DePaul
Butler
St. Louis
Providence
Seton Hall

Ten teams. Itd be nice if we could grab a Memphis, UMass or something that wants to be in a viable basketball conference. Too bad Gonzaga and BYU are so far away, they would help legitimize this conference.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Cuse isn't just the Syracuse market, but all of upstate New York. Yes their football sucks, but the school has a lot of solid qualities.
 

Add in the closest DMA, Rochester, which is 90 miles away and they are 42nd...which is a stretch to say that they have a significant draw/bleed there--same distance as Chicago to Milwaukee. Over the ten interested in the ACC, Cuse may be the 11th most attractive. Why would the ACC share their new TV deal (take less of a share per school as Syracuse gives them no TV leverage) with this football runt?  USF makes far more sense, if FSU and Miami were to allow it.

[The Lens]

We had all the momentum in the world in '03 (plus fundraising was at an all-time high) and could have added football (1-AA) but many powers that be said "no it's too much money",  "it will take 8-10 years".

Well it's 8 years later, I wish we had that option.  I still am of the belief Nova will end up better than us b/c of football.  Maybe even Georgetown

btw, Wisconsin is one of the largest states in the Union to not have 2 D1 teams.  There is a reason Whitewater is so good.  We have opportunity in Wisconsin.

[PGsHeroes32]

Looks like its pretty much official. Cuse and Pitt have sent in their applications.

[MarquetteDano]

Wonder what TCU is thinking right now.  I am sure Pitt and Cuse was telling TCU it will solidify them in a BCS conference.  And now they turn tail and run.   Not cool.

[DiaperDandy]

Add in the closest DMA, Rochester, which is 90 miles away and they are 42nd...which is a stretch to say that they have a significant draw/bleed there--same distance as Chicago to Milwaukee. Over the ten interested in the ACC, Cuse may be the 11th most attractive. Why would the ACC share their new TV deal (take less of a share per school as Syracuse gives them no TV leverage) with this football runt?  USF makes far more sense, if FSU and Miami were to allow it.

I live in Rochester.  Born and raised here.  Rochester is a HUGE Syracuse town.  Distance has nothing to do with it.  The analogy between Milwaukee and Chicago is nothing like Rochester and Syracuse.  Syracuse is the only major sports university in upstate NY.  The University of Buffalo is the next closest but even most people in Buffalo cheer for Syracuse.  The only problem I see with this move is that Syracuse basketball is king up here.  No one cares about Syraucuse football.  They have not been relevant since the Donovan Mcnnab days and even then, they still had trouble drawing fans to the games.  Some people follow Cuse football, but compared to the midwest, college football has no pull in these parts.  Cuse is know strictly for college basketball and even lacrosse in these parts. When it comes to football, it is the Bills and the Steelers, not college football.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I live in Rochester.  Born and raised here.  Rochester is a HUGE Syracuse town.  Distance has nothing to do with it.  The analogy between Milwaukee and Chicago is nothing like Rochester and Syracuse.  Syracuse is the only major sports university in upstate NY.  The University of Buffalo is the next closest but even most people in Buffalo cheer for Syracuse.  The only problem I see with this move is that Syracuse basketball is king up here.  No one cares about Syraucuse football.  They have not been relevant since the Donovan Mcnnab days and even then, they still had trouble drawing fans to the games.  Some people follow Cuse football, but compared to the midwest, college football has no pull in these parts.  Cuse is know strictly for college basketball and even lacrosse in these parts. When it comes to football, it is the Bills and the Steelers, not college football.

Yes, thanks for making those points come home.  My point I was stumbling through is that as the #42 TV market combined, at best, Syracuse is not attractive to the ACC if this is about football. There is no significant football audience bleed like South Bend to Chicago for instance...or Milwaukee to Madison that makes a football deal attractive to ACC schools, at least as I can comprehend. It is a stretch, which your great insights further drive home.  

Hoops is another story which leads one to believe that Syracuse would be better off in the BE--if football survives somehow.

[Tugg Speedman]

ESPN is also saying the BE buyout is $5 million (for cuse and pitt) and the BE rules say schools leaving have to give 27 month notice.  

If true, this looks like a 2014 move.

[Norm]

Here's my suggestion for a basketball-only conference:

East Division
Georgetown (Washington, DC)
Villanova  (Philadelphia)
Seton Hall (West Orange, NJ/NYC)
St. John's (New York)
Providence (Providence)
Dusquene (Pittsburgh)

West Division
Marquette (Milwaukee)
DePaul (Chicago)
Xavier (Cincinnati)
Detroit Mercy (Detroit)
Butler (Indianapolis)
St. Louis (St. Louis)

All Catholic schools except for Butler. All in large cities.

[DiaperDandy]

I am not sure If Xavier goes anywhere without Dayton, being that the two are big rivals.  Also, Xavier has owned the A10 lately.  Not sure if they would want to leave.

[teddycoke]

What about ND?

[GGGG]

There is some persistant message board chatter that both Texas and ND are in very quiet talks with the B10 about joining.  One of the pieces of evidence is that ND has yet to announce what it will do with its hockey team, which has a no-brainer invite to upgrade its conference affiliation but has yet to pull the trigger.

[jsglow]

Apparently Baylor and Iowa State are reaching out to the Big East now.  Not sure how I feel about that.  I think our core basketball teams have to decide the future of the conference.  I have to believe that West Virginia is the next to leave.

[Hards Alumni]

Apparently Baylor and Iowa State are reaching out to the Big East now.  Not sure how I feel about that.  I think our core basketball teams have to decide the future of the conference.  I have to believe that West Virginia is the next to leave.

Yuck is how I feel.