Notre Dame to ACC

[garekis]

The Big East is about to get smaller and the ACC is about to get larger.  No, it's not us.  Welcome to the Big East, Aresco.  In the short term, life in the Big East/West/North/South ain't gettin' any less complicated.  In the long term, this conference is like an aging Vegas casino - it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when".

[GGGG]

Wait...are you saying that the ACC is going to take additional teams besides Pitt and Syracuse?  How do you know this?

[GGGG]

In all sports but football.  Garekis was right.

https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status/245879586649436160

[MUDPT]

ESPN reporting ND to join all sports except football.  Will play 5 games against ACC schools per year.

[frozena pizza]

Further crumbling of the Big East.  ND to ACC, except for football.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8369070/sources-notre-dame-football-acc

[Benny B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.... Notre Dame's going to the ACC.  We've been hearing this for so long it's become nauseating.

I hate to lose ND basketball, but frankly, if it's going to happen, no big loss.  They weren't contributing to the football fund any way, so it's not a crippling loss - by a long shot.

That is, IF it's true.  It's might be a different rumor originating from the same place... but if the Tribune is reporting it, it must be true, huh?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-sources-notre-dame-to-announce-acc-move-today-20120912,0,4749218.story

[GGGG]

While perhaps not crippling, Notre Dame is a big loss.  Notre Dame is a big name university and a big name sports program.  And you know what should scare the sh*t out of BE fans?  If the ACC wants to round out the whole thing with a sixteenth, non-football playing member and decides to add a school like Georgetown. 

This is exactly why I though the basketball schools should have separated a year ago.  The product was completely watered down with the addition of SMU, Houston, UCF, etc.  Notre Dame wasn't going to hang around with that bunch.

[brewcity77]

Further evidence that all the ACC and ESPN cares about is destroying the Big East. There is no reason for the ACC to take ND without football. I despise ESPN.

[Aughnanure]

This is bad.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Well, it was a nice conference we had once....

[PaintTouches]

Seeing as football will supposedly stay independent, this lends credence to the theory that the Cuse and Pitt moves were more about hurting the Big East brand than simply a football minded move. Why else would the ACC take in ND and exempt it's most profitable asset?

Also, while throwing out wild speculation, I find it curious that ESPN broke the news, seeing as they have been behind Yahoo and CBS on most major college stories the past few years. Coupled with their ongoing Big East TV negotiations, something doesn't smell right. 

[MileHigh]

Can we call dibs on playing the last Big East game in the Joyce Center?  I want to win and see Buzz Irish Jig all over center court

[Benny B]

I know I'll get lambasted for this, but I really, really, really don't think this is a huge loss.  The ND name is great and all, but:

1) They weren't ever going to contribute to a football contract in the Big East
2) Their basketball team isn't a national draw like the football team is, so "adding of markets" for an ACC Network might get you Chicago, but not on basic cable.
3) It's ND.  Who the f___ cares?

I sincerely hope that Jenkins (ND's Pres) has been in contact with Pilarz, DeGioia (G-Town), Donohue (Nova), Harrington (StJ's), etc. for some time on this decision.  I would hate for this to be a situation where he simply turned his back on the brethren.


In any event... the Big East is NOT dead.  Far from it, in fact.  Actually, it's one fewer school with which we have to split the upcoming TV contract.

[GGGG]

Further evidence that all the ACC and ESPN cares about is destroying the Big East. There is no reason for the ACC to take ND without football. I despise ESPN.

There is a big, football related reason to take ND.  I am assuming that ND is going to have something written into its agreement, similar to the one with the BE, that ND gets access to certain bowls that the ACC plays in.  This makes all of the ACC's bowl arrangements that much more valuable.  Furthermore, getting ND playing ACC schools in football will bring more eyeballs to the set.

Also, remember that the ACC is in somewhat of a desperate need to strengthen its football product.  To have ND associated with them, even not as a full member, is helpful with the changes to the BCS landscape.  The ACC is clearly the fifth of the BCS conferences...and the Big East was significantly behind them.  This helps them.

[nyg]

Just surprised that if ND was to join a conference, it was all in with the Big Ten.

So much for the new BE commissioner being appointed a few months ago.  The prior guy probably saw handwriting on the wall.

[MileHigh]

Just surprised that if ND was to join a conference, it was all in with the Big Ten.

So much for the new BE commissioner being appointed a few months ago.  The prior guy probably saw handwriting on the wall.

Big Ten was all or none...they want ND FB

[bilsu]

I do not see it as bad. Notre Dame was always the outlier with their football program being independent. That in my opinion made them a Big East football destabilizer. The fact that they are remaining independent in football is good, since the ACC will not need another football team to balance out their conference. The only question would be, if they would want another basketball team, which might bring Georgetown into play. That would be bad. However, my guess is that the ACC stands pat until Notre Dame commits to football.

[GGGG]

And Seth Davis nails it on the head.

https://twitter.com/SethDavisHoops/status/245884040744402944

"The Catholic/non-FB schools in Big East will someday face a choice: Remain on a sinking ship, or break off and form their own conference?"

[chapman]

Hoping the new commissioner doesn't now think football member 14 should be basketball backfill as well.  The last thing we need is to dilute basketball further by adding ECU.  If that happens I hope we're ready to bail.

[cheebs09]

[quote author=pux90mex link=topic=33571.msg408151#msg408151 date=1347458355

Also, while throwing out wild speculation, I find it curious that ESPN broke the news, seeing as they have been behind Yahoo and CBS on most major college stories the past few years. Coupled with their ongoing Big East TV negotiations, something doesn't smell right. 
[/quote]

The reporter who has been on top of conference expansion this whole time, Brett McMurphy, moved from CBS to ESPN very recently. I'm assuming that's the reason ESPN broke the news.

[TallTitan34]

Can we call dibs on playing the last Big East game in the Joyce Center?  I want to win and see Buzz Irish Jig all over center court

I would hope for this even if they weren't leaving.

Time to form the new basketball only conference!

[PaintTouches]

The reporter who has been on top of conference expansion this whole time, Brett McMurphy, moved from CBS to ESPN very recently. I'm assuming that's the reason ESPN broke the news.

Thanks for that Cheebs. Makes more sense now.

[Skatastrophy]

Crap.

I hope we're chatting with the A10.

[MerrittsMustache]

There is a big, football related reason to take ND.  I am assuming that ND is going to have something written into its agreement, similar to the one with the BE, that ND gets access to certain bowls that the ACC plays in.  This makes all of the ACC's bowl arrangements that much more valuable.  Furthermore, getting ND playing ACC schools in football will bring more eyeballs to the set.

Also, remember that the ACC is in somewhat of a desperate need to strengthen its football product.  To have ND associated with them, even not as a full member, is helpful with the changes to the BCS landscape.  The ACC is clearly the fifth of the BCS conferences...and the Big East was significantly behind them.  This helps them.

Did ND ever get a new deal done with NBC? If they can't get it worked out and find themselves in need of a conference, ACC football could become relevant again. Low risk, high reward.

[brewcity77]

The problem I have with the "not a big loss" mentality is that ND was a big name brand piece of the league. This hurts our status immediately as our contract negotiations start at the end of the month. Just look at how our basketball lineup will change as we attempt to negotiate with NBC, CBS, Fox, and anyone else who might have been interested: ND, Syracuse, Pitt, and WVU out, UCF, SMU, Houston, Temple, Memphis in. That's a big, big downgrade. The league's marketability is going down because the quality is declining, and ND probably had a bigger fanbase than any of the other teams on that list.