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Could the ACC become legit?

GladeCane said:
Somehow get ND and PSU.
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Neither will happen, but in an alternate universe, if this happened and the other marquee teams stayed put AND a new TV contract could be delivered, then I'd be happy with that conference. Unfortunately, we live in this universe and it ain't happening, but if I had my druthers, I'd druther just stay in the ACC and add ND and one or two other pieces. But...

...looks like our away games will be in the Midwest and occasionally in Los Angeles. The LA thing will be very cool.
 
I think a more interesting question is whether some of the blue bloods can stay at their level. The TV money is a huge floor for them right now but ultimately it will come down to getting quality players. We have already seen the portal/Nil hurting them with the inability to stack players. I think it is very possible for that erosion to continue for those programs that have no obvious big money backing them. In the old days the secret was to have a large rabid fan base with a dozen boosters willing to throw around some cash. These days, car dealership or fast food franchise money ain’t getting it done. You need one or more people with FU money and enough pride/ego to throw a chunk of it at your program.

After all, 10 years ago Indiana and Texas Tech were an afterthought. The upper echelon is a zero sum game so when programs like TT, IU and UM rise somebody else is falling in their place. You could say that is Clemson and FSU as an example. But I don’t think schools like Alabama and Georgia are immune. Without a big time patron, their reputation will only carry them so far.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
The line-up has been happening for quite some time.

And a LOT of CIS posters are going to owe Donna Shalala a big apology (no pun intended). She has been our secret weapon.
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She’s already in the pantheon for UHealth. Incredible asset to the U. … I love hearing she’s still helping work the relationships given her connections.

That doesn’t mean she’s not to blame for Randy Shannon and the decade of underinvestment in the program under her watch. And her staff really could have vetted the donor base for scum like Shapiro a little better.

But even with all that she was a transformative hire for the U.
 
filmcane said:
Neither will happen, but in an alternate universe, if this happened and the other marquee teams stayed put AND a new TV contract could be delivered, then I'd be happy with that conference. Unfortunately, we live in this universe and it ain't happening, but if I had my druthers, I'd druther just stay in the ACC and add ND and one or two other pieces. But...

...looks like our away games will be in the Midwest and occasionally in Los Angeles. The LA thing will be very cool.
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For me, adding just ND doesn't get it done. Other then PSU, not sure you would have the draw to make it work.
 
cookies said:
I think this statement is easily misguided given that FSU beat Alabama last year; and Georgia Tech has given UGA **** two years straight.

Alabama finished ranked 9th, was 8th when they played FSU, and isn’t in the top 5 right now: still, my point stands lol.

These programs aren’t bulletproof. NIU beat ND then ND went to the national championship game. Current Stanford Qb Davis Warren took 6-5 Michigan & beat the soon to be national championship Buckeyes.
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I just don’t see those school beating a top 5
 
Jim Carrey Chance GIF
 
LoyalCane24 said:
Don’t shoot the messenger here; I hate the ACC as much as anyone. Right now, it’s the *** crack of college football.

But could it eventually become a legitimate conference?

Miami: We will be a perennial top-five team and win championships. Having a national powerhouse at the top immediately makes the entire conference more relevant. Ranked ACC opponents get more attention, conference games carry more weight, and the league finally has a legitimate national centerpiece.

Notre Dame: If it ever joined—obviously unlikely—it would completely transform the ACC. Miami and Notre Dame competing for championships would give the conference two massive national brands at the top. Even if it never joins, we should play Notre Dame every year.

Virginia Tech: Franklin is a proven coach, and I fully expect Virginia Tech to become a consistent top-15 program. A night game in Blacksburg in November 2028 will probably make me more nervous than most SEC matchups.

The rest:

  • Cal is investing and appears to have found its coach. I could see it becoming a regular top-25 team.
  • Clemson could return to the top 15 or 20 if Dabo finally embraces the portal and NIL. If he doesn’t, he may be gone.
  • FSU will likely fire Norvell and make a serious financial push to rebuild. As much as I hate them, the brand and potential are still there.
  • SMU and Louisville should remain consistent top-25 programs under their current coaches.
  • One or two teams from the UNC, UVA, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Syracuse, NC State and Boston College group will usually be solid.
If this happens, the ACC could regularly have a top-five Miami, a top-15 Virginia Tech and several other ranked teams. That’s suddenly a respectable conference.

And if Notre Dame somehow joined? An ACC led by perennial top-five Miami and Notre Dame teams, with Virginia Tech in the top 15 and several other ranked programs, would be a **** solid conference.

Am I being too optimistic, or can you guys see it happening?
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So if ND doesn’t join the ACC only one team (Miami) consistently makes the 12 team playoff and you think that legitimizes the conference?

Log off and become a tranny.
 
Writing these long useless dissertations is a waste of time- per usual. The SEC owns the most per game eyeballs- and it isn’t close. The south, southeast region of the U.S. is gaining population growth due to politics in the state they are fleeing. Miami needs to be in the SEC where college sports are king and where even games against Miss St gets viewership. Plus- the SEC recruiting base is our blood line. Going to the BIG is like wanting to live under the rule of the NYC mayor.
 
Even if the ACC had 10 top 25 teams, none of it matters because it is locked into a crap TV contract for another decade. B1G and SEC have the money and thus the power. That gap will continue to widen with each year. THAT is the deciding factor.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
So then let's look at the biggest population markets:

1. California - Big 10
2. Texas - SEC
3. Florida - split between the SEC and ACC, but all the SEC has to do is invite FSU and/or Miami
4. New York - do we really believe that Syracuse delivers New York? They barely watch college football
5. Pennsylvania - Big 10
6. Illinois - Big 10
7. Ohio - Big 10
8. Georgia - SEC, come on now
9. North Carolina - ACC, until the SEC takes UNC
10. Michigan - Big 10
11. New Jersey - Big 10
12. Virginia - ACC, until the SEC takes UVa and/or VaTech
13. Washington - Big 10
14. Arizona - Big 12
15. Tennessee - SEC
16. Massachusetts - same as NY above, do we really think that BC delivers Massachusetts?
17. Indiana - Big 10
18. Missouri - SEC
19. Maryland - Big 10
20. Colorado - Big 12
21. Wisconsin - Big 10
22. Minnesota - Big 10
23. South Carolina - ACC and SEC, which would change if the SEC takes Clemson
24. Alabama - SEC
25. Louisiana - SEC

So there are the 25 biggest states. And those 25 states represent EIGHT-FOUR PERCENT of the US population.

And what does the ACC have?

-Half of Florida, for now
-New York and Massachusetts, for what they are worth
-North Carolina, commandingly, which will change when the SEC takes UNC
-Virginia, for now
-Half of South Carolina, for now
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So what does the ACC have?

1. Half of CA
2. Dallas which is half of TX by your math
3. 2/3 FL only half by your math
4. If Rutgers counts for NJ Syr. counts for NY
5. Pittsburgh?
6. IL ok you win
7. OH ok 0
8. Atlanta?
9. NC I win
So 7 of the top 9 states? Seems like a lot to offer actually.

The ACC isn't dead. The SEC is dead. Ok not dead but their reign as the superpower is over. SEC hasn't been in the final in 3yrs. The ACC twice. NIL changed everything. Their hickville towns can't complete. TT and SMU are going to be ahead of AL and GA in no time. Could argue TT already is and SMU has seen the blueprint. ACC football is right with the BIG and SEC. ESPN will hang on but everyone knows the power shifting is well underway.

Yes ND joining officially helps but they don't even need it. ND is already in the ACC in every other sport. They play 6 football games. If they were in the conference officially it'd be 8-10. So 6 ACC teams each year already get the ratings and SOS that come w/ ND. Officially adding them for a couple more games won't matter. ND is the most national brand so all the states like MI, IL, IN and OH that don't have ACC officially for all practical purposes do w/ ND.

2024 ACC had 3 teams in the playoffs. Every year Miami and ND don't play each other they will both be in the playoffs. Plus 1 other school having a good year is not a stretch at all. So exactly their expected 25% of the playoffs.
 
hurricane-warnings said:
So what does the ACC have?

1. Half of CA
2. Dallas which is half of TX by your math
3. 2/3 FL only half by your math
4. If Rutgers counts for NJ Syr. counts for NY
5. Pittsburgh?
6. IL ok you win
7. OH ok 0
8. Atlanta?
9. NC I win
So 7 of the top 9 states? Seems like a lot to offer actually.

The ACC isn't dead. The SEC is dead. Ok not dead but their reign as the superpower is over. SEC hasn't been in the final in 3yrs. The ACC twice. NIL changed everything. Their hickville towns can't complete. TT and SMU are going to be ahead of AL and GA in no time. Could argue TT already is and SMU has seen the blueprint. ACC football is right with the BIG and SEC. ESPN will hang on but everyone knows the power shifting is well underway.

Yes ND joining officially helps but they don't even need it. ND is already in the ACC in every other sport. They play 6 football games. If they were in the conference officially it'd be 8-10. So 6 ACC teams each year already get the ratings and SOS that come w/ ND. Officially adding them for a couple more games won't matter. ND is the most national brand so all the states like MI, IL, IN and OH that don't have ACC officially for all practical purposes do w/ ND.

2024 ACC had 3 teams in the playoffs. Every year Miami and ND don't play each other they will both be in the playoffs. Plus 1 other school having a good year is not a stretch at all. So exactly their expected 25% of the playoffs.
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I partially agree. You're taking the other extreme to offset TOC's extreme counter-ACC argument. Each of the P4 has its own points leverage and weakness.

SEC's strengths are its ESPN contract, current viewership, rabid fans and disproportionally rich recruiting talent base. I'd also argue their leadership is closer to state and local political leadership which greases wheels better, and gives them leverage in ramming through their priorities (e.g., Save College Sports Act). Its weaknesses are its regional positioning, disproportionally weak media markets and general lack of smart money NIL backers (the TX teams being the exception).

The ESPN contract + other media agreement advantages are the lynchpin because AFAIK they give SEC teams an additional $25M-$30M annually vs. ACC teams. I would bet that difference is larger than the entire football roster's rev share/NIL budget for every ACC team except Miami.

The only way for Miami to consistently compete with P2 programs, especially the SEC, is to overcome that gap. I'll let the lawyers chime in here, but I understand we're stuck with our ESPN deal until 2036. That's 10 more season or ~$275M in gap we need to overcome during the next decade, and whatever gap remains upon contract termination. If it looked like the ACC could close that gap in its next iteration, maybe we'll suffer through. As of now, I don't see it. Which means getting out would be worth more than staying in.

One other observation -- A big part of the decision will come down to trust. If 2026 goes the way we think it will, we will have become the most dominant program across the ACC with no end in sight based on Mario's recruiting successes. In my mind, that means Miami should be the default leader in negotiations for the ACC, not the Tobacco Road programs. If our current ACC partners are willing to cede more control to Miami and look to us as the de facto leader, then that may change how we move forward. I personally don't see Miami being given the position of power it deserves either in the ACC or the SEC, which is why I'm a fan of the BiG. But people and organizations change.

Net/net, under the right circumstances, staying in the ACC could work to our advantage. But it's a long shot given the ACC's current weakened position.
 
The answer is no. It cannot become legit. ACC lost 2 out of conference games today, about to be 3 as Cal chokes.

Big Ten won all out of conference today.
SEC won all out of conference today.

It doesnt matter which teams anyone played. The record already looks like **** and Clemson losing by a million on national tv doesnt help.
 
canecane232323 said:
The answer is no. It cannot become legit. ACC lost 2 out of conference games today, about to be 3 as Cal chokes.

Big Ten won all out of conference today.
SEC won all out of conference today.

It doesnt matter which teams anyone played. The record already looks like **** and Clemson losing by a million on national tv doesnt help.
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You mean the ACC beating the SEC in meaningless bowl games doesn’t matter?
 
HighPerformance said:
canecane232323 said:
The answer is no. It cannot become legit. ACC lost 2 out of conference games today, about to be 3 as Cal chokes.

Big Ten won all out of conference today.
SEC won all out of conference today.

It doesnt matter which teams anyone played. The record already looks like **** and Clemson losing by a million on national tv doesnt help.
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You mean the ACC beating the SEC in meaningless bowl games doesn’t matter?
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Only to say the Acc did last season and it gained the conference nothing. Still began this season predicted to have 1 playoff team. Then lost to out of conference teams 3 times opening weekend. Clemson being the spotlight game of the weekend. If Louisville loses tonight to Ole Miss, that will be 4.

Everything national media says and already believes about the Acc will be proven true in their minds in week 1. So no it can never be a legit league. Until we leave for a better conference we just accept that Miami is the exceptional top team of a **** conference.
 
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