The ACC voted to invite Louisville to join the conference. Ostensibly it was about replacing Maryland. The reality was the move was also about protecting the conference from future poaching. Louisville was also a rumored target for the Big XII. The rationale is that if the ACC gets to 16 first, they will protect themselves if or when things truly become four 16-team Super Conferences. The Big XII is only at 10 teams and really only has two heavyweights in Texas and Oklahoma. ACC leadership is betting that it will be easier for the good Big XII teams to find new homes as opposed to the Big XII enticing six ACC teams to join them.
But lost in the Louisville news is a report that the ACC and ESPN are exploring a cable network. I've been calling for this for months and I am glad people in Bristol finally woke up. Having its own cable network is the only way the ACC will ever get to revenue parity with the other conferences and is the only way Florida State and Clemson start to feel more comfortable with the ACC's future. The move makes sense for ESPN too as it provides stability to its exclusive partner (the ACC) and controls all the content on various platforms.
As for Louisville, I am indifferent on actually playing them. They don't fit the ACC's academic profile, but the last few weeks have proven that none of this is about academics.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 comments:
is schadenfreude wrong?
Sorry UConn, you did not make the cut.
NeXt!
"The reality was the move was also about protecting the conference from future poaching. Louisville was also a rumored target for the Big XII."
Hopefully I'm wrong, but this might come back to bite the ACC in the ass just like bringing in Notre Dame caused the B1G to poach Maryland.
Lousiville was a natural fit for the Big12, which now have little choice but to come after FSU/Clemson hard when they decide to expand.
The addition of such a poor academic school might also make it more palatable for schools such as UNC/Uva/GT etc to listen when the B1G comes around again.
I still don't understand how we can pretend at all that academics matter when we are talking about athletic conferences.
Can most people at Louisville SPELL ACC?
Raise your hand if you long for the days when caring passionately about college football meant........caring passionately about college football!
I'm so tired of the focus being on revenues and tv contracts and conference affiliations and cable subscribers and state politics and cable deals and endowments and...well, you get the point.
Once again bc and these other schools should lose non profit status. Anybody agree
agreed
The reality was we had to get a "southern" school, and one that is respectable at football and takes it seriously, to keep Florida State and Clemson happy. If we invited UConn, they would be under the impression it was all about basketball, the conference doesn’t really care about football, and would be looking to bolt as fast as possible. Unfortunately, this is all about keeping those 2 happy and content.
Louisville will join in 2013 or 2014?
Hard to criticize, have to stay out in front and keep up; would have no problem going to 16 if it would help making the ACC Network a reality.
RE: the not for profit and stuff, I mean, all of this stuff still assumes the absurdity that these players are still "student athletes" who should not profit off of their own likeness and work product, who shouldn't get a cut of the jersey the school sells with their # on it...whatever. that is a bigger issue for another day. as is, we gotta make sure the ACC doesn't fall apart/if it does, BC is in a position to join one of the big money conferences. this move ensures that.
Imagine an ACC hoops tournament with Duke, UNC, Syracuse and Louisville as the 4 finalists... Wow...
Is it at all possible BC would go to the Big 10? If yes, do you think BC would join a Big 10 hockey conference?
BC does not fit the BIG TEN profile. If you think the B10 only takes two more teams....BC would be waaaaaaaay down the list.
FSU and Clemson are not exactly pillars of academic excellence. Louisville is no worse than these schools academically. Plus, the ACC picks up the #1 bball team in the country and presumably the Big East Champs for football. And if you look at it from an economic standpoint, despite Louisville being in the Big East, it has one of the highest athletic budgets in the country and it's bball team is one of the most profitable (even ahead of Kentucky). Plus, the Louisville television market is the highest rated market for college bball in the country. Not a bad pickup all around and it's even better because UConn got snubbed again.
Reports out tonight that Carmichael has not even heard from BC, I have a feeling Roman is our first choice wanted the Vandy job last year, why not BC this time around, we could and should be the Stanford of the East!
BC hoops with a great win tonight at Penn State.
Hanlan is an absolute stud. got to the line 17 times and carried us on his back down the stretch. had an and-1 with 5 minutes to play to end a big penn state run, and then had a great drive and dish to van nest for an easy basket.
Rahon has all the characteristics of a "coach's son" just understands the game, plays smart, takes control when momentum is swinging. really like the control of his game. backcourt is in good shape with those two.
heckmann got the start and is showing signs of coming back to life. 6 points 6 rebounds 3 assists 3 steals 2 blocks only 1 TO in 35 minutes. helped break the press and had a big 3 with 6 minutes to go. i like the starting guards being O, Joe, and Heckmann, with Lonnie off the bench.
anderson had a baffling game, was totally ineffective in the 2nd half and almost nonexistent down the stretch. clifford still struggling and was surprised Van Nest the harvard grad student transfer got as much time as he did.
this team is going to have its ups and downs -- with bryant hopefully being the worst down (what a terrible loss). but the fact is both of these freshmen can play, anderson heckmann clifford have all had stretches of really effective play, jackson is finally coming together from deep and stretching defenses, even odio has had plays. give it a year and this team will be in the top 25 and an ACC contender (garland is gonna fit in great as the athletic wing).
*correction, 19, not 17 fta. hanlan was 15-19 from the line.
Clifford got hurt in the first half and didn't see the floor again, explains why Van Nest got so much run. That said, i thought Van Nest handled himself well.
KC didn't see any action tonight, but in the Bryant game he looked rough. I think he may be getting over an injury that has affected his conditioning because he seems to have put back on some weight that was there on his HS highlight videos, but was gone last year.
troubling: donahue's teams have shown no inclination to jettison the maddening inability to deal with the press and have succumbed to pressure consistently. i am just glad we had a 20 point cushion to work with which allowed us to survive their run.
Post a Comment