Another ACC Champ

North Carolina just won the National Championship. We now play in the conference that is home to the football and basketball champions. It might seem like BC will never be in position to win either championship, but being in the ACC is a huge benefit as we try to take the programs to the next level. If you are ever going to win anything big, it will be through recruiting and developing those players under intense competition. By playing champions annually, BC has a direct barometer of where they are with regards to the best teams in the country. Right now we are not doing enough. But by coming up short, the pressure increases. Hence the change in AD. And there will be more changes if Addazio and Christian do not start competing.

Getting crushed by the eventual champions can be deflating. Some long for the good ol' days or think that if we were in a mid-major conference, we could be more successful. I don't agree. As frustrating as this can be, I want to be associated with the best. I want to know how far we have to go. When we do turn things around, it will make things all that much more satisfying.

ACC to create replay command center

The ACC is going to follow the NFL and create a central command center to handle all replays. Decisions will no longer be made at the stadium. While I don't think this will save BC from the occasional bad call, I do appreciate the consistency the new system should bring.

Does the Grant of Rights finally secure the ACC?

The ACC agreed to a shared Grant of Rights until to 2027. Many are saying this keeps the conference secure for years to come. I still have my doubts. Let me explain:

The Good
The grant means all of the ACC's content is now pooled. BC's local radio deal, online rights for Wake Forest Field Hockey, or a Duke-North Carolina game all have the same owner and manager -- the conference. No more local, or team only deals. It also protects new media/internet rights. Obviously not all team's rights are equal. Florida State's radio network is worth much more than say the rights to BC softball. So it is a good sign that every team was willing to sacrifice control and that potential revenue in order for it to be shared by the group. (Perhaps there is some allocation method so a valuable property -- like a BC hockey or Syracuse Lacrosse -- might get a reward for performance. We will know more in the coming days.) The deal also creates another trigger with ESPN, so I predict we will hear about the new financial terms of the ACC-ESPN agreement shortly. It also puts us in the same financial and content standing as the Big 12, which neutralizes one conference as a predator.

Finally, it moves the ACC one step closer to an ACC Network.

The Bad
Financially this doesn't level the playing field with the Big Ten, Pac 12 or SEC. The ACC remains in a catch up position. It also doesn't include Notre Dame. Without the Irish and in a secondary money position, any of the big 3, but most likely the SEC of Big Ten could poach an ACC team.

While a new conference partner wouldn't get the new (former ACC) school's home games or radio content, the Big Ten or SEC would still get to market to those cable homes in the new markets and would still get all of their conference away games.

One only needs to look towards Maryland to realize what the big conferences are willing to do and pay for. Maryland's content is not worth the $50 million the Big Ten is paying upfront. But the long-term potential is when you factor in Maryland cable homes. And think of how much more valuable other programs are when compared to Maryland.

What's next?
I think this will cool things off for a few months. The next domino is the SEC's new network and if the ACC is finally willing to get our network on cable. I am glad BC is secure, but I know enough about this process to know it won't end soon.

Ranking BC among the Musical Chairs participants

Maryland is gone and no one thinks this is that last move. If BC wants to stay a player in college athletics, we better put on our best dancing shoes and get ready for some wheeling and dealing.

Let's assume we are really headed towards four 16 team Super Conferences. That leaves two remaining spots in the Big Ten, two remaining spots in the SEC, six in the Big 12 and four in the Pac 12. That is 14 teams that could move. There are now 14 teams in the ACC. Conceivably the conference could dissolve and all the current ACC members could find other homes. We all know it won't be that clean and we also know that the Big East and MWC teams are fighting for those same spots. 

BC does have some value. As Maryland and Rutgers just proved, this is more about cable subscribers than sports. BC still sits squarely in the seventh largest TV market in the country. A college network could never charge as much as NESN does in the New England area, but even getting a 25% of NESN's fees would be a huge revenue boone for any conference. We also brings a solid athletic and academic reputation. Plus we are non-threatening. If anything these Super Conferences are looking for a bunch of Washington Generals who happen to have good cable potential. BC could fill that need. 

The SEC is not going to come calling, so really our only non-ACC options are the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Pac 12. (I will get into the geographic issues of the Pac 12 and Big 12 later.)

Big Ten

If the Big Ten were to expand and follow the same motivations they just established with Rutgers and Maryland, this would be their order of preference:

1. Notre Dame

2. North Carolina

3. Virginia

4. Florida State

5. Virginia Tech

6. BC

7. Duke

8. Georgia Tech

I don't think the Big Ten wants Louisville, UConn or any Big 12 team (other than Texas). If they did want them, they would have already taken them. Being sixth on their list doesn't seem like a good place to be, but you have to consider that ND, UNC, UVA, FSU and Virginia Tech will all have multiple options. The Big Ten money might be attractive, but culturally and geographically they might fit better in the SEC or Big 12 and get the same money. 

In this game BC needs to be flexible and keep dialogue and options open, but if the ACC unravels, we need to focus on the Big Ten. We would be a oddball there, but it would still be the best of the remaining fits.

SEC

The SEC is never coming for BC. Ever. And it would be a terrible fit for us.

Big 12

The Big 12 is intriguing because they need money and teams to keep up with the other conferences. They are very Texas-centric and a seemingly odd fit for BC, but if they went to 16 teams and had a "Northeast Division" of West Virginia, Pitt, BC and Syracuse, it wouldn't seem all that odd to us. I doubt their expansion would be that clean and simple either. All indications are that their first move would be to get the southern football powers. The northeast TV markets would be second.

1. Notre Dame

2. Florida State

3. North Carolina

4. Virginia Tech

5. Virginia 

6. Georgia Tech

7. Duke

8. NC State

9.Clemson

10. BC

11. Syracuse

12. Miami

13. Pitt

This is where things get dicey. This conference has six spots and we would probably be their 10th choice. But I have some belief that if Notre Dame or UNC were really determined to leave, they would not move to the Big 12, leaving spots open for a place like BC.

Pac 12

In 2010 Pac 12 (then Pac 10) commissioner Larry Scott wanted to partner with the ACC to form a national college cable channel. He was rebuffed. That will be a move that haunts the ACC for years, as Scott got his cable deal and the ACC is left scrambling. The conference realignment could bring new life to Scott's old idea. All he needs is an eastern outpost for his Pac 12 channel.

It might seem like the Pac 12 would want closer teams, but once you go to 16, you can start creating regional pods or divisions within the conference.

1. Notre Dame

2. North Carolina

3. Duke

4. Florida State

5. BC

6. Virginia

7. Virginia Tech

8. Miami

9. Syracuse

10. NC State

It might surprise some that I think we are the 5th most attractive ACC program to the Pac 12, but that is based purely on our TV numbers in San Francisco and Los Angeles. If the Pac 12 decides to do something as extreme as an East Coast division, it will be about TV numbers.

What's next

I don't know but the SEC has a TV deal coming up and the sudden urge to be bigger than the Big Ten. They will come to the ACC. Then it becomes a matter of who leaves. From there, it will be more dominoes. There is enough room for BC, but we need our new leadership working every angle. 

Notre Dame to ACC as non-football member

ESPN reported that Notre Dame will join the ACC as a non-football member. Rumblings started this morning but there has been plenty of speculation for months. According to ESPN the Irish will commit to playing five ACC teams annually in football. Given that Pitt and BC are regular opponents, adding three more ACC teams is not much of a hardship on Notre Dame. I assume the deal also allows Notre Dame to keep its NBC deal for football.

The good news
In the changing landscape of college football this gives the ACC one of the few remaining chess pieces. I assume there will be some sort of bowl partnership in the relationship. While the politics of the new playoff are still to be determined, you would have to imagine Notre Dame's vote and interests will now be more closely aligned with the ACC. Adding the Irish for also is probably enough of a trigger to reopen our ESPN deal again to get some more money.

The bad news
It is partial membership with no rumored transition date to full membership. We only need to look back to our Big East days to know that the Irish will do everything in their power to keep their football independence. The other issue is this probably means the ACC will add a 16th team to balance things out. That means were are probably back in a conference with Rutgers or UConn again.

Blaudschun finally recognizes Big East mess

One of the most frustrating things about the move from the Big East to the ACC was the media coverage in the Northeast. How many times did we hear or read that "BC doesn't belong in the ACC"? Ironically one of the biggest culprits was BC's beat writer Mark Blaudschun. Rarely did he or other Big East loyalists publicly state what a financial windfall the ACC move was. Nor did anyone emphasize how much stability the move brought BC. No, instead they fed the narrative that BC might one day "move back" to the Big East. Now it appears that Blaudschun has finally realized that the Big East is doomed in its current configuration.

No one knows what the future holds for any of these conferences. The college football media like Blaudschun think they do, but their track records show how out of touch they are. In the next shuffle, BC could be one of the schools left out or on the short end of someone's power play. But one thing is sure, leaving the Big East was one of the best moves we've ever made.

Reason number 396 why I am glad we left the Big East

Did you see the news that East Carolina is willing to become a passive member of Big East football? Here are the particulars:

• Play a conference football schedule with zero compensation from the Big East so current members don't have to give up any of their share of revenue.

• Be responsible for negotiating a television contract for home games until the league wants the school to be a part of its package.

• Not expect any of the league's BCS revenue until earning a BCS bid of its own representing the conference.

• Come in as a football member only. Other sports would play in another league in order to not interfere with the league's current 16-member setup for all other sports.

• Show a solid track record of putting fans in the seats at home, on the road and at bowl games — all on a trial basis for a few years.

I am sure East Carolina is a fine institution. The program was a vital part of Jags and Logan's careers. However, that doesn't mean they would have generated any excitement in Boston had BC stayed in the Big East. This desperate marriage -- which is structured to prop up the unworkable 16 team basketball conference -- is a joke.

Old schoolers can complain all they want about the ACC, but it provided more stability, more revenue, more liked-minded opponents and more excitement. We should never look back.

Rooting guide

Now that the first quarter of the season has played out, it is time to start looking at scoreboards. While BC ultimately controls its own destiny, it is always nice to see your rivals lose to someone else. With that in mind here is who I am rooting for and against this weekend.

Clemson vs Georgia Tech
BC needs Georgia Tech to win and preferably in a crushing fashion. A GT win would make our victory over the Jackets seem more impressive and it would put Clemson below us in the division.

Alabama vs Florida State
This is where my guide becomes a little more subjective and hunches replace actual common sense. In the common sense world BC would want a fellow ACC team to whip an SEC team. This gives our conference credibility. In my mind FSU losing is better. From a distance it looks like this FSU season could go either way. If they get beat Saturday, perhaps they start packing it in during conference play. If FSU mails in the season, that is one less competitor for the division title.

Maryland vs Rutgers
A Maryland win helps the conference, our national rankings and our New Jersey recruiting. Go Terps!

Louisville vs NC State
Like the FSU game, logic gets thrown out the window due to my grudge. I have no problem with TOB going 1-11.

Duke vs Miami
Neither impacts our ACC standings. I guess I would like to see Duke win. Helps our Florida recruiting and makes Ted Roof’s job a little safer. (I believe Duke might be interested in hiring Logan as their head coach. That would be bad for BC.)

Virginia vs Pitt
Big East vs the ACC. I’ll finally toe the conference line. Go UVA!

UNC vs Virginia Tech
Neither team is in our division but VT is on our schedule. I want them to have a few setbacks before we play them. Go Tar Heels.