ACC votes to expand!!!

[MeanGene]

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0513/1553257.html

ACC tournet tickets will really be a ***** to get now!

[Jeff O Rocks]

I'm not so sure that I am happy about this...only time will tell!! :roll:

[hyena]

i don't like this. ideally i'd like to add miami only but that can't happen. i'd also much rather have Cuse and BC over VAtech. i think this sucks. it's dandy for football, sure, but i just can't imagine not playing every team twice in basketball. no matter how they split the divisions up people are going to be pissed off. :beatup:

as long as state, unc, and duke face each other twice a year in the regular season i'll live. :roll:

[Stormbringer]

:mad: I have never liked this idea from the get-go. As a huge basketball fan when it comes to college sports, I am absolutely going to miss the greatness of getting to play Duke and State twice. And there's not only that, but why Boston College and Syracuse joining?! Those colleges are too far up north! The ACC was meant to primarily be a southeastern/mid-atlantic conference. Miami joining is fine...as I told my brother, doesn't hurt to have another Florida college join, and it will add another rivalry to the conference with the classic football rivalry Florida State and Miami have. But then, that leads to my biggest problem with the ACC expanding...it's all about football and having a confounded football tournament and NOTHING ELSE. While football has gotten stronger in the ACC, it still is nothing in popularity compared to hoops, which is what everyone thinks of first when they think of the ACC.

Anyway, if there is some way that UNC, Duke, and State got to play each other twice not counting tournament matchups, my beef with this would not be as bad. Though, as I said before, I think 'Cuse and BC are too far up north to join the ACC. My ideal three selections out of the colleges that have been mentioned as candidates for the expansion are Miami, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh (Just as far up north as Maryland...rather reasonable IMHO.). But if I had my druthers, Miami would be the only college added to make the conference even out at ten teams.

P.S. Of colleges not mentioned as canidates for the expansion, Penn State wouldn't be bad since it's the same distance as Pitt and Maryland.

[Goldwolf]

target date for actual expansion: 2006

so the ACC is still only 9 teams

[Turbulence]

And the individual universities have to accept as well...

I don't like this idea one bit. Having more teams means a split up into divisions in basketball...which would surely wreck strong rivalries in the league. Heck...every school in the league has a rivalry against everyone else. A split up would ensure that at least half of these strong rivalries would remain in place. Certainly they would ensure that rivalries like Duke-UNC and State-Wake Forest would remain...but other rivalries would be eliminated.

The ACC is looking more toward football right now. Surely adding Miami and Syracuse would add to the excitement of ACC football...not to mention we'd have the defending champions in basketball and the runners-up in football...but the bread and butter of the ACC is basketball. If you cannot retain those strong rivalries, the ACC becomes like any other conference. The football programs of the ACC aren't faring to badly...with State performing well and Florida State always being good, not to mention up-and-coming programs at Maryland and Wake Forest. I don't see that the addition of strong football schools would outweigh the loss of traditional ACC basketball...it just isn't worth it.

Anything to make money, I guess...

[tommy]

Yeah Turby, you got that right... it is all about the money.

The article in today's N and O pretty much sums up my feelings... I'll see if I can find it.

[Stormbringer]

Here it is Tommy:

http://newsobserver.com/xml_wire/sports/college/mens_basketball_college/story/2537706p-2356573c.html

An extreme rarity in that article being one by Tudor that I agree with...it's all about money and football, despite the expanding conference being one that was built on AND practically known for basketball... :roll:

[Shell]

ACC Presidents Talk Expansion For 3 Hours; Still No Vote
League Considers Changing Bylaws As Virginia Stands Opposed

POSTED: 12:27 p.m. EDT June 18, 2003
UPDATED: 5:06 p.m. EDT June 18, 2003

RALEIGH, N.C. -- According to published reports, Atlantic Coast Conference presidents spent more than three hours in a conference call Wednesday to discuss the league's expansion plan. But no vote was taken on whether formal invitations to join the league should be extended to Big East schools Miami, Boston College and Syracuse.

The nine ACC presidents have spoken for more than eight hours over the past eight days with no votes taken.

A vote was not expected to be held Wednesday unless ACC Commissioner John Swofford felt he had enough support from the presidents to ask for a vote. Seven of the nine must vote in favor of expansion for expansion to occur.

Virginia, Duke and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill reportedly have issues about adding three schools and would vote against expansion if a vote were taken now.

Meanwhile, according to a report in the Washington Post, Virginia has said it will not be the decisive affirmative vote for expansion -- which reportedly has league officials wondering if they can change the league bylaws so that only six "yes" votes are required for expansion.

Swofford reportedly declined comment after Wednesday's meeting.

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner has all but ordered Casteen to oppose ACC expansion because of the impact it would have on Virginia Tech. If Casteen votes yes, he could be voting himself right out of office.

Some 45 Virginia Tech graduates serving in the Virginia legislature also could get even when working on the budget.

Virginia also is building a $130 million basketball arena and needs to raise another $50 million. One key donor is a Virginia Tech alumnus, who says he'll pull his money if Virginia supports expansion.

Unable to muster the support to invite three schools, Swofford reportedly has been lobbying presidents to invite only Miami.

The league needs to add three teams to be able to hold a football championship game, but just the presence of Miami is expected to boost the ACC's football fortunes.

Miami President Donna Shalala reportedly has told Swofford that the Hurricanes would come to the ACC if Boston College and Syracuse came with them but that they may not come alone.

The ACC said Tuesday a vote on expansion is expected by the end of June, before the exit fee to leave the Big East jumps from $1 million to $2 million.

[Jeff O Rocks]

Virginia also is building a $130 million basketball arena and needs to raise another $50 million. One key donor is a Virginia Tech alumnus, who says he'll pull his money if Virginia supports expansion.



There goes the Wahoo YES vote!! :crazy: :eek:

I am not sure how I really feel about this...having Miami and Syracuse would be a money maker, but at the same time, with all these teams, football won't have a chance. If you are required to play ALL your conference teams and you only play 11 regular season games, what do you do when you have 12 teams?? I would really want to play more big name schools to build the reputation and get those important BCS votes! :roll:

[nccanes]

There goes the Wahoo YES vote!! :crazy: :eek:

I am not sure how I really feel about this...having Miami and Syracuse would be a money maker, but at the same time, with all these teams, football won't have a chance. If you are required to play ALL your conference teams and you only play 11 regular season games, what do you do when you have 12 teams?? I would really want to play more big name schools to build the reputation and get those important BCS votes! :roll:

You don't play all your conference teams. The conference splits in 2 and then there's 2 divisions - which meet in a Conference Championship game that gets a nice TV contract and lots of fans that travel and spend money to watch it (theoretically).

That's what the SEC did when they added South Carolina and Arkansas.

And in basketball, you only play the teams from the "other half" once per season.

[Jeff O Rocks]

Thanks Eileen..it is all about the $$$$$$$$$...

I can't imagine the ACC with 12 teams...I remember well the Conference pre Georgia Tech and Florida State....I don't think I would be very happy to only play certain teams once...gotta have that "revenge" factor if you lose the first one! :evil:

[Caniac]

The plot thickens...

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0618/1570063.html

Here's a snippet:

Atlantic Coast Conference presidents will invite Virginia Tech to join three other Big East schools in jumping to the ACC as part of its expansion plan, two sources told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Should take care of Virginia's objections.

YAY!

[Jeff O Rocks]

The plot thickens...

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0618/1570063.html

Here's a snippet:

Atlantic Coast Conference presidents will invite Virginia Tech to join three other Big East schools in jumping to the ACC as part of its expansion plan, two sources told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Should take care of Virginia's objections.

YAY!

With 13 teams....what a mess!! :roll:

[MeanGene]

http://www.wral.com/news/2291913/detail.html

11 Teams? How is the ACC Tourney going to work now. I thought that they wanted 12 teams for a football championship.

I wonder if Notre Damw will be extended a football only invitation soon?

[Caniac]

There would still be a play-in game and one more game in the first round.

1. There is talk of the ACC getting the NCAA rule changed for a championship game to 11 teams instead of 12.

2. They are still planning to add the 12th team, just not right away. maybe in a year or so

3. Miami said they would not join the ACC without 2 other teams coming along. However, the rumor is that they are coming along so that they can get more of a say on who the 12th team will be

[Goldwolf]

Paul Dee also said a few days ago that even though they wanted 2 teams to come along with them (BC & SU) that they supported whatever decision the ACC made as long as it included them.

sounds like in the end, they just wanted out :smoke:

[Jeff O Rocks]

Basketball will be kind of so-so for a while...but with Miami and Virginia Tech thrown in the mix with an already potent FSU and NCSU (woo hoo) team and other teams, namely Virginia starting to improve......football will be through the roof!!

[MCAngel]

:angel:

[hyena]

according to ESPN (and numerous others), Miami has accepted the invite. press conference at 4pm.

*breathes huge sigh of relief*

now we are officially one of the premier fball AND bball conferences. um, and great baseball too, actually. :D

http://www.electrichyena.com/other/redthumb.gif

[Goldwolf]

The ACC has always been a great baseball league

[Jeff O Rocks]

Not to offend anyone...but please NO ECU!!! :sick:

[Goldwolf]

in my opinion, ECU has no chance in h*ll to join the ACC.

[Goldwolf]

btw, ABC 11 is broadcasting the press conference at 4 pm......don't know about the other channels

[Caniac]

Yeah they'd pick Southern Harkers Island Tech before ECU. There's no advantage to adding ECU. All of ECU's fans already watch ACC sports on tv, so there's no new market, and ECU's mediocre sports and academics are of little draw.

And it's now official, Miami is in, along with the Hokies. :)

[Turbulence]

Actually, I was thinking the Sam Houston Institute of Technology.

Anywho, I have mixed feelings toward this. On one hand we now have 3 football powerhouses and many promising teams, and we're one step closer to having a championship game. But what loses in this situation is obviously basketball, the bread and butter of the league. No more home and home series between all of the teams. No longer will we see many of the rivalries in the league continue...there are just too many for them all to remain.
But, since the money is in football, that's what the ACC focuses on. Anything for a buck.

[Caniac]

Things change. I like football better so of course I'm happier. This is the most equitable solution though. The big basketball rivalries will still get 2 games in and 1 game with the rest.

I'm just glad there'll be a couple more football games per season and some real quality in conference matchups. State, FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech and now Virginia's on the rise.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I'm still not happy at the way Virginia Tech strong-armed their way in...using the legislature and the almighty $ as their ticket in!! :mad:

[Caniac]

VT didn't do it. The governer and state legislature did it. VT themselves had very little to do with it.

[HockeyPat]

I think this is a great thing. The ACC should add a 12th member while they are at it. There is no reason they can't play 22 conference games in basketball. So they can’t play UNC- Asheville or the Sisters of the Poor for warn up games. I won’t miss those games. I’d rather see a conference game anyway.

I want to see eight, 12 team super conferences. The SEC and Big Twelve have that conference championship football game that I watch ever year. I've become a big SEC fan and will watch a Big 12 game over the Big Ten or Big East because I know I'll be interested when the championship game comes around. Plus if would be great if they had some kind of playoff system where the 8 winners of these super conferences play a quarterfinal playoff championship. It would be awesome.

[Jeff O Rocks]

VT didn't do it. The governer and state legislature did it. VT themselves had very little to do with it.

It still rubbed me the wrong way.... :roll: I guess the fact that I have never cared for VT didn't help....if they go after an SEC team (which won't happen), I would like to see Tennessee in the conference....but I guess next time we need to go for at least a little power in the basketball program...