ND schedules game with Rice in 2026

[ralphiewvu]

Here's another hypothetical situation... an eventual merger of the ACC remnants with the PAC-12... here's a way it could happen:

6 ACC schools go to the SEC -
North Carolina & NC State are linked and go together to the SEC... same thing goes for Virginia & Virginia Tech to the SEC... finally Clemson & Florida State also go to the SEC.

Next, 4 ACC schools go to the B1G -
Miami & Georgia Tech are the first two to go to the B1G. After all 8 schools I mentioned above (UVA, VA Tech, UNC, NC State, Clemson, FSU, Miami, GA Tech) leave the ACC, Notre Dame & NBC finally realize it's time to go for the massive $$$ and the Irish go to the B1G with Stanford. (yes, I'm considering Notre Dame as an ACC school)

The above scenario results in a 22 member SEC, and a 22 member B1G, and an 8 member ACC.

Let's also say that during all this dismantling of the ACC, the Big XII makes a move and takes UNLV, Memphis, USF, and Tulane. Now we have a 20 member Big XII.

The 8 remaining members of the ACC (Cal, SMU, BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, Duke, Wake) don't go anywhere, instead they sit back and collect a massive payday in exit fees from the 10 schools mentioned above that bolted from the ACC.

Finally... with Cal & SMU as the only western schools of the 8 member ACC, and the PAC-12 still sitting at 9 members (8 for football)... the two conferences eventually merge into a 17 member PACC, and possibly add UConn as member 18.

I'm not saying the above crazy hypothetical scenario will happen....I'm simply saying that I would not discount anything from eventually occuring...

...never say never.

Interesting scenario. Where I disagree is the SEC going over 20 teams, ND joining the B1G and the B12 not looking first to add remaining Acc teams. But who the hell knows at this point.

 

[ericd7633]

The only way ESPN can renegotiate is if the ACC falls below 15 teams for a season. That would be absolute malpractice if the ACC did that ie that would never happen. Losing 6 means they’d just need to add 3. Even at a partial share the likely midmajor adds are getting more than their current leagues deal. We agree if the ACC loses the brands I expect them to it won’t get close to what it gets now. But that’s why I said my first call would be to B12 teams to see. If some would agree, you are more then likely getting closer to what ya get now while severely hurting the B12 who I also expect to not get the same deal regardless of who stays or go’s.

Yeah, I agree, but I'm just not sure it's realistic to pull teams from the B12 given what the conference would look like. If those 6 leave, everyone else is going to be looking to join the B12. At that point, UL would be a good fit for the B12. And obviously SMU as well.

Do you happen to know that if the ACC falls below 15, ESPN can renegotiate before they add additional teams. I feel like once those schools leave, if they do, that deal is over. But I'm not 100% sure. I agree, if it gets down to 12, and the ACC can add teams to get to 15 to maintain what they're currently making, they'll add just about anyone at that point. Lol.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. I hope realignment is over, this has gotten so lame.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Yeah, I agree, but I'm just not sure it's realistic to pull teams from the B12 given what the conference would look like. If those 6 leave, everyone else is going to be looking to join the B12. At that point, UL would be a good fit for the B12. And obviously SMU as well.

Do you happen to know that if the ACC falls below 15, ESPN can renegotiate before they add additional teams. I feel like once those schools leave, if they do, that deal is over. But I'm not 100% sure. I agree, if it gets down to 12, and the ACC can add teams to get to 15 to maintain what they're currently making, they'll add just about anyone at that point. Lol.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. I hope realignment is over, this has gotten so lame.

My argument for your first paragraph is no one is spending $75 million to join the B12 and also the teams staying in the ACC stand to make a ton more until at least 2036. My thought is Stanford and Duke try to focus on the academia first schools and still play some high level sports. But that imo depends on who leaves the ACC in the first place.

I would think they have the ability to add teams as the teams that are giving notice of leaving aren’t leaving that day. It truthfully I don’t know that exact fact. And yeah, if push came to shove I think they may even stuff WVU if they were that desperate lol.

Agreed with your last point. Realignment has gotten to the point of stupidity at this stage.

 

[ericd7633]

My argument for your first paragraph is no one is spending $75 million to join the B12 and also the teams staying in the ACC stand to make a ton more until at least 2036. My thought is Stanford and Duke try to focus on the academia first schools and still play some high level sports. But that imo depends on who leaves the ACC in the first place.

I would think they have the ability to add teams as the teams that are giving notice of leaving aren’t leaving that day. It truthfully I don’t know that exact fact. And yeah, if push came to shove I think they may even stuff WVU if they were that desperate lol.

Agreed with your last point. Realignment has gotten to the point of stupidity at this stage.

Yeah, I guess my initial thought was that if that many teams left, and they fell below the threshold, the current ACC deal was basically no more. If they can simply add to get back to 15, then I would agree it would make sense for those to stay and try and get back to that. I do think WVU would make the most sense to try and pull from the B12. Pitt, Cuse, UL, UVA, VT would be right there as regional teams(depending who left). WVU/VT in the old Big East was actually pretty entertaining as someone who didn't really have a preference who won.

Honestly, now that I think about it, I'd probably go WVU, Cincy and UCF. Sorry Cal/Stanford. Lol. That's if those B12 schools would want to leave. Which honestly, if I was them, I'd really think about it. Especially WVU and Cincy. But you'd know better than me, how important or how enjoyable it would be to get some of those regional rivalries back every year (Pitt, Cuse, VT, UL-if that's even a rival?) I'm not sure how you feel, but as an outsider, I always felt that WVU felt out of place in the B12.

 

[jjc2009]

If the ACC loses 6 teams, my guess would be it's FSU, Clemson, Miami, UNC, UL, and for arguments sake let's say GT.

At that point just have Cuse, BC, Pitt and ND move back to the Big East, and go independent for football. Make a scheduling agreement with ND and maybe Uconn for football, which Id be okay with since Pitt and BC are historical rivals of ND.

At that point you're left with UVA, VT, Wake, Duke, NC State, SMU, Cal, Stanford. And you're basically the new P12 from a football perspective with great potential in basketball. If you think VT goes in place of GT, I can see that, but in the grand scheme still doesn't change much.

Hush yourself. BC is NOT a rival. They are an annoying little shit stain program who’s only real accomplishment is wrecking other better teams’ seasons. There’s a reason they’re nicknamed Fredo.

They think of themselves as a rival.

 

[ericd7633]

Hush yourself. BC is NOT a rival. They are an annoying little shit stain program who’s only real accomplishment is wrecking other better teams’ seasons. There’s a reason they’re nicknamed Fredo.

They think of themselves as a rival.

I'll be honest, I had an irrational hate towards them in the late 90's/early 2000's. You put it perfectly, an annoyance, like none other. I can't believe we lost 6 in a row to them. Lmao. Thanks Bob Davie, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis.

It felt more like a rivalry in those days because they were beating us regularly, but that's died down a little bit since we've owned them the last decade and a half. I still get pleasure beating the piss out of them though. Lol.

 

[Deep Creek]

Agreed with your last point. Realignment has gotten to the point of stupidity at this stage.

I’ve said realignmemt sucked for a long time. Not sure it was “stupid” though. It was all about greed. And they were smart for going after schools that would increase the size of the pie without decreasing the size of the slices….at first. And it appears the big two don’t see any school that can help them still do that sans the one they can’t get. Those pesky Irish won’t play.

Now, I’ll agree some of the other realignment is and has been stupid!

 

[Deep Creek]

Honestly, now that I think about it, I'd probably go WVU, Cincy and UCF. Sorry Cal/Stanford. Lol.

I saw a Stewart Mandel article in which one of his followers mentioned such. He recommended the ACCBig 12 swap Stanford, Cal and SMU for WVU, Cincy and UCF. Makes geographic sense and is probably close to financially neutral.

Only things I can think of against it are:

1. Cal wants nothing to do with religious schools…BYU, TCU, Baylor.
2. Already four Texas schools, SMU would make five. Not sure the current Texas schools or any of the others in the Big 12 want that.

 

[occupant]

Just wash off real good afterwards…with them being all up in chinamens’ asses en sech.

 

[jjc2009]

I still get pleasure beating the piss out of them though. Lol.

Yeah. Love the schaudenfruede.

 

[NinerSpartan]

only thing i got out of this thread is that BC/ND is an unknown rivalry and ND fans are butthurt about it

 

[ericd7633]

only thing i got out of this thread is that BC/ND is an unknown rivalry and ND fans are butthurt about it

It was moreso in the 90's and 2000's. They played 16 times in those decades. Since 2010, they've only played 8 times, and it's become pretty lopsided. ND has won those by an avg of 21 PPG.

But yeah I'll admit I was butthurt about it growing up. Lol.

 

[CoalTrain]

ND is just hedging their path to the playoff every year.