Johns Hopkins to the Big 10
ESPN is reporting, and it now seems all over the Internet, that Johns Hopkins will be joining the Big 10 as an associate member. The Confidential had advocated for JHU to join, so this is a disappointment. Props to the Big 10 for getting it done. This is a win-win for both the B1G and JHU.
For 2015, the Big 10 lacrosse teams will be JHU, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers. That is a reasonable conference membership. Not the uber-conference that the ACC would have been with JHU, but good enough. And it might be better for lacrosse as a whole for this relationship to move forward.
This leaves a dilemma for the ACC. Where do they go for the 6th conference member? Do they even need one? Let us know what you think.
The Confidential 
#6 – Boston College Eagles
And….
I agree that Johns Hopkins would have been a good fit in the ACC, but overall its really not a big deal. The B1G definitely improved its status in lax, but is still well-below the new ACC.
If I understand correctly, what was unique about Johns Hopkins’ situation was that they were allowed to join a conference solely for lacrosse, because it’s the only Division 1 sport that they offer. Other lacrosse teams like Denver or Loyola (MD) offer D-1 sports other than lacrosse. So, if you want to add them in lax, you have to take them in all sports.
From a very cursory review, it looks like the only other team that is D-1 only in lacrosse is Hobart (currently in the ECAC). Historically, they offer a great lacrosse tradition and give a regional-rival to Syracuse, but I’m not sure how much value they really bring to the ACC.
From an ACC standpoint, getting a 6th team (and automatic invite to the NCAA) is not as crucial. The ACC is going to place 3 or 4 teams (if not more) every year. Has there ever been a year where a team from the ACC failed to qualify for the tournament?
At least in the B1G Johns Hopkins won’t have to worry about not making it to the tournament like this year…
Hmm…is that why Johns Hopkins chose the B1G? Do they want the easy-road to the Tourney?
Otherwise, there is a lot of upside within the conference if Boston College, Clemson, Wake Forest, GaTech, Miami, NC State, VPI, Pitt, or Louisville get to that level and upgrade their program.
And of course, I would still love to see the ACC go after Navy. Not so much for lacrosse (their lacrosse team is terrible), but it would add the Maryland/DC markets, as well as the National following…provided that Notre Dame cannot count one of its conference games against them.
The real question is if an ACC winner would not be invited to the tournament anyway. It seems far-fetched that the winner from that league would not be in anyway.
Exactly. The ACC should have no problem placing multiple teams every year, even if they don’t have the autobid.
I’ll take it… the B10 + 3 1/2 gets JHU and the ACC gets ND. Gee, who got the better deal?
I can see Louisville upgrading it’s me lacrosse teams. The major hurdle is title lX, they would have create another women teams. Mend lacrosse is the only ACC sports that they do not play. It’s seems that if Louisville did upgrade their men team that gymnastics is the front runner to be added with it.
1st time I have been disappointed in Swafford. Not a big mistake, but a mistake for sure. This give the B1G a little more interest in the NYC market, well, visa versa. We (the ACC) should’ve gotten them not only for the good competition but for regional defense.
Johns Hopkins is in Maryland, not sure how that gives the B1G more exposure in NYC. You must be thinking of Mike Hopkins; he definitely delivers the NYC market.
But this isn’t about media or exposure. The biggest attraction that JHU offers the B1G is research dollars and a viable lacrosse team, and the weak B1G lacrosse conference pretty much guarantees that JHU will make it to the NCAA tourney each year.
No, I think it is a mistake. JHU is not taking any TV revenue from the BTN. So it would have cost the ACC nothing. It would have added some research to the ACC, as well as a great academic institution.
I agree that there would have been a ton of upside for the ACC, but there is little benefit for JHU in ACC. Their regional rival (Maryland) is going to the B1G, and the ACC is stacked with top-notch Lacrosse teams. Johns Hopkins has a much easier path to the NCAA Tourney now, which they would not have in the ACC.
Being aligned with like-minded institutions ND, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina? Compare that to the monstrous public schools in the Big 10… how does JHU fit? Moreover, JHU already plays 3 of the 5 ACC schools. How many of the current Big 10 does it play? So that means rearranging schedules. The travel is a wash. I don’t think it is a bad decision to choose the Big 10 over the ACC. But it is far from a no-brainer.
This is a loss for the ACC, no doubt about it.
The ACC will be fine without them.
@M. Caffrey
John’s Hopkins biggest rival is Syracuse and, a conference so stacked would gain national exposure especially as lacrosse grows in stature as a sport nationally.
If Syracuse is John Hopkins’ biggest rivalry, then why the hell did they choose to go to the B1G instead of the same conference as their rival? My guess is because they have a better rival in Maryland….
Besides, Syracuse is not lacking for a lacrosse rivalry…we have rivalries against Princeton, Virginia, Cornell, Hobart… and there is no law that states Syracuse cannot continue to schedule against Johns Hopkins in the future.
The ACC is still going to be the most stacked lacrosse conference in the country. If you really want to advance the sport nationally, you’re better off having parity from other conferences – particularly those in the Mid-West. So for the sake of lacrosse’s popularity, Johns Hopkins & Maryland to the B1G is the best thing possible.
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