The ACC & Texas
To the average pro-imperialism Big 10 fan, the ACC is ripe for colonization. Indeed, there is a certain sense of “Well, the grant of rights is nice, but we’ll be back for Virginia, North Carolina, and a few other schools soon enough.” Just take a look at the comments over at Frank the Tank. The only issue for them is whether the Big 10 goes to 16 or 20 or 24. Let’s assume, however, that the Big 10 was able to take Kansas and Virginia (as they predict) in the next round of expansion… do not be surprised to see Texas in the ACC. Consider this…
1. Suppose the Big 10 takes Kansas and Virginia as the Big XII and ACC grant of rights near a conclusion. This is not an implausible scenario. Virginia and Kansas are both geographic fits for the new Big 10. While Kansas’s academics might not be up to par, Virginia’s certainly are. And neither school would be a threat to the football kings, while both would add significantly to basketball. That is an understatement–Kansas is elite. A Big 10 with Kansas, Indiana, Michigan State, and Wisconsin would be quite a powerful hoops conference.
2. This would leave the ACC at 14 teams. A perfect opportunity to expand with two more teams to get to 16. While UConn would have some allure, what about Texas and Texas Tech? From an ESPN perspective, it would be great to get these schools into the ACC. With the Longhorn Network, ESPN and Texas can have a smooth transition regarding the Tier 3 rights (i.e. the Texas exception for Tier 3 rights). Perhaps lay the foundation for a Sunshine Network for the Tier 3 rights for Miami and Florida State. Or Texas could end up with a similar “deal” as Notre Dame–partial schedule, retaining Longhorn Network rights to the remaining games. Consider this new-look ACC:
Atlantic: Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Florida State, Clemson (Texas 5-6 games per year)
Coastal: Syracuse, Boston College, Louisville, Duke, Pittsburgh, Miami, Virginia Tech (Notre Dame–5-6 games per year)
The “Tech problem” would be solved. ESPN would have made up for some mid-Atlantic losses by adding the Texas market. This would give ESPN a pretty broad scope from the NE to SW, including the important Southeast.
3. The Big XII, of course, would have some issues. From here, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the SEC would make some sense.
4. Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, and Iowa State would have refuge in the American, which would now be positioned to merge with the MWC to create a conference with a lot more depth. Even without such a merger, the existence of two conferences in the Tier below the Big Four would be better for the sport. Of course, all of these programs would have to continue improving, as expansion by the Pac-12, Big 10, SEC or ACC would be inevitable. Eventually, 16 will beget 20 and 24.
Sure, there are reasons why it would not happen. Nothing is guaranteed or even likely. But is it really that implausible? What do you think?
The Confidential 
Chip Brown gave an explanation two years ago regarding why Texas would have more interest in the ACC than the then Pac-10. Sorry folks. That has not changed just because Maryland left.
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1264923
Bottom line: The B10 feels threatened by the ACC. The B10 is in the rust-belt, the ACC is in the growth-belt.
Plus, Texas has apparently indicated a preference to go East, rather than West. Not sure if true, but Dallas wants to be in the NFC East for some reason. Who knows?
It’s hard to predict what Texas will want once Dodds retires & a new regime takes over. Nonetheless, I would love to have Texas in the ACC, even if it’s with Baylor.
Hold the phone fellow ACC alums. UVa still considers itself a southern university and there is no way they are leaving the ACC (The premier southern academic conference) for the B1G (one of the premier academic northern conferences). Not even in another generation will UVa’s culture change to that large of an extant.
Good. It’s Big 10 people that are driving this Kansas/Virginia rumor thing.
Then they have completely ignored the following facts due to a bad case of arrogance:
1) Virginia is a part of the South.
2) As far as the South is concerned, tradition and culture still matter.
3) The South still celebrates the Civil War and the war is still a part of its living history.
4) BTW, a lot of the battles took place in Virginia and everyone seems to forget that Richmond, Virginia was the capital of the South.
5) What state senator or state legislature is going to okay the state funded Flagship University of Virginia to abandon a southern conference for a yankee conference?
6) Even if UVa were even inclined to abandon the ACC, which Virginia legislature (that would like to get re-elected) is going to separate UVa and VT?
7) Do they really think that UVa would go from a core member of the ACC to a wall flower position of the B1G?
Look, I only lived in Virginia for three years but this is the vibe I got from almost everywhere I went. Only place that doesn’t fit the culture of the South is NoVa (slang for Northern Virginia).
Virginia, not anyone would have to leave to make room for a programs like Texas. Why not add Texas, TTech & Kansas? Is Kansas & KState a packaged deal? If so, take UConn, Cincy or Missouri.
Sorry, but “No”! The conference is already a bit unwieldy at our current size, why add three more schools?
I love the ACC as it stands now but this is about the presumption of adding Texas. If that were to happen, they probably wouldn’t come alone & it would trigger the demise of the Big 12. In that scenario another realignment phase would hit & the top 4 conference would likely expand. I would prefer Texas to come alone with them & Notre Dame being full members but I would be ok with Texas having a similar deal as ND as nonfootball members. And I do not advocate for a Virginia departure from the ACC, only a Texas addition.
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I think Texas to the ACC is eventually going to happen, once that happens you can easily pencil in Notre Dame as a full-member and probably the two will become permanent rivals under the new division alignment.
ACC: Notre Dame (Full-Member) & Texas – The ACC will become the premier conference I believe, they bring these two in the fold and watch them renegotiate their TV deal. NBC Sports Group gets Tier 1 rights, ESPN gets Tier 2 rights and Longhorn Network gets converted into the ACC Network for Tier 3 rights.
Big Ten: Kansas & Missouri – The most logical addition for the Big Ten is this which adds to the cultural fit of what the Big Ten wants, I suspect Nebraska will slowly get back its AAU tag.
Pac-12: I’m not exactly sure who they’ll add but they screwed the pooch by not adding Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas & Texas Teach when they had the chance. If I had to take a guess it’ll be Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State & Rice. I think it would be a good move for them and good back-up prize plus North & West divisions will be easy to make.
SEC: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State & Texas Tech – I think this is the move the SEC must make, because the ACC adding two top tier programs will put them up there with some of the best. Double down in those states for the SEC to have a lock as a southern conference.