ACC Expansion Still on Hold
Yesterday, the Big East announced that it would stretch coast-to-coast by adding Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU, and Central Florida. If this move surprised you, then you are likely living without the Internet (how are you even reading this?) because this had been rumored and discussed for many weeks now. The announcement was mere anti-climactic confirmation of what everyone had already known. But it does impact the ACC because the addition did not in any way alter the Big East’s stance that Syracuse and Pittsburgh must stick around for the full 27-months before departing.
Indeed, according to ESPN, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto remains firm in holding Syracuse and Pittsburgh to that time frame:
Meanwhile, Marinatto said the conference is still determined to hold the three departing schools to the Big East bylaw that each signed and helped craft, especially Pitt, when it was the chair of the conference board, to a 27-month departure. That would mean the three schools couldn’t leave until the fall of 2014.
Pitt and Syracuse are joining the ACC and haven’t pushed to leave early.
While West Virginia has sued the Big East to leave early, Syracuse and Pittsburgh are placing nice. And it is not being reciprocated.
The ESPN report further notes that ACC commissioner John Swofford has indicated that the ACC will accept those schools at any point over the next three years. While there will be no battle over the schools, the ACC will not get caught flat-footed if they are released early.
The question that begs is why the Big East would really want to keep these schools around. If Syracuse and Pitt have good seasons, that will just make their departure all the more painful. Just think about what happens if either school defeats Boise State. How much would the Broncos’ reputation be hurt the following year once those schools are gone? And if Syracuse and Pitt have poor seasons, this will simply drag down the schedule strength of the current schools. The Confidential understands that the Big East would want to keep Syracuse and Pitt around for basketball purposes–but that is the one area where the Big East does not need any help. Why have your elite, remaining schools run the risk of losses to departing programs? From an on-field perspective, there is little reason for the Big East to dig its heels in, especially now that the Big East has the Plan B in place.
One can only assume that the Big East’s position is one that can be negotiated with $$$. If the schools offer to pay the Big East some additional funds, the Big East will release them. It seems likely that there will be no changes for 2012, as the Big East cannot secure replacements that soon. But, by 2013, that problem should be gone.
For the ACC, this means that expansion is still on hold. It will be, at least, 2013 before we find out how many Syracuse fans will cram into the Carrier Dome to watch a game against Duke or North Carolina.
The Confidential 