UPDATE: Our guest writer just pointed out that the Miami Herald reported the following:
The ACC says it likely will take the Big East’s 7 p.m. slot on ESPN’s Big Monday next season. The new Big East – including seven Big East defectors, Xavier, Creighton and Butler – is shifting to the new Fox Sports 1, a 24-hour-network that debuts in August, replacing Speed.
Syracuse joins the ACC in a few months. Nevertheless, it has been one scandal after another since Syracuse and Pitt announced that they were joining the ACC. Might as well just call the Orange ScandalCuse at this point.
First, the current scandal. Giving credit to a fellow blogger, instead of the hit-driven, quasi-media type that broke the “story,” Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician” had this to say:
Syracuse University basketball has been under NCAA investigation for a period of “years,” a source with knowledge of the case told CBSSports.com.
That source said the school has received a letter of preliminary inquiry from the NCAA.
The specific nature of the alleged violations was not disclosed by the source but the transgressions were described as both major and wide-ranging in nature. The investigation also encompasses football but is believed to primarily involve basketball. Syracuse has been penalized only once by the NCAA in a major case according to the association’s legislative database. That was in 1992 in a case that focused on extra benefits in the basketball program.
Later blog entries on the site revealed a calmer analysis. And Jim Boeheim went the calm route, as well, eschewing the opportunity to spew venom. In any event, it is yet another negative news story regarding Syracuse.
Second, just look at the recent timeline of negative news stories here:
Really, it is understandable if Syracuse fans feel a bit reluctant to reach for a newspaper link to a news story. Lately, despite having uber-competitive teams and the Bernie Fine scandal being seriously overblown, the news has been mostly negative. Especially in March, which also includes the March 15, 2010, injury to Arinze Onuaku. Other schools have had similar injuries, suspensions, scandals, and bad news… but all of it in a three-year span?
So, yeah, let’s just call it ScandalCuse from now on. And give a Syracuse fan a hug. It is needed.
While the Confidential continues to invite fans and friends to join its bracket contest, what about the ACC teams themselves? Well, numerous ACC teams are still dancing.
From a mini-dance standpoint, Virginia and Maryland did not make it to the NCAA tournament, but both were eagerly invited to the N.I.T. Last year’s ACC champion, Florida State, stumbled this year. But they still landed a #4 seed in the NIT and will host Louisiana Tech tonight. Maryland was given a #2 seed and hosts Niagara tonight. Virginia earned a #1 seed and will be hosting Norfolk State tonight. You may recall Norfolk State as a mainstay on the Rutgers’ football schedule.
But everyone is interested in the Big Dance. How about Louisville? Set to join in 2014, everyone knows by now that the Cardinals are the #1 overall seed. Many prognosticators are prognosticating that Louisville will win it all. Giant leap of faith there. But it is hard to disagree with that pick. Syracuse, Pitt, and Notre Dame will be playing ACC games in the fall. But all three are dancing, receiving #4, #8, and #7 seeds, respectively. Pitt may have been screwed with its seed, but it can beat Gonzaga. Will they? We’ll see. Syracuse also got sent to San Jose to play West Coast teams. But they are all dancing.
The ACC is further represented by Tobacco Road, which placed Duke, North Carolina, and North Carolina State as #2, #8, and #8 seeds. Those seeds seem fair. Miami finishes out the ACC teams with a #2 seed in the East. While a #2 seed is argued by some as unfair or disrespectful, it seems within the realm of appropriate. Remember, the Committee can adjust seeds by one or two places to keep the conferences sorted out and prevent rematches.
In any event, there are eleven ACC teams left standing. This time of year, rivalries are set aside and we can all root for our conference mates…at least until they face each other. So good luck to all ACC teams… may your March Madness continue as long as possible…
With Syracuse’s convincing 75-63 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday, the Orange and the Pittsburgh Panthers will face off in a Big East quarterfinal at approximately 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. If there are any chants of “ACC, ACC” at Madison Square Garden tomorrow, it will not be from the fans of the two rival schools, as they are both set to join the ACC in 2013.
Of course, the bigger question is who would do the chanting? Not Notre Dame and Louisville fans, as both schools are joining the ACC too. Not UConn fans, as sanctions have the Huskies grounded for the rest of March and the University would give anything to be headed to the ACC anyway. Not USF fans, who undoubtedly have returned to their warm climate after losing to Seton Hall Tuesday. Not Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette fans, as those schools are leaving the conference, even if taking the Big East name with them. Not Rutgers fans who are joyful that their sorry program is headed to the Big 10.
Nope… only Cincinnati remains both in New Y0rk City and left behind in the remnants of what was the Big East. So maybe those fans will be doing the chanting. And with all those teams headed for the door, there will be a lot of chanting to do.
Wait a sec… Cincinnati to the Big XII is still on the table? See http://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2013/03/latest-rumors-31313.html
Nevermind.
So there it is. Another regular season in the books. As we head into the exciting tournament season, here is the final “regular season” weekly Top 12, with 5 precincts reporting:
#1 Duke, 4 first place votes, 59 pts.
#2 Louisville, 1 first place vote, 55 pts.
#3 Miami, 50 pts.
#4 Pittsburgh, 44 pts.
#5 Syracuse, 36 pts.
#6 North Carolina. 35 pts.
#7 Notre Dame, 32 pts.
#8 (tie) North Carolina State & Virginia, 24 pts.
#10 Maryland, 13 pts.
#11 Florida State, 12 pts.
#12 (tie) Georgia Tech & Boston College lemson, 3 pts.
Wake Forest and Clemson got votes in early polls. Only Virginia Tech failed to have ANYONE give them a top 12 vote at any point in the season. Good job firing Seth Greenberg.
How about Syracuse–ranked #4 in one poll and #9 in another. Virginia has a pretty good range too, from 7th to 10th. Notre Dame ranged from 5th to 8th. The remaining teams were not quite as variable.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to share your top 12…
This blog entry was contributed by a guest, who chooses to remain anonymous (for now). The Confidential greatly appreciates this guest’s opinion and welcomes others to submit guest entries–whether anonymous or not.
Yes, we have been told that football drives the bus. We get it! ACC football has a lot of questions to answer. But for the purpose of this singular guest blog entry, let us concentrate on what the ACC does historically well … basketball.
For the last 30 years, the ACC and Big East have essentially traded punches in their all-out pursuit of being the dominant college hoops conference in the land. Fittingly, I propose we begin our study with the memorable UNC-Georgetown final in 1982. The conferences clash for the first time. In Dean, MJ, Worthy, Perkins vs. John Thompson, Patrick and Sleepy Floyd. Great theater. And a three-decade long tug of war began with UNC claiming an initial victory.
Including ’82, in 31 seasons, there have been 124 Final Four spots up for grabs. And a team from the ACC or Big East claimed 49 of those berths. That’s a slick 40 percent and that does NOT include FF berths claimed by Louisville or Cincinnati in their pre-Big East days.
Now, the ACC’s immediate future won’t include Big East basketball heavies such as Georgetown, Marquette, UConn or Cincinnati, but it is safe to say when you combined the hoops heritages of (alphabetical order as not to offend anyone) Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NCSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia under one roof, the word “juggernaut” can justifiably be tossed around.
And, one cannot with good conscious sneeze at the histories and accomplishments of schools like Boston College, Wake Forest, Clemson or Florida State. Even Miami looks like a solid #2 seed this year, and Virginia Tech can beat anyone at Cassel Coliseum on a given night.
Oh. Maryland. Never mind. Another topic.
But there is no avoiding the fact that ACC hoops will be King. And it begs the question, what and where is the King’s throne?
My answer is that it should be on ESPN’s Big Monday at 7 p.m.
That’s right. Other than securing a football commitment from the Golden Domers, I think seizing the early slot on ESPN’s Big Monday should be near the top of the ACC’s Honey To Do List.
In the college hoops universe, Tuesday’s are Super, Wednesday’s are wonderful and Thursday’s are weekend-esque, but Monday’s are BIG. They are the proper and fitting platform for Kings.
Think about it.
I also realize there is a reluctance by ACC charter schools to accept anything that might be tainted Big East.
I get it. I graduated from a Big East school. I later worked in an ACC Athletic Department, so I am well aware of and greatly appreciate the ACC’s proud history. I just hope that growth opportunities — such as a unique and almost exclusive platform on Big Monday – are not simply bypassed out of conference spite (a.k.a. anti-Big East bias).
In some limited instances such as Big Monday, what was once terrific for the Big East can render even greater returns for the ACC.
Look, nobody knows what is going on with the rumors regarding teams leaving the ACC. Depending on where you choose to read, the ACC may be extremely strong right now or extremely vulnerable. The Confidential remains of the opinion that the absence of a grant of rights deal confirms that the Conference is at least somewhat vulnerable. But, assuming it is not, there is still the issue of Notre Dame’s partial membership. While the Confidential understands the lure of Connecticut and Cincinnati, and maybe even Temple, the Confidential would also like to make the case for Navy as the 16th school.
First, Navy could be considered in the same exact format as Notre Dame–a partial football schedule, with membership in the remaining sports. Perhaps Notre Dame and Navy could split one share of the revenue somehow unless/until full football membership was resolved.
Picture this for divisions, with cross-over above/below:
Atlantic: Notre Dame, Miami, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, Wake Forest
Coastal: Navy, Florida State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Clemson, Duke, NC State
If ND and Navy could commit to the 7 division games, plus an 8th game between the two teams, this should make everyone happy and wealthier. ND would still have 4 more games to spread among its OOC foes, such as USC and various Big 10 schools. And the ACC Championship game could include Notre Dame.
Frankly, Navy has not been that bad in football anyway. Credit Paul Johnson for putting them back on the map. They are not a pushover.
Or, if ND/Navy are reluctant to go that high in terms of # of games, just keep them in parentheses… playing 5 games, plus the 6th game with each other.
Those divisions still work for hoops too.
Second, Navy is a fine academic institution. There is no downgrade there.
Third, Navy has a lacrosse team, which would give the ACC its 6th lacrosse-playing school.
Fourth, Navy is located in the very place vacated by Maryland. While Navy does not have the local following that Maryland does, it certainly has the national following.
Fifth, while its basketball team will always be undermanned, is that the worst thing for the conference? There is already plenty of competition to get to the Big Dance. And if Navy ever DID make it… they would have the whole country rooting for them. Needless to say, Navy has not done well outside of the David Robinson era anyway. So it’s no loss for the institution.
Finally, this keeps the UConn/Cincinnati debate alive should the ACC suffer additional losses. It is likely that future expansion will be in pairs. So adding those two teams together remains possible for backfill purposes.
What do you think? Why yes or no?
It’s 2016 and conference realignment has slowed down. Again. As most expected, the Atlantic Coast Conference has survived another round of unsubstantiated rumors and quasi-sourced reports from university big wigs and industry executives. Overall, the past few years have proven quite productive in terms of membership and revenue.
A combination of ESPN affirming its financial commitment to the conference and the additions of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati and Connecticut have made way for a 16-team league which boasts a great amount of competitive talent, geographic diversity and athletic tradition.
The ACC now has eight teams competing in men’s lacrosse with Cincinnati, Louisville and UConn adding the niche sport to their athletic departments. Six of the league’s baseball teams are firmly in the Top 25 and seven teams are regulars in the women’s basketball Top 25.
College football has gradually improved over the past two years. The Seminoles and Tigers have continued their top-tier presence in the rankings and Virginia Tech, Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh add some needed depth to the conference schedule. NC State, Connecticut and Syracuse are steadily improving, the Tar Heels are sanction-free and competitive and Georgia Tech has awoken from its talent slumber.
College basketball is absolutely phenomenal. Along with the annual Tobacco Road matchup, Syracuse-UNC has become epic in its short existence and Pitt has become quite the foe of Duke, NC State and Virginia. Much anticipated matchups between Duke and Louisville and Connecticut and North Carolina have also given way to intense conference-wide games with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The conference now boasts seven teams with national championship histories.
Although there is much competition among the field in both basketball and football, there is a great amount of talent at the top. Many believe multiple ACC representatives will punch cards to the Final Four and there is guarded optimism a team will soon vie for the Coaches’ Trophy at Cowboys Stadium.
As with anything, it takes vision, determination and patience to see a great idea through to fruition. The ACC is no different. Fantasies often begin with unrealistic expectations while goals are accomplished through steady hard work and practical ambitions.
Congratulations, ACC! You had the nerve and foresight to persevere and maintain your athletic tradition while maintaining and promoting solid academics. The Confidential looks forward to many more years of ACC excellence.
**Is this article fantasy or realistic? Join the discussion below and let the Confidential know your opinion.
After football and basketball, lacrosse may be the most popular sport in the ACC. At the very least, it has several GREAT teams participating in it: Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Starting soon enough, Syracuse and Notre Dame will be part of the mix too.
The current national standings are as follows:
| 1 | Maryland (22) | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Notre Dame (3) | 3-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Cornell | 3-0 | 5 |
| 4 | Loyola (MD) | 4-1 | 4 |
| 5 | Princeton | 2-0 | 12 |
| 6 | Johns Hopkins | 3-1 | 3 |
| 7 | Denver | 4-1 | 10 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 4-0 | 13 |
| 9 | Virginia | 4-1 | 6 |
| 10 | Syracuse | 2-1 | 16 |
That means 4 of the top 10 schools are either part of the ACC or will be soon. Of course, Maryland will be leaving, but you get the idea. The ACC is THE dominant force in lacrosse.
Also consider that North Carolina is ranked #11 and Duke just fell out of the top 20.
The question that begs is what the ACC is going to do in the future to replace Maryland. The Big 10 is toying with the idea of adding Johns Hopkins for lacrosse purposes only (and research consortium monopoly games).
The Confidential has pondered the merits of adding Navy to the ACC as the 16th team. Give them the same deal as Notre Dame… all sports and 5 games of football. A 6th game could be Notre Dame vs. Navy, an annual matchup on the gridiron. It would certainly be nice to give the ACC that 6th conference team for lacrosse too–the prerequisite for an automatic bid.
Of course, as noted above, the ACC lacrosse teams are all heavy hitters. An automatic bid is not a make it or break it thing.
Frank the Tank has a new article up on the Catholic 7’s new television deal showing that basketball has more value in expansion than previously thought. The Confidential does not disagree. However, with Fox offering big money for a basketball-only product–and taking that product away from ESPN–it is just the latest example of ESPN’s greed causing it to lose profit. What this also shows is that ESPN made a killing off its undervalued contract with the Big East and is making another killing off of the ACC contract.
Think about it. If the Catholic 7 collectively have a fair market value of $3M apiece–that is $21M right there. TCU, Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Louisville have values of approximately $18M apiece–given that they were accepted into conferences that needed roughly that (more for TCU/Rutgers/WVU) to break even. So that is $108M. Figure ND is worth $6M for its non-football stuff… that is $135M ($21M + $108 + $6M). And then you still have UConn, USF, and Cincinnati. Even at $25M total for the three schools, that is $160M.
For that collection of schools, ESPN offered $11M per football school–or $99M/year. With the hoops schools getting a few million apiece, that is another $20M tops. So $120M. $40M less than what the schools ultimately proved to be worth individually. At the very least.
In the end, ESPN ends up with UConn, USF, Cincinnati, and fodder. So much for that extra value. By trying to profit as much as possible off the Big East, ESPN ended up losing most of it.
Sort of. Some of it went to the ACC, which is also under ESPN’s control.
For now.
Regardless of the veracity of any rumors, there are vultures circling the ACC to see IF it is a carcass.
So the interesting issue is whether ESPN will lose its ACC golden goose also. Viewed separately, all but a handful of ACC schools are desired by the Big XII, SEC, and Big 10. Viewed conservatively, BC, Pitt, Syracuse, and Wake Forest are “stuck” in the ACC. An argument could be made that BC, Pitt, and Syracuse might have value to the Big XII as part of a NE wing with WVU. Interesting thought. But let’s assume not. If conferences making $20M/year (minimum) can find a revenue BOOST in adding the other 10 ACC schools, that must mean that those schools are worth at least $22M apiece or $220M. Assuming the remaining 4 are worth $11M apiece (50%), that is $264M total. Minimum. It is probably much higher.
Well, ESPN is paying an average of $240M per year. Less extra profit than with the Big East, but still a nice 10% premium above the bare minimum numbers discussed above.
The question this time is whether ESPN will allow the ACC–in its current form–to walk out the door. For every ACC school that leaves for somewhere other than the SEC, ESPN becomes less relevant and Fox becomes more relevant on the college sports scene. At some point, ESPN has to protect its place in the college sports game. It wants to start an SEC Network, not become the SEC Network. Right? But, given what has happened at many major corporations, one can never underestimate the stupidity of an organization. 10 years from now ESPN’s college programming might be down to the SEC and 10 different shows where reporters yell at each other about college sports. Or ESPN could end up overbidding on the Big XII or Big 10 because they put themselves into a desperate situation. Who knows?
But it does seem like ESPN could save itself a lot of trouble by locking up the ACC. That gives the network good football and great basketball. Programming from September to March. At the very least, something to keep it on pace with Fox.
Syracuse, Notre Dame, Pitt, and Louisville fans… get your Big East Conference Tournament tickets here:
Big East Basketball Tournament – All Sessions
ACC fans, get your tournament tickets here:
ACC Basketball Tournament – All Sessions
The Confidential 