Originally Posted by
laxbluedevil
Duke wouldn't be any better off in the Big 10/16 than the Big 12/16. Travel, "rivalries", common sports, would all be horrible, probably worse in B10. Same with SEC, except travel wouldn't be as bad. Big 10, Big 12, SEC, all would ensure Duke would go years between football wins, and hurt lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, and basketball. Vandy, UNC, UVA, UK, nobody would want Duke in SEC. I noticed Vandy accepted 13% to Duke's 12%, Vandy in Nashville and SEC could soon surpass Duke. Duke's best option is to keep some sort of ACC or Atlantic league together with UMD, UVA, Duke, UNC, (the lacrosse, soccer, field hockey powers with good academics and rivalries) and others up and down the coast. Only way to do that is disassociate from mediocre to bad programs like Wake and NCSU that don't add as much as they take, and that upset all the schools outside of NC. FSU, Miami, GT, UNC, Duke, UVA, UMD, Penn State, Syracuse, UConn, would be ideal for everyone involved, even the other leagues. Big 10 could go back to 10, now that B12 has proven it can make money it can go back to 12, etc. But things will happen too fast, the NC ACC people will want to protect UNC's advantages and wait in denial until it's too late. People will make rash and emotional instead of rational decisions, just like in the past with Penn State, UConn, Pitts, Texas A&M, Nebraska, etc., due to fear and weakness, need to protect fragile egos and not admit they were wrong. Whether it's in a last place ACC or whatever, the way it's happening, unless things radically change, Duke will be much worse off.