Asteroid destroys Chapel Hill, UConn to take its place in ACC

[Turtleboy]

Rumors rumors rumors. If only there were some kind of rule against that around here. One that applied to everyone equally.

[sporthenry]

http://www.accsports.com/blogs/jim-y...inevitable.php

Here's a good link from Duke Grad and ACC Beat reporter Jim Young on why he thinks four 16 team super conferences will never happen.

This is the problem with current realignment. The Pac 12 has difficulty getting to 16 without the B12 falling apart and the 4 Super Conferences with the SEC, B12, B1G, and Pac 12 would leave the East coast with no conference. The only logical thing that makes sense is the Pac 12 sniping off Big12 teams like Texas which doesn't seem plausible at this juncture.

And I just can't see the East Coast being without a conference although I guess that is less of an issue than having the Pac 12 take on Duke/UNC.

[77devil]

There has been a bit of chatter about this over the past 24 hours. I am getting nervous.

http://www.landgrantholyland.com/201...ence-expansion

-- Jason "if Tech leaves the ACC and I don't get to watch ACC games in Atlanta, I am going to burn their campus to the ground!!" Evans

This represents a credible source? Really? The only "chatter" I can find is different versions of the same story all on SB Nation sites. DBR is an SB Nation site. What a coincidence?

[Highlander]

This is the problem with current realignment. The Pac 12 has difficulty getting to 16 without the B12 falling apart and the 4 Super Conferences with the SEC, B12, B1G, and Pac 12 would leave the East coast with no conference. The only logical thing that makes sense is the Pac 12 sniping off Big12 teams like Texas which doesn't seem plausible at this juncture.

And I just can't see the East Coast being without a conference although I guess that is less of an issue than having the Pac 12 take on Duke/UNC.

I also liked the point in the article about this 4 super conference scenario creating all new problems, such as why any football team would want to be in the toughest division every year, if all divisions are created equally? It seems to me a team like Ohio State or Oregon would have a much easier path to the championship than an LSU or Georgia. I can't see the SEC agreeing to a "final four" format where only one of their teams has a shot at being invited. The only reason they support a playoff is that it will use national rankings, not conference championships, to seed, which virtually guarantees them 2 BCS spots per year and at least 1 (and possibly both) NC spots. Why would they give that up to split it equally with the PAC10, Big10, and Big12?

[-jk]

Rumors rumors rumors. If only there were some kind of rule against that around here. One that applied to everyone equally.

Knowing it was on the edge, Jason actually reported himself. He cited a source (barely credible, granted), which has since backed off.

Is it a rumor under our guidelines? In my opinion, borderline, mostly based on the source.

It's also emblematic of the speculation that's routinely rampant in the realignment and recruiting threads. The biggest problem with rumors - their destructive nature to individuals - doesn't apply so much here.

And there's certainly no SB Nation conspiracy. They don't pay mods enough to conspire. Of course, they don't pay mods anything.

-jk

[Greg_Newton]

Maybe the thread title could be changed to something a little less terrifying though?

[mapei]

Personally, I think sports rumors are a lot of fun to discuss, unless it's about something private and personal to an individual.

[hurleyfor3]

Rumors rumors rumors. If only there were some kind of rule against that around here. One that applied to everyone equally.

Our primary concern is rumor-mongering regarding players and recruits, and the conveyance of unreliable sources (or non-sources) as fact. A moderator linking to Twitter does not set the greatest example, but on the topic of conference alignments we have been in the Tyson Zone, as Bill Simmons would put it, for some time.

[jimsumner]

Right now, it's about markets -- not so much alumni base - and certainly not strength of the program.


I hope the reports are wrong about Georgia Tech ... I was interested that when the Big Ten added Maryland and Rutgers, they bragged about how the new members were in contiguous states with existing members. No way to make that work with Georgia Tech. Now if they can add a Virginia school and a North Carolina school ...

Sure they can. Add Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky and we're good to go. Geographical continuity and new markets.

[dukeofcalabash]

Georgia Tech was admitted to this conference when? Maybe in the '70's? They are not part of the original group. Maryland and South Carolina are the two originals who have pulled out of the ACC. Losing GT is not a big loss with all that the ACC has gained in the last few years. It will settle down and the ACC will add another team (or 2, or 3, or 4 ....).

[jimsumner]

Georgia Tech was admitted to this conference when? Maybe in the '70's? They are not part of the original group. Maryland and South Carolina are the two originals who have pulled out of the ACC. Losing GT is not a big loss with all that the ACC has gained in the last few years. It will settle down and the ACC will add another team (or 2, or 3, or 4 ....).

Respectfully disagree. Losing GT would mean losing the Atlanta media market. It also would mean losing a third-of-a century of tradition, of Bobby Cremins and Mark Price and Dennis Scott and Joe Hamilton and Calvin Johnson and Nomar. Not an original member to be sure. But a first-rate academic and athletic school. I would hate to lose them.

[wilko]

Respectfully disagree. Losing GT would mean losing the Atlanta media market. It also would mean losing a third-of-a century of tradition, of Bobby Cremins and Mark Price and Dennis Scott and Joe Hamilton and Calvin Johnson and Nomar. Not an original member to be sure. But a first-rate academic and athletic school. I would hate to lose them.

Agree!
GT has been in the league long enough to feel like they belong. They have carved out an identity for themselves.
I feel like they belong here more than any other recent addition, actually.

(UofL not withstanding, tho they seem fantastically excited to be here and thats refreshing in and of itself)

If Tech left (They are the 1 true Tech in the league to me) I would be very sad and would miss them.

[53n206]

With so many leagues, so far distant, so few natural rivalries, pretty soon who would care. Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech? Let's see what's on at the movies.

[OldPhiKap]

Maybe the thread title could be changed to something a little less terrifying though?

"ASTEROID DESTROYS CHAPEL HILL, UCONN TO TAKE ITS PLACE IN ACC"

Wrap your head around that one.

[ForkFondler]

"ASTEROID DESTROYS CHAPEL HILL, UCONN TO TAKE ITS PLACE IN ACC"

Wrap your head around that one.

That sounds pretty good to me. 1) The ACC gets a school that actually fails their athlete-students when they can't do the work, and 2) the ACC gets a new market without giving one up. Lots of win there. On the down side, Uconn doesn't have any Helms trophies, but since Syracuse brings in 2, I figure losing one is just the price we have to pay.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

"ASTEROID DESTROYS CHAPEL HILL, UCONN TO TAKE ITS PLACE IN ACC"

Wrap your head around that one.

Where's the Like button when you need it?????

[devildeac]

It's not April 1 yet. Too early for these kind of shenanigans.

[Jarhead]

Where's the Like button when you need it?????

Right down there on the lower left corner, Ozzie. That funny little thing with a ref's whistle next to it. That might give a spork which is better than a like on fake... uuuhh, facebook.

[OldPhiKap]

It's not April 1 yet. Too early for these kind of shenanigans.

Ripple Wild Sock 2011. Top notch hootch, hint of sweaty cotton. Pairs well with leftovers and stale bread. Like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, if it was left on the sun for a week and then drained through a radiator hose. Good through never.

[crimsondevil]

With so many leagues, so far distant, so few natural rivalries, pretty soon who would care. Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech? Let's see what's on at the movies.

That's the kind of long-term, is-it-good-for-the-game thinking that is not occurring in all this realignment. All about the $$$.

I'm glad someone linked that article from Jim Young. Personally, I don't get the 4x16 thing at all. The argument for it seems to rely on it being a nice tidy system mathematically, which doesn't mean much from a motivational perspective. Schools and conferences are doing and will continue to do what they see as their best interest, financially. How does the 4x16 model help with that? Why would a conference not be happy with 14, or go to 18 instead? Isn't it more likely to depend on what media markets or high-profile teams they can grab than some idea of inter-conference symmetry?