All Hokie, All the Time. Period. Presented by

Conference Realignment Board

Tailgate Guru

Joined: 01/05/2001 Posts: 9457
Likes: 3902


What if the Big East Football Conference had raided the ACC?


Here's some revisionist history to consider.
,
It's 2003. Miami is not far removed from its last MNC.
Tech is regularly visiting the top 10.
WVU is ascending under RichRod.
Syracuse has not yet gone in the tank.
Pitt, coached by Walt Harris and with Larry Fitgerald at WR, is the most competitive it has been since the early 1980s.
BC is in the middle of a solid run under Tom O'Brien.
Rutgers sucks but is showing signs of life under Greg Schiano.
Temple is quietly being pushed out; UConn and its brand new stadium is expected to move in.

In the dark of night, a small band of mercenaries descends on the Carrier Dome, abducts Jake Crouthamel and Jim Boeheim, and installs a puppet athletic department that is not wedded to playing basketball against a bunch of tiny Catholic schools. Mike Tranghese is simultaneously abducted and stuck in a small room with a single television that plays Providence basketball games on a loop (rendering guards, locks and bindings entirely unnecessary).

The BEFC members, with UConn substituted for Temple, agree to collectively withdraw from the Big East, form a new conference called the Eastern League, and extend invitations to four schools: Florida State, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Clemson, with Louisville a backup option if any of those schools hesitate. The Eastern League opens back channel discussions with Penn State in an effort to bring the Nittany Lions back to a league with a half dozen rivals it stopped playing about 10 years earlier. Notre Dame discusses a football scheduling arrangement in consideration for placing basketball and non-revenue sports in the Eastern League.

In 2005, the Eastern League begins play with football divisions and cross division rivals as follows.

Miami x Florida State
Virginia Tech x Clemson
Pitt x Boston College
West Virginia x Syracuse
Maryland x Georgia Tech
Rutgers x UConn

Discussions with Penn State and Notre Dame continue, with Louisville begging for an invitation and NC State privately inquiring about a parachute out of what's left of the ACC. Instead of becoming athletic director at WVU, Oliver Luck is named commissioner of the Eastern League.

The ACC, which now consists of UVa, UNC, Duke, Wake and NC State looks to add a few provisional members from among Cincinnati, Tulane, Rice and SMU. North Carolina politicians pressure the state schools to support East Carolina's admission, academic rankings notwithstanding. There is discussion about adding Army and Navy. Privately, UVa, UNC and Duke plead for a home in the Big Ten or SEC, and NC State would like to tag along if it cannot get a bid to the Eastern League sooner. John Swofford remains ACC commissioner and continues to negotiate the television contracts.

Taking into account the shifts with the Big Ten and SEC that followed, and the potential moves of the Eastern League, is Virginia Tech better off today in the ACC or the Eastern League???





[Post edited by Tailgate Guru at 01/28/2022 10:04PM]

Posted: 01/28/2022 at 10:04PM



+5

Insert a Link

Enter the title of the link here:


Enter the full web address of the link here -- include the "http://" part:


Current Thread:
 
  
What if the Big East Football Conference had raided the ACC? -- Tailgate Guru 01/28/2022 10:04PM
  Actually it was earlier metro -- Mercury 01/30/2022 12:50PM
  Paterno wanted.. -- TerryD 02/01/2022 1:58PM
  I don’t think this was ever offered to psu -- Truthahn 02/06/2022 8:49PM
  Round robin play. There's no substitute for it. -- Maroon Baboon 01/29/2022 12:18PM
  In the late 1980s when Tiffany released "Could've Been"... -- Maroon Baboon 01/29/2022 11:53AM
  When did SEC(if so) talk behind scene to VT? -- MrFantastic! 01/29/2022 10:20AM
  True ** -- MrFantastic! 02/01/2022 3:51PM
  Maybe 2011 -- Hokie Fiji 01/29/2022 10:44AM
  I heard that ** -- MrFantastic! 01/29/2022 11:47AM
  Where will VT be in ten years? Your guess my man. ** -- MrFantastic! 02/07/2022 07:35AM
  Too many agendas in the Big East for that to happen ** -- VaTechHokiesACC 01/29/2022 02:30AM
  That would make a good Quantum Leap episode. ;) ** -- Old Line Hokie 01/28/2022 11:02PM

Tech Sideline is Presented By:

Our Sponsors

vm307