Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 01/01/2005 Posts: 1352
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ACC being tops in revenue was a holdover from a different era,

one where basketball mattered more and one where the ACC and Raycom were ahead of the curve in monetizing college sports broadcasting rights. That all changed in the mid-2000s when the B1G and the SEC realized what they were sitting on. So I don't expect the ACC (and/or Raycom) could've realistically maintained that monetary supremacy.

I'm also not sure they ultimately bungled the expansion. They did bring in Miami and VT (despite Donna Shalala's best efforts). Even BC and Syracuse bring exposure to NE OOS tuition money and responsibly run ADs. Who else could/should they have brought in? PSU? How? Either way, ACC expansion reset the landscape and allowed the conference to briefly jump ahead of the B1G and SEC.

However, being the myopic, provincial thinking, basketball-centric conference that they were at the time of expansion, the ACC failed to see the approaching downtrend for FSU or the inherent limitations of the Miami football program. They just expected to have a plug and play FSU/Miami made for TV CCG every year in Jacksonville. This was their big move to negotiate a rights deal with ESPN and the kind of figures they were talking at the time were unheard of.

To me, allegations of a conflict of interest with Swofford and his son at Raycom ignore the established, successful relationship the ACC had with that company. This history of success is exactly what blinded the ACC to the hole they were in with football and led to the long term deal with ESPN that leaves them behind the eight ball. The allegations also never address the fact that the deal had the approval of all member institutions.

Since expansion and the rights deal they've been swimming upstream but they've made the best moves they could make: bringing in ND, moving the CCG to Charlotte, getting member institutions to upgrade and invest in their football programs. If they can convince one or two schools to drop football and adjust the schedule to provide more compelling matchups they could have something compelling enough to rival the kind of dollar figures getting tossed at the B1G and SEC.

You're right though, the term of the contract is the elephant in the room. I'm not sure what they were thinking or how they expected that to advantage the conference.

(In response to this post by Upwind of uva)

Posted: 05/01/2016 at 12:59AM

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Current Thread:

Clemson AD on ACCN -- goldendomer 04/28/2016 3:16PM

Are we to be comforted by the knowledge that the first thing Swofford- -- KnoxHokie 04/28/2016 11:22PM

Wasserman Media Group is the agency. -- HOO86 04/29/2016 1:19PM

Wow. Best case is to mitigate the damage that's been done. ** -- chuckd4vt 04/28/2016 10:59PM

Get the quote right ** -- daveinop 04/29/2016 08:20AM

The use of "mitigate" suggests all we need to know. No other way to take it ** -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 12:10PM

Just get it right. you said -- daveinop 04/29/2016 12:47PM

"mitigate: to make (something) less severe, harmful, or painful" ** -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 4:20PM

Splitting hairs about this--- Of course an AD may not want to talk "damage" -- KnoxHokie 04/29/2016 3:53PM

Ummm, Chuck took R'vich's very welcome statement regarding -- daveinop 04/29/2016 6:33PM

Yep. He mentions an already very large gap. -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 4:20PM

We have the numbers from last year. $5 million to SEC, $3 million to B1G. -- HOO86 04/29/2016 5:16PM

Re: Clemson AD on ACCN -- timharv 04/28/2016 6:30PM

Last Sentence is very important point. -- HOO86 04/28/2016 6:12PM

I've always gotten a chuckle out of all -- ren_hoek 04/28/2016 9:24PM

"Morons" betting against the ACC the last 12 yrs would be up big money. -- chuckd4vt 04/28/2016 11:09PM

Case in point ** -- ren_hoek 04/29/2016 12:41PM

I stand by my claims that this conference is run poorly. Do you disagree? -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 4:18PM

In 2014 Forbes had the ACC as the 2nd most valuable conference -- daveinop 04/29/2016 9:04PM

A valuable conference doesn't make a greatly run conference. -- Atlee Hokie 04/30/2016 2:56PM

That was an anamoly due to Maryland buy out and Louisville buy in. ** -- chuckd4vt 04/30/2016 9:00PM

The ACC was not the "premier league in the nation 12 years ago", -- Stech 04/29/2016 07:02AM

They were paying out top dollars to its 9 members. -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 12:18PM

By conference revenue, per school, wasn't the ACC #1 then? ** -- Late 80s Hokie 04/29/2016 12:12PM

I believe so. If not number one, they were close. ** -- chuckd4vt 04/29/2016 4:21PM

Right ACC #1 in football, then the rest followed...come on, get serious. -- Stech 04/29/2016 7:35PM

#1 in overall revenue, not football ** -- Will Stewart

04/29/2016 8:23PM

If true, a HUGE fact ignored here, college football dwarfs the revenue -- Stech 04/30/2016 08:41AM

You're missing the point, Stech. In the 90's, the ACC was the premier -- Upwind of uva 04/30/2016 12:08PM

The ACC in the 90's could not touch the SEC or B1G in football...FSU -- Stech 04/30/2016 1:05PM

You just keep repeating the same point. Not sure you even read my post -- Upwind of uva 04/30/2016 4:40PM

I am not missing the point you are. You discount the Miami, FSU, Clemson -- Stech 04/30/2016 8:12PM

Actually no one is hitting Miami fsu and vt for slippojg -- Mercury 05/01/2016 1:00PM

I'll take those one at a time -- Upwind of uva 04/30/2016 10:14PM

ACC being tops in revenue was a holdover from a different era, -- crabcake77 05/01/2016 12:59AM

+++ ** -- daveinop 05/01/2016 09:13AM

Good post, crabcake -- Upwind of uva 05/01/2016 08:50AM

Getting Carolina brass out of the commissioner's chair... -- crabcake77 05/01/2016 12:15PM

Based on this post, we agree more than we disagree. However, you are off -- Stech 05/01/2016 09:38AM

I'm not attacking the ACC. This article is in little ways a "win" though. -- chuckd4vt 05/01/2016 2:50PM

Then you no doubt agree with him when he says -- daveinop 05/01/2016 4:17PM

He's hyping the recent successes, but lamenting the lack of funds. -- chuckd4vt 05/02/2016 03:01AM

Well, you specialize in bleak pictures. You have said -- daveinop 05/02/2016 08:55AM

Numerous folks have suggested this won't be a true network at all. -- chuckd4vt 05/02/2016 10:59AM

And I'm one of those folks. -- daveinop 05/02/2016 2:34PM

Numerous folks have suggested this won't be a true network at all. -- chuckd4vt 05/02/2016 10:53AM

Fair enough. Let me say this, though -- Upwind of uva 05/01/2016 09:44AM

Get used to it. These guys have called me multiple names in this very threa -- chuckd4vt 05/01/2016 3:09PM

Here's a novel idea: stop beating a dead horse in every -- ren_hoek 05/02/2016 09:48AM

Stop calling names and you won't come off as such a jerk. ** -- chuckd4vt 05/02/2016 10:36AM

I did answer it, Swofford had few cards to play with those schools down. -- Stech 04/30/2016 11:37PM

Last post on this, at least for tonight (and this thread) -- Upwind of uva 04/30/2016 11:56PM

You are making things up I never said to fit your opinion... I 'm done not -- Stech 05/01/2016 12:31AM

Yep, I'm the problem here. All 5 of my posts ruined the board.** -- Upwind of uva 05/01/2016 12:46AM

There are some on this board who seem to hate the ACC, and no amount of -- Hokie Dale 04/30/2016 11:33AM

Re: There are some on this board who seem to hate the ACC, and no amount of -- Stech 04/30/2016 1:17PM

Thanks for the insightful contributions -- Mercury 05/01/2016 11:37AM

We "might" learn more in a few weeks after the Amelia Island meetings..... -- Old Line Hokie 04/28/2016 5:52PM

ACC being tops in revenue was a holdover from a different era,

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