The Grounds

Really good point. The Big Ten is the undisputed king in huge markets like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. That doesn't even take into account cities like Indianapolis, Harrisburg, and Columbus, which are all pretty dang big. The ACC really only has teams in four large urban markets -- Atlanta, Miami, Boston, and DC -- and those four schools have some of the worst attendance and smallest enrollments (except UMD) in the conference. There's a reason why the B1G has three stadiums that hold 100,000+ while the ACC's largest stadium holds 80-something.

Still though, I think ACC basketball is a strong enough national brand to justify a network. Just replay a bunch of 1980s games with Jordan vs. Sampson and all that.

Obviously East Lansing and Bloomington are smaller towns, but the B1G is EVERYWHERE in those nearby big cities. It's not like Georgia Tech's situation in Atlanta, where they are at best a blip on the radar. BC is even less ofa blip in Boston. But Chicago, a top five media market, is chock full of B1G alums.

Anecdotal evidence, though, and not only from the least football-crazed school in the conference, but from one of the smaller metro areas in the footprint. Atlanta's obsessed with college football, yes, but every time I'm there I see UGA, Alabama, Auburn, UT, UF, etc. on all the plates and bumper stickers and flags. In other words - it's SEC crazed.

Perk is absolutely right about the markets. There are only a few big ones where the ACC is king. Atlanta really isn't one of them.

The irony is the reason we are below the other conferences in pay is because FSU and Miami, who were brought in to improve ACC football and bring in more tv revenue, have sucked the last 5 years.

5 years? How about 10 or 15?

also there is this

didn't read back far enough. carry on

Flaming hypocrites. The ACC bent over backwards to accommodate those assholes when Miami joined. We put them in separate divisions because that's what they wanted. We put the ACCCG in Florida because that's what they wanted. We became a laughingstock because of it, too, because it turns out nobody goes to a championship game in Florida. We basically said eff you to football traditionalists so the Florida schools could get their way, and they repaid the league with academic scandals and football mediocrity.

FWIW espn ticker says no contact between FSU and B12, so that means there has deffinately been contact right?

I seriously doubt FSU leaves the ACC. Haggard's term is up at the next BOT's meeting. He's just trying to remain relevant. Can anyone here name one school that left a conference with a better academic reputation for a lesser one? It just doesn't happen.

saw this on another board. i am just coming to grips with the fact that i just spent 10 minutes reading a WVU message board. don't judge me.

I just wanted to add one more thing. IMO I would like to see the ACC go with another network besides ESPN. While I have loved ESPN for many years it is becoming too commericailized for me. They were at one time all about the sports fan, and still are to a degree but they are worried about advertising for the whole Disney/ABC entity as well and it gets kind of old.