[JK37]

So the ACC is at 14. ESPN says UConn wants to be the 15th or 16th member of the conference. If UConn is 16 who is 15?

Speculation is Rutgers or Louisville.

I'm also hearing WVU has now applied to the SEC.

Jbock, the ACC has been considering WVU for the past several weeks, and WVU has been listening. OL was not surprised by Pitt & Syracuse's news. Truth is, I now know that the ACC was considering a list of eight schools, five of which are BE members, and two of which applied Saturday for admission. The ACC is far from done. By the way, BE presidents and AD's are LIVID with Marinatto right now.

Four, 16-team superconferences. SEC, ACC, PAC-12, Big 10. A bunch of schools clamoring for one of the 64 seats. Because if they dont get in now, they never will. If we count Texas A&M to the SEC, there are only 13 seats left.

[Sly Fox]

I've been around Oliver enough to know he is generally the smartest guy in the room. But most of the Big East presidents & ADs were stunned by the moves considering the fact that those schools in particular had been leading a charge to beef up the league and keep it together.

I still don't see why the SEC would want WVU. There are more attractive prizes sitting for the taking in the ACC & Big XII.

I'm sure UConn would love to jump to the ACC under the circumstances. They have suddenly become a football school on a figurative island up there in New England. Rutgers has to feel the heat as well.

We should know much more tomorrow when UT & OU have their meetings. If the UT/TT/OU/OSU group bolts to the Pac-12 it is formally on. Then it will be the SEC or B1G's turn to begin dropping the rest of the dominoes.

Poor Baylor

[jbock13]

Thanks for the info JK37.

Sly, here's why conferences want WVU. Revenue, and a huge fan base. I'm shocked the ACC took pitt because they have none. Sure they're good at basketball, but they have absolutely no fan base in football.

I agree that I'm not sure WVU would be a great fit in the SEC. Personally I always thought joining the Big 10 (now 12) would be the best option for WVU.

Oh well, pitt can... never mind

[Sly Fox]

What revenue would WVU provide the ACC or SEC? The school keeps their own gate.

[jbock13]

What revenue would WVU provide the ACC or SEC? The school keeps their own gate.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by keeping their own gate. Sorry. For all I know you probably know more than I so I'll trust what you say when it comes to revenue things.

[BJWilliams]

I believe it refers to either ticket revenues or overall revenues from the game (tickets, concessions, item and memorabilia sales if any)

[jbock13]

Well considering WVU now has in stadium beer sales, I'm sure they're doing quite fine in the revenue department. Sadly, its probably a fact.

I know on ticket sales alone they bring in over $2 million per home game.

As for merchandice, there's not a place in WV where you can't find mountaineer gear. Even florist shops sell jerseys and t-shirts.

[Hold My Own]

At what point does the Government get involved publicly? We're talking about quite a few businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars that are changing the revenue for states and other businesses. I know they are involved behind closed doors but if you're willing to be public on so many other sports related things (most are nonsense) why not this? I'm not suggesting anything being done is illegal but another step in the approval process to eliminate monopolies (mega conference) seems logical. No different than a merger like T-Mobile and AT&T has to get approved.

*Businesses = schools in this statement.

[alabama24]

the ACC needs to start grabbing ASAP so they aren't getting leftovers.

In football, the ACC IS the leftovers. Personally, I am rooting for FSU & VT to join the SEC.

[JK37]

the ACC needs to start grabbing ASAP so they aren't getting leftovers.

In football, the ACC IS the leftovers. Personally, I am rooting for FSU & VT to join the SEC.

The new tougher provisions agreed upon by ACC presidents make it exponentially more difficult to leave. And, they were agreed upon unanimously. To me, that means none of the current ACC schools are trying to leave.

[LUconn]

yeah the ACC upped the leaving fee from $7 million to $20 million. None of those teams are leaving.

[JK37]

Bingo! The ACC upped the ante big time with all of this. They grabbed two established programs, then made it nearly impossible to leave. And they did it so close to the vest that Marinatto didn't know until ESPN reported it. THAT is what had Luck and all the other AD's so upset.

Y'all check my logic: this move confirms that superconferences are coming > it will become impossible to survive as an independent > the only hope the big east has of surviving is if ND picks them instead of the Big 10. Otherwise, the BE football schools have to break away and find one of the 13 superconference seats left. then, the big east goes back toeing a nice bball league.

Marquette, DePaul, St. John's, Georgetown, Providence, Villanova. Did I forget anyone?

It's kind of mind-boggling to witness the demise of a BCS league this way.

[ALUmnus]

Okay, so who would be left for the B1G to take? Notre Dame, and three more? Who? Seems like there'd only be a few scraps left, and they aren't the type of league to go after scraps.

[alabama24]

Okay, so who would be left for the B1G to take? Notre Dame...

I've always thought that Notre Dame should be forced into a conference. Of course, they can do what they want, but the BCS should be off limits until they join one. I think the Big Ten would be a natural fit.

[Sly Fox]

Under current setup, Notre Dame is fine the way they are and I am hearing the possible alignment with Texas in a joint move is all but dead. The Big Ten's obvious targets now are Rutgers and West Virginia to the East ... Louisville & Kentucky to the South (Yeah, I know) ... and Mizzou, KU, K-State & Iowa State to the West. In order of priority from the B1G's perspective:

• Notre Dame
  Texas (Looks like that option is nearly dead)
  Missouri
  Rutgers
  Kentucky
  West Virginia
  Kansas
  K-State
  Louisville
  Iowa State

Of course they could try to step way outside the box and chase TCU or Memphis. But I don't see that happening. They aren't in a desperate position right now.

The big question now becomes who gets desperate and makes the next move ... the Big Ten or SEC. It looks like the Pac-12 is in the catbird seat for their top 4 targets (UT/TT/OU/OSU) with Mizzou/KU/KSU/BYU likely as a fallback plan. We may hear something by this evening from Austin & Norman.

[TDDance234]

WVU fans are always hyping themselves up more than they really are. The reality is nobody outside of Northern WV really give a rip about the 'Eeers. IMO, the ACC wouldn't bat their eyes at overtures from WVU.

My guess is Tech is as good as gone to the SEC if Texas/Oklahoma decide to go over to the Pac-10.

Count me in the crowd that says we have to move up to the FBS level if we're offered a spot. After all the dust settles, I believe it will be along time before schools start shifting around. If we don't move now, we could be looking at another 10-15 years in the Big South.

[TDDance234]

Word is Villanova has applied for ACC membership. . .

[Sly Fox]

How hard did the ACC suits laugh when that application came in from Philly?

[lynchburgwildcats]

I still don't see why the SEC would want WVU. There are more attractive prizes sitting for the taking in the ACC & Big XII.

ACC Presidents voted unanimously to immediately increase the conference exit fee to $20 million. Current ACC teams aren't going anywhere...

[lynchburgwildcats]

Thanks for the info JK37.

Sly, here's why conferences want WVU. Revenue, and a huge fan base. I'm shocked the ACC took pitt because they have none. Sure they're good at basketball, but they have absolutely no fan base in football.

I agree that I'm not sure WVU would be a great fit in the SEC. Personally I always thought joining the Big 10 (now 12) would be the best option for WVU.

Oh well, pitt can... never mind

West VA doesn't fit academically in the Big 10. Big 10 will have to get off their high horse about academics and lower their standards to take in WVU.

[TDDance234]

How hard did the ACC suits laugh when that application came in from Philly?

Probably not as much as you would think. Football is an afterthought. . .basketball has to be driving their thoughts, IMO. Adding 'Nova, Syracuse and Pitt to an already solid basketball league would be a win/win for them.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Under current setup, Notre Dame is fine the way they are and I am hearing the possible alignment with Texas in a joint move is all but dead. The Big Ten's obvious targets now are Rutgers and West Virginia to the East ... Louisville & Kentucky to the South (Yeah, I know) ... and Mizzou, KU, K-State & Iowa State to the West. In order of priority from the B1G's perspective:

• Notre Dame
  Texas (Looks like that option is nearly dead)
  Missouri
  Rutgers
  Kentucky
  West Virginia
  Kansas
  K-State
  Louisville
  Iowa State

Of course they could try to step way outside the box and chase TCU or Memphis. But I don't see that happening. They aren't in a desperate position right now.

The big question now becomes who gets desperate and makes the next move ... the Big Ten or SEC. It looks like the Pac-12 is in the catbird seat for their top 4 targets (UT/TT/OU/OSU) with Mizzou/KU/KSU/BYU likely as a fallback plan. We may hear something by this evening from Austin & Norman.

Kentucky isn't leaving the SEC...

[lynchburgwildcats]

How hard did the ACC suits laugh when that application came in from Philly?

Probably not as much as you would think. Football is an afterthought. . .basketball has to be driving their thoughts, IMO. Adding 'Nova, Syracuse and Pitt to an already solid basketball league would be a win/win for them.

Don't forget UConn. ACC will be the best basketball conference in the country now. At least ESPN will be justified in their ACC hoops slobbering for once, it's been a fairly mediocre overall conference for quite a few years.

[Sly Fox]

Kentucky isn't leaving the SEC...

And Notre Dame isn't joining either in all likelihood. I was just stating who would be the obvious targets for the B1G. It should be noted that the only reason Kentucky is in SEC is because the Big Ten would never give them the time of day for decades. But you are correct that even though geographically they fit better in the Big Ten, academically & culturally they are SEC to the core.

[JK37]

How hard did the ACC suits laugh when that application came in from Philly?

Probably not as much as you would think. Football is an afterthought. . .basketball has to be driving their thoughts, IMO. Adding 'Nova, Syracuse and Pitt to an already solid basketball league would be a win/win for them.

In conference realignment, basketballis the afterthought. Even in the ACC where every fan seems to think basketball is king, money - and therefore, football - is driving the entire realignment discussion. The uplifting of the basketball conference is simply a welcome byproduct. They have to take teams with viable football programs, so Villanova doesn't fit the mold. The moment any league begins to consider a non-FBS football program, they'll find themselves in the same boat as the Big East is now with an imbalance of power.

It can't happen, it absolutely will NOT happen unless Villanova plans an FBS jump by 2013.