Conference Realignment: West Virginia Rejected By ACC, SEC Says No For Now
by Chris Lane on Sep 20, 2011 12:01 PM EDT
in Big East Expansion
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PrintUpdate (6:30 p.m.) Pete Thamel reports that West Virgina claiming they were not rejected by the SEC, but told they are only an option if the league expands to 16 teams. Sure, whatever makes you feel better.
Original Post:
In what will be a surprising turn of events to many, it appears as though West Virginia has had applications rejected by both the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This comes via CBSSports' Brett McMurphy, whose Big East sources indicated to him that the West Virginia officials have confirmed both rejections.
For weeks now many had assumed that with Texas A&M likely heading to the SEC, West Virginia would be the likely 14th member of the conference. But it appears that the lack of a major media market and poor academics (moreso in the case of their ACC application I imagine) have left them in the Big East for the time being.
So sorry we're not sorry, Oliver Luck.
Right now, this doesn't have too much of an impact on Villanova. West Virginia were never going to end up in the ACC - they were always less of an option than Villanova is. However, this does bring another foot forward in the potential Big 12-Big East merger now that West Virginia looks set to stay with the Big East (or whatever may become of it).
For Villanova, it's stay the course. Either find a way into the ACC, or make sure that in any future Big East-Big12 mashup, you are included with FBS football.
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My thoughts
Chris, first, great blog here. I really love your rational and thoughtful processes throughout all of this. As a Nova fan, I know this must be a nervous time for you, but I don’t think you should be that nervous.
I do think that the new BE even without Pitt, Cuse and possibly Rutgers and UCONN would still be a great BCS conference. Its not as if the BE is losing football powerhouses in Pitt and Cuse. However, they are adding a perceived football powerhouse right now in TCU. I actually think the addition of TCU cancels out (or is even better!) than the two member losses. In basketball, the addition of a team like Kansas would still make a killer basketball conference. You would have great basketball teams like Nova, G-Town, Marquette, Kansas, etc. in your conference. In fact, this could possibly be even better than the new ACC. How many titles would you have in the ACC?
Just let things play out here – don’t assume any worse case scenarios. I think Nova would make out just fine.
Thank you!
A rational Pitt fan – don’t see much of you outside of Cardiac Hill but please come back often (and I’m going to miss our bball games).
One thing that doesn’t fit right now – there are a lot of reports that Kansas/K-State/etc. want the Big 10, not the Big East (can’t blame them).
But if that all plays out, you’re right it’s still a great conference basketball wise and should be at least equal football wise.
If we’re going to that new conference though, we need to have football. NEED TO.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Not so sure
Obviously, there are so many dominoes that can fall a whole bunch of different ways, and its hard to predict what will happen, but I don’t see any possibility of the Big10 throwing the Kansas schools an invite. Of course, the issue is money here, and the problem is that the Kansas schools do not have large TV markets for football. Also, the Big 10 I think is content with 12.
The ONLY thing that might have the Big10 expand – and this is I think the biggest wild card here – is if Notre Dame feels as if the BE is no longer a viable place for its Olympic Sports. However, I don’t see that happening. And actually, this WVU news is big for schools like Nova, because it increases the chance of the BE surviving. It also means that Notre Dame should get to continue its coveted independence in football.
It seems like I have read everything on re-alignment these past few days, and there are so many possibly dominos can fall, but essentially right now, if you are in the Nova camp, u are just praying that no other BE
continue
..team leaves such as Rutgers and UCONN. I do think a school like Nova can survive without the football members. Schools like Cincy and Utah were great when they were in their mid-major conferences. With all the tradition Nova has in basketball, I actually don’t think it will hurt them one bit.
I will miss the basketball games also with Nova. So many memorable games.
I think we'll survive...
but only schools like us and Georgetown (big basketball fanbase, lots of tradition) will be okay. Say goodbye to the other schools (maybe minus Marquette and St. John’s).
You are correct though – lots still to come before Nova is settled unless ND pulls a miracle and says they’ll go to the ACC if they accept Nova football OR we get an invite to the new Big East for football soon.
Lots to come
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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You are correct
Nova and G-Town would still continue to be great with their tradition (possibly Marquette also?), but the other basketball-only schools like Provy and St. John’s would essentially be killed by that move.
The most disturbing thing is that there is recent talks that the football only members would actually “merge” into the Big 12 instead of the other way around. This would certainly leave the BE basketball members in the dust with their own basketball only league, which, as you pointed out in a previous post, is the absolute worst case scenario. OU and Texas really determines the fate of all of this right now I think, and I know it must be unnerving to have your fate in the hands of some schools many miles away.
There are just so many possible dominos that can fall and so many rumors that I see it as fruitless to even try to predict this. Even we Pitt fans were totally stunned on Saturday morning with the move to the ACC. That was totally out of left-field. It tells you how behind-the-scenes everything is right now.
Also
The other thing you pointed out really well is that Nova did not decide to upgrade their football program to FBS in the mid-90’s. That was the fatal flaw, and the Nova administrators were short-sighted and too slow too act.
If Nova had a FBS team in the BE right now, they probably would have received an ACC invite in place of Pitt. Nova certainly has a-lot more to offer the ACC in terms of TV Market revenue being in the Philly market.
God dammit, don't we know it!
A colossal eff up that was
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Great point.
The old hindsite is 20/20. I am sure the cost factor came into play. Were the administrators scared of getting to big, and are the current ones feel the same.?
Current ones are asleep at the wheel
Instead of being proactive they are hoping they find a back door to the party.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Big East has plenty of staying power..
Add Massachusetts, Army, Navy and Central Florida —football, Styx and hockey only.
Dikaia Upotheke - Justice Our Foundation
I don't know whether to laugh or cry
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Latest Word
Latest word has it that the UCONN president is literally taking a bus tour to every ACC president’s home right now trying to get her school an invite. She has the connections to do it. Very bad for Nova and the other basketball-only schools.
That said, I think the ACC would add a ton of TV market interest in basketball by adding Nova and G-Town (as long as Maryland doesn’t complain, but they will). However, there is no chance that they add a basketball-only member, but here is hoping that they do!
A rather depressing article by Ron Cook on PPG for the Big East:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11263/1176033-87-0.stm
If I'm the ACC..
A ND/Villanova combo (doubtful because of ND wanting independence) is MUCH more attractive than a UConn/Rutgers.
You get the premier football program (ND) and a premier basketball program (Nova) and open up two huge markets (ND National & Philly).
With the alternative, you get a premier basketball program (UConn) and nothing in football.
I’m pretty convinced the ACC is focused on ND/Texas or bust right now. Out of those two, we know ND would rather the ACC than the Big 10 if the Big East falls apart.
Villanova needs to align itself with ND. Play the Catholic card if you have to, but they are the people who can take us to the ACC
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
Follow me on Twitter
Follow The Nova Blog on Twitter and Facebook
Would agree
Ya, I would think that a ND/Nova combo would be more attractive than a UCONN/Rutgers, but as everyone knows, there is no chance the ACC accepts basketball member only schools. The ACC – much more so than the Big East – is big on cohesiveness, and this would probably not be acceptable to the ACC presidents.
I agree with you that the ACC right now is thinking ND/Texas or bust on further expansion (at-least for now). Just so many un-certainties right now, this is driving me crazy! I just wish the Oklahoma schools would make up their mind!
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