Anonymous wrote:The real question is:

Big Ten Conference, what is the vision for the future of your conference ?

If that vision includes a 24 team nationwide mega-conference, then Stanford & Cal could be valuable additions in the future.

I do not think that the ACC has a vision that included adding just two West Coast schools. Makes no sense unless 6 schools are added to create a West Coast Division.

The West Coast time zone remains a major concern as it is difficult to attract a national audience so late in the day--especially after a long day of college football viewing has already occurred. The 3 hour time zone difference is an issue that should be able to be worked out--especially if Cal & Stanford join at partial shares--which is a certainty for both the Big Ten Conference and for the ACC.

Interesting post.

I agree that the vision thing is a key here. I do believe that the SEC and the Big10 have a vision of a 24 or more team conference. That may not be the 2023 or 2024 dream but I think it is at least the 2030 vision. The ACC now I think has the same vision --- if they pull this off. So I agree that the will be adding schools Westish like SMU. Maybe ND. Maybe a couple more west coast. BYU?

From what I have read -- the late games are not a detraction. The ACC feels ESPN will have to open up the checkbook for a live west coast game like Stanford vs NC or Cal vs Clemson. There would be an extra ACC game every Saturday (and maybe Thursday) that the west coast would watch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

All they have to do is agree to join as a full member and the ACC will do whatever they want. If they don’t agree, they have no leverage

(OP here):

Whether or not Notre Dame has leverage with the ACC, I see this as an attempt to pressure the Big Ten Conference.

Hopefully, someone in the Big Ten Conference will take a minute to consider the visual that I posted above regarding academic rankings of D-1 football schools.

Of course, the Big Ten Conference almost certainly has pressure from some of its members to not crowd the West Coast high school recruiting market.

The next several days could well unleash dramatic changes to big time college football.

I’m sure they also have members reminding them that the last time they took schools solely for markets, they got Rutgers and Maryland and neither of them are competitive on the field and both will be anchors when subscriptions and not carriage fees matter

Maryland has been a success for the Big Ten Conference; Rutgers is still struggling, however.

Define success.

So what do I think is happening today ?

I think that Notre Dame understands the current and future landscape of big-time college football well. ND understands that the Big Ten Conference has taken several shrewd steps that will affect Notre Dame football.

To remain as an independent in college football, Notre Dame needs a CFP that gives ND a strong chance at making the 12 team playoff. Things are going to change in 2026 regarding the CFP and, as matters stand now, the Big Ten Conference and the SEC will control those changes to CFP eligibility. Notre Dame may want a strong ally in the ACC to counter the influence of the Big ten Conference and of the SEC. Notre Dame--even though independent--has a spot on the CFP committee.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

All they have to do is agree to join as a full member and the ACC will do whatever they want. If they don’t agree, they have no leverage

(OP here):

Whether or not Notre Dame has leverage with the ACC, I see this as an attempt to pressure the Big Ten Conference.

Hopefully, someone in the Big Ten Conference will take a minute to consider the visual that I posted above regarding academic rankings of D-1 football schools.

Of course, the Big Ten Conference almost certainly has pressure from some of its members to not crowd the West Coast high school recruiting market.

The next several days could well unleash dramatic changes to big time college football.

I’m sure they also have members reminding them that the last time they took schools solely for markets, they got Rutgers and Maryland and neither of them are competitive on the field and both will be anchors when subscriptions and not carriage fees matter

Maryland has been a success for the Big Ten Conference; Rutgers is still struggling, however.

The real question is:

Big Ten Conference, what is the vision for the future of your conference ?

If that vision includes a 24 team nationwide mega-conference, then Stanford & Cal could be valuable additions in the future.

I do not think that the ACC has a vision that included adding just two West Coast schools. Makes no sense unless 6 schools are added to create a West Coast Division.

The West Coast time zone remains a major concern as it is difficult to attract a national audience so late in the day--especially after a long day of college football viewing has already occurred. The 3 hour time zone difference is an issue that should be able to be worked out--especially if Cal & Stanford join at partial shares--which is a certainty for both the Big Ten Conference and for the ACC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(OP here)

Very low chance that Stanford would join the ACC for any sport other than football.

Of all the outcomes --- this is the one that can't happen. It's all or none or no football but all others. The school presidents want stanford ---- they want them for all the non-football sports.

Why? Do you really think the president of UVA relishes his lacrosses teams having to travel to California? It's a massive added expense across all of the non-revenue sports

To play Stanford (and Cal in same trip)? Yes. That would be his dream.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

All they have to do is agree to join as a full member and the ACC will do whatever they want. If they don’t agree, they have no leverage

(OP here):

Whether or not Notre Dame has leverage with the ACC, I see this as an attempt to pressure the Big Ten Conference.

Hopefully, someone in the Big Ten Conference will take a minute to consider the visual that I posted above regarding academic rankings of D-1 football schools.

Of course, the Big Ten Conference almost certainly has pressure from some of its members to not crowd the West Coast high school recruiting market.

The next several days could well unleash dramatic changes to big time college football.

I’m sure they also have members reminding them that the last time they took schools solely for markets, they got Rutgers and Maryland and neither of them are competitive on the field and both will be anchors when subscriptions and not carriage fees matter

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

All they have to do is agree to join as a full member and the ACC will do whatever they want. If they don’t agree, they have no leverage

(OP here):

Whether or not Notre Dame has leverage with the ACC, I see this as an attempt to pressure the Big Ten Conference.

Hopefully, someone in the Big Ten Conference will take a minute to consider the visual that I posted above regarding academic rankings of D-1 football schools.

Of course, the Big Ten Conference almost certainly has pressure from some of its members to not crowd the West Coast high school recruiting market.

The next several days could well unleash dramatic changes to big time college football.

(OP again):

https://saturdaydownsouth.com/notre-dame-fighting-irish-/notre-dame-reportedly-using-its-influence-to-help-with-possible-acc-expansion/

This is what I have been preaching to the Big Ten Conference. Big Ten are you listening ?

If Cal & Stanford join the ACC, it could end up as a train-wreck experience for Cal & Stanford; nevertheless, Cal & Stanford will accept if offered.

Stanford might want to consider reaching out to the Big Ten Conference with its best offer. This is no time to let pride cloud your vision.

Anonymous wrote:NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

All they have to do is agree to join as a full member and the ACC will do whatever they want. If they don’t agree, they have no leverage

NOTRE DAME is pushing hard & using its influence with the ACC to encourage the ACC to expand and accept Stanford & UCal-Berkeley.

(OP here):

Perhaps a way to understand the academic/athletic excellence of Stanford and UCal-Berkeley can be demonstrated visually by using the ranking order shown in the US News Best Colleges 2022 edition (2022 was the last hard edition available), I will try to rank universities which play D-1 football and offer football scholarships:

1) Stanford
2) Duke
3) Northwestern
4) Vanderbilt
5) Rice

6) Notre Dame
7) UCLA
8) UCal-Berkeley
9) U Michigan
10) U Virginia

11) USC
12) U Florida
13) UNC
14) Wake Forest (WFU)
15) Boston College

16) Georgia Tech
17) U Texas-Austin
18) College of Wm. & Mary
19) Tulane
20) Wisconsin

21) Illinois
22) Georgia
23) Lehigh
24) Ohio State
25) Purdue

26) Villanova
27) Florida State (FSU)
28) U Miami
29) Syracuse
30) U Maryland

31) U Pittsburgh
32) U Washington
33) Penn State
34) Rutgers
35) U Conn

36) Indiana U.
37) Southern Methodist (SMU)
38) Texas A&M
39) U Mass-Amherst
40) U Minnesota

41) Baylor
42) Clemson
43) Virginia Tech
44) BYU
45) NC State

46) Michigan State
47) Texas Christian (TCU)
48) Iowa
49) SUNY-Buffalo
50) Auburn

51) U Colorado-Boulder
52) U Oregon
53) U Utah
54) Miami of Ohio
55) Temple

56) U Arizona
57) U South Florida (USF)
58) U Tennessee
59) ASU
60) U South Carolina

61) Iowa State
62) U Kansas
63) U Missouri
64) Rutgers
65) U Kentucky

66) U Oklahoma
67) U Nebraska
68) U Tulsa
69) Colorado State
70) San Diego State

71) U Alabama
72) Univ. of Central Florida (UCF)
73) U Cincinnati
74) U Mississippi (Ole Miss)
75) Florida International U.

76) Kansas State
77) Oregon State
78) U Arkansas
79) U Hawaii
80) U Rhode Island

81) LSU
82) Ohio University in Athens
83) U Houston
84) U Idaho
85) Washington State U.

86)Oklahoma State U.
87) U Louisville
88) Mississippi State U.
89) U New Mexico
90) U Wyoming
91) Ball State

East Carolina, Texas Tech, U Maine, New Mexico State, U Nevada-Reno, UNC-Charlotte, Central Michigan, Georgia State, U South Dakota, U Memphis, Bowling Green, UNLV, North Dakota, Utah State, West Virginia, Montana State, Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Florida Atlantic, U Montana, U North Texas, Marshall, Middle Tenn State, Northern Arizona U., Boise State, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), South Alabama, Akron, Liberty, and several others.

Anonymous wrote:Excellent insight into the current relationship between FSU & other ACC schools:

https://sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2023/08/07/florida-state-university-acc-future-college-football-jp-morgan.aspx

This made me LOL:
A number of administrators from other ACC schools “questioned why Florida State felt it deserved a larger revenue share,” considering its football program has “not won an ACC championship or been in the College Football Playoff since 2014.”

* have only not won three times

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(OP here)

Very low chance that Stanford would join the ACC for any sport other than football.

They need somewhere to play. I don't think the ACC makes sense or would even want them, but they need a large conference if they want to stay at the levels they currently compete at and there is no obvious landing spot

If Stanford joins the ACC, it may need to strip away the non-revenue sports and let them find opponents closer to home. Mid-week travel would destroy the academic journey of athletes who have to travel cross-country frequently.

Without an offer from the Big Ten Conference, Stanford's culture will suffer. Sports will have to be cut--as Stanford tried to do recently.

Stanford really cares about non-revenue sports. Between 1995 and 2019 (no 2020 thanks to covid) and again in 2023, they won the directors cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NACDA_Directors%27_Cup for the most successful athletics department. They have only won three times and they were second each of those years. Independent or second tier conference is going to be very hard for them to accept