Cal and Stanford talking to ACC

[NorthKCHawk]

Slam dunk antitrust suit if the conference flat out refused to play ND. Now of course, the conference could theoretically go to a 10 game conference schedule and require all non-con games to be completed by the 3rd week of September unless they want to relinquish their bye week and if ND got jammed by that facially neutral rule so be it, but we couldn't just flat out tell them they are iced out.

Its actually not a slam dunk. Without getting into the weeds, ND would have to prove that the Big 10 has such sufficient market power as to lower its price point in the market. The Big10 as a collective represents roughly 20-25% of major college football programs, and closer to 10% of all college programs that ND could play. ND would have no trouble finding opponents to fill their schedule, but would miss out on some of their oldest rivals if the conference blockaded them. I don't think they would have a case.

I doubt the conference even has authority to tell member schools who they can play out of conference. This would have to just be an agreement not to amongst the members, which could draw scrutiny, but I don't see a viable legal case for ND. They don't have a right to play Michigan. Go play Arizona.

More realistic, as both of us mentioned, is a 10-game Big10 conference schedule that would squeeze out ND from everyone's schedule. Both preseason games would have to be home games to get to 7 (unless the NCAA goes to 13 games).

Given that we are moving to megaconferences, I am kind of in favor of 10 conference games and 2 out of conference cupcakes at home.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Secondarily, one might think that being involved with an elite academic conference would cause schools to "up their game" a bit. I am not really sure if that works out, however. Nebraska came in with a substantially lower academic rating than any of the other B1G alliance schools, and I am not sure if it has increased much. We shouldn't really cast too many stones, however, because Iowa is around the bottom of the conference as well. Depending on the ranking, they are usually fighting with MSU for the spot ahead of Nebraska (though there is a pretty sizable gape between Nebraska and the next schools). And also, school rankings are likely garbage.

I hadn't really put much thought into this until @Fryowa asked the question, but I really think much of this comes down to wanting to be associated with a strong academic conference so I can make excuses about B1G not winning national titles.

Great opinion.

When Nebraska came to the BIG, wasn't there a stipulation they had to strive or work to meet the academic/research standard?

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Slam dunk antitrust suit if the conference flat out refused to play ND. Now of course, the conference could theoretically go to a 10 game conference schedule and require all non-con games to be completed by the 3rd week of September unless they want to relinquish their bye week and if ND got jammed by that facially neutral rule so be it, but we couldn't just flat out tell them they are iced out.

Or tell them no home and home games, all games will be at a BIG conference stadium if able to schedule and play.

Make them seek out freakin' Washington State or Oregon St.

I really don't understand this infatuation with ND or why everyone thinks they are so valuable. They come off as a real pain in the azz to me and a Texas lite. The BIG already got in with NBC, what the heck is ND going to bring now besides all the die hard catholics who are fans because of their religion only.

I just don't see it being that huge of a benefit or them as a "must have" at this point.

 

[Hawkboys]

I just don't see it being that huge of a benefit or them as a "must have" at this point.

They are the 1 team that would add $10-15M more to the current yearly payout. A couple of ACC teams might add a few $M and ultimately Oregon and UW prob didn't add much other than better travel schedules for USC & UCLA non-football sports

 

[MelroseHawkins]

They are the 1 team that would add $10-15M more to the current yearly payout. A couple of ACC teams might add a few $M and ultimately Oregon and UW prob didn't add much other than better travel schedules for USC & UCLA non-football sports

Yea, but what's another $10 mil when you are talking $90 mil a year in revenue, especially when splitting up between 20 teams and ND being one of them. Is it worth the headache bringing in a Texas like headache & ego to the conference?

I'd tell them to go pound sand and good luck scheduling a formidable schedule for a NC run in the future. This will be the only thing that will force them to join a conference, scheduling quality opponents to make the playoffs yearly.

 

[BigD]

Sounds like ACC is frowning on Cal and Stanford.

Source: 4 ACC schools opposed to Cal, Stanford

Florida State, North Carolina, Clemson and NC State are opposed to adding Cal and Stanford to the ACC, a source confirmed to ESPN, but expansion discussions are not completely over as of Friday evening.

www.espn.com