Conley
09-17-2011, 10:29 AM
Wow, looks like it is going to happen:
The Atlantic Coast Conference has been approached by at least 10 schools about possible membership, a group that includes the Big East's Pitt and Syracuse, both of which have tendered letters of application, a high-ranking ACC official said Saturday morning.
In addition, amid a "fluid landscape" in conference alignment, the ACC presidents have unanimously approved to increase the buyout for schools to leave the conference from $10 million-$13 million to $20 million, the source said, making it a highly unlikely scenario that any ACC teams defect from the conference.
University athletic directors and ACC officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to the current membership, but the increased buyout will make it much more costly for them to go back on their word. The increase in the buyout was approved at the annual meeting of university presidents this past week.
Another ACC source confirmed the addition of teams is not only valid, but a very real possibility. ACC officials have declined to comment, and no sources were aware of a timetable.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6980644/pitt-syracuse-apply-join-acc-ranks-source-says
Dunno if Cap'n will see this and if he is a college fan. This is big news though, it could mean the end of the Big East. We're headed toward just four superconferences (Pac / Big Ten / SEC / and either ACC or BE)...looks like BE could be falling apart, Cuse was a founding member.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has been approached by at least 10 schools about possible membership, a group that includes the Big East's Pitt and Syracuse, both of which have tendered letters of application, a high-ranking ACC official said Saturday morning.
In addition, amid a "fluid landscape" in conference alignment, the ACC presidents have unanimously approved to increase the buyout for schools to leave the conference from $10 million-$13 million to $20 million, the source said, making it a highly unlikely scenario that any ACC teams defect from the conference.
University athletic directors and ACC officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to the current membership, but the increased buyout will make it much more costly for them to go back on their word. The increase in the buyout was approved at the annual meeting of university presidents this past week.
Another ACC source confirmed the addition of teams is not only valid, but a very real possibility. ACC officials have declined to comment, and no sources were aware of a timetable.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6980644/pitt-syracuse-apply-join-acc-ranks-source-says
Dunno if Cap'n will see this and if he is a college fan. This is big news though, it could mean the end of the Big East. We're headed toward just four superconferences (Pac / Big Ten / SEC / and either ACC or BE)...looks like BE could be falling apart, Cuse was a founding member.