With the announcement Notre Dame will join the ACC, Syracuse fans have to feel even more comfortable with the decision to leave the ACC last September. It’s hard to believe now, but this whirlwind of conference upheaval for the Orange is only a year old. And in those twelve months it’s become more solidified by the day: SU made the right call.
At the time, we all felt uneasy with the shredding of traditional rivals. SU would leave behind Georgetown, Villanova, UConn and Rutgers for Georgia Tech, Clemson and NC State? But as the plate tectonics shifted even more, and college athletics underwent massive overhaul, the move made plenty of sense. Now Notre Dame’s move is the icing on the cake. Here’s the top four reasons why:
- The Big East is no longer identifiable
Yeah, leaving the Big East tourney and MSG and Big Monday are tough pills to swallow. Until you realize just how difference the conference is now going to be. Yes, it’s a chicken/egg situation. If SU and Pitt don’t leave maybe West Virginia and Notre Dame stay, and it looks similar. But how does Syracuse taking on SMU, UConn battling Houston, or Villanova heating it up with UCF feel like the Big East? The fact is, with Notre Dame leaving the new ACC looks more like the old Big East than the new Big East.¬†
Boise State, Memphis, Houston, SMU, UCF, Air Force, Navy, DePaul, USF, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Temple are now the body of the Big East. The old school conference powers still left (UConn, Nova, Georgetown) are now the precious few. What kind of value is there in staying in a league that is totally alien?
- The new ACC is the old Big East on steroids
Look at a potential ACC North division: Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Virginia. Those are familiar faces, much more so than the new Big East. In fact, it’s a much closer correlation to what type of school SU is. These are northeastern schools, some private, that play both football and basketball. It was always an untenable situation to have hoops-only schools trying to survive alongside football ones. Miami is an old football rival. Duke and Wake Forest (like “the U”) are private schools without huge state budgets. UNC, Georgia Tech and Virginia are public schools with high admission standards. There’s far more similarities for SU than what exists in the new Big East.
- Notre Dame’s addition stabilizes the ACC ¬†
We know one thing: The ACC isn’t going anywhere. The conference hiked up the exit fee to $50M. While you can never say never on price tags of college athletics, it makes it financially ridiculous for any conference (like the Big 12) to poach Clemson, Florida State or Miami. Without that threat, the ACC can now exhale and move comfortably into its new surroundings. Syracuse may have had some buyer’s remorse with rumors a few months ago that the ACC could lose some of its juice with defections, but now it’s a no-brainer.
It also makes the ACC as a basketball league, the equivalent (if not better) than the Big East. Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Pitt, NC State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wake, Florida State. Damn. Not a bad postseason tourney, huh? While many of these schools aren’t traditional hoops rivals for the Orange, any one of these match ups would make for a great game at the Dome.
Would the Irish ever join the ACC as a full time football member? Well, it they’re going to go anywhere it’s now gotta be the ACC. It all depends on the NBC deal. If Notre Dame can continue to have its own television revenue alto itself, it makes sense to stay independent. But with a potential move to 16-team super conferences or TV rights fees growing so gargantuan down the road that the conference windfall is richer than the NBC one, it would seem an eventuality. It’s just a matter of how long it takes.
- Notre Dame’s football brand helps everyone
Even if the Irish are not competing for the ACC football crown, five games against conference opponents each year is significant. The power of the Notre Dame brand can only strengthen everyone it’s associated with. One would imagine SU’s future dates at MetLife with the Irish will remain in tact and count toward the five contests. Great. SU games on NBC with Tom Hammond on the call is good for business. Even if it’s part of the ACC’s ABC/ESPN package those games matter. Notre Dame vs. anyone gets eye balls, and fills up stadiums.
With Notre Dame’s national presence, and strongholds in areas like Chicago, Boston and New York hopefully it’s another reason to play the ACC basketball tournament up north on rotation. If you’re Madison Square Garden, do you want the new Big East coming with its island of misfit toys every year – or the new ACC bi-annually? While the Big East tourney would still have teams in close proximity (St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Nova, Providence), the sizzle would come from SU, UNC, Duke, and Notre Dame at MSG. The perfect compromise would be the ACC to rotate between Charlotte/Greensboro and NYC. The new Big East can rotate between NYC (when the ACC isn’t there) and El Paso.
Final word: This is a win for Syracuse, Notre Dame and the ACC
SU heading to the ACC may have been strange at first. But now, it’s completely obvious. It’s a much better situation for the Orange.
Posted: D.A.
950 responses to “Realign Like a Champion: Top 4 Reasons ND to ACC is Great for Syracuse”
Now the question is who will be the 16th member?
When it was first announced that Syracuse was headed to the ACC, I hated it. Then I calmed down and realized the changes that were about to happen. With the likes of NC,NCST,Duke,FSU,VT,and Miami coming back to the dome for football was a dream come true. I can’t believe that I’m actually saying that,but reality has set in for me.
Now let’s take a look at the basketball side of things. Over the last 10-15 years the Big East has been second to none,the competition had been fantastic and it spoiled all of us the ‘FANS’. I hate to lose the games we had against St’ Johns,Georgetown,Villanova but just think what we are about to see starting next year. I believe the new basketball conference will be better than what we got used to in the old Big East. ACC basketball will become bigger and better than any other conference in America. If we loved the Big East Conference Championship just imagine what the ACC Championship will be like.
Good move Syracuse.
I was thinking that Rutgers and UConn right now are fighting for their lives as relevant programs. Maybe one of them PB? I see Cincy and L’ville still being called to the Big XII in my personal opinion.
@PersonalBias;I would believe it to be UCONN. I would really love the ACC make a move on Penn State. Before anyone starts flying off the handle,really think about Penn State joining the ACC for all sports.
YOU TALK ABOUT SUPER CONFERENCES,WELL HOW COULD IT GET ANY BIGGER THAN THAT?
Excellent article D.A. you’ve hit a grand slam home run with this one.
GO CUSE;
Ron, Penn State’s media rights are owned by the Big 10 until 2027 (Lockdown). Completely owned, no buyout even with the scandal. Joe Pa always wanted an eastern football league but he’s dead, that idea is too (except among older folks who can’t stop living in the past) and his name is mudd so thats not happening. UConn and Rutgers Presidents and AD’s are making frantic phone calls and competitive bids right now.
I’d wait at most 5 years to add another team to the ACC just to see how the remaining BE teams programs are rising/declining and developing before poaching another (heck maybe Texas makes moves outta the Big XII with its Longhorn Network).
UConn makes the most sense, not as a Sports decision, but as a media and market coverage strategy. The basketball at MSG in any formate that includes Syracuse , UConn and BC would fill the place. It locks up the TV audience up and down the coast. Rutgers is nice but they have never had the draw of Cuse or UConn at MSG. The final answer… UConn/Rutgers will completely swing on the calculation of a minute of advertising …What’s the audience and what’s the TV contract effect!
@Ron,where do you stand??last week or so u posted u did’nt want ND,u said they would ruin the ACC like they did the BE?Sometimes u puzzle me??I said they could only help the ACC!!Remember…all in or stay out?I don’t know why all the ACC boards are up in arms with anger??Already they’re creating problem’s w/special treatment,everyone thinks Swofford caved on the ACC boaeds!!I saw the rumor yesterday morning on a rival board in NJ!!Carlton should like the move.itsa smart move!
Great move to get ND even if it is for 5 games a season and not the whole schedule for football. They will Help with other sports quite a bit. What a lacrosse conference! And it kept them from being taken by another conference. Hoping they will eventually become full members but this is a good start.
@Pbias,they’re only 14 football or all member school’s,ND is fb independent RU is a no-brainer as the #1 media market and good fb,wbb and rising mens hoops and no ncaa headaches!Iop APRs yearly and excsllent reputation!Should take both!
@Ron,I enjoyed that story about ur dad,brought back sad memories for me also!My dad was a hardworking,good man but did’nt pay me as much mind as I would have liked as a kid but we traveled together and became close after I got back from service!!I like that u always mention ur son’s!!Say’s all I need to know about you!!
@Ron,don’t u find it odd we haven’t heard from our friend and great fan Norma??I hope all’s well?
Thanks Ron. I was hesitant about the move a year ago. But man, watching how everything played out – I’m all aboard SU’s ACC move now. I just hope Gross schedules non-con games vs. UConn and GT and Nova. Then we’d have the best of all worlds.
ESpin anouncer Katz slipped talking about the ND move and mentioned UConn next?Slip up or mistake??Said their preparing for ACC move!!
Please its FB season. Keep to the pig skin stuff. I don’t hear much about FB when BB season is in full tilt!!
Look’s like hoop’s will alway’s trump FB at “Cuse”,but we should no better!!But in the Heart of football season?
@Russell Mac Eachern;Let there be no mistake Russell I don’t want to use the word “hate” here,but what the hell, I just flat out hate them.
I believe they ruined the Big East. And if the ACC isn’t careful they will end up doing the same to the new conference. I don’t know whom ever it was at NBC that decided to give them a contract to televise football. I think were crazy and just out of their minds.
Let’s see if the ACC is going to hold them to playing 5 ACC teams a year in football. If they do and they win all five games does that automatically put them in the championship game? If ND has a better over-all record than say the 1st or 2nd place team in the ACC,would they get preference over those 2 teams in picking what bowl they want to play in?
I wish that the ACC would have told them to go take a hike, that didn’t happen, so I guess that I’m going to have to live with it.
Notre Dame isn’t the team that they once were. When was the last time they had a player taken in the top 20 of the NFL Draft? When was the last time they had a Heisman Trophy winner? It’s been a long time for anything good to happen at that school. And then they went and hired a guy by the name of Kelly for their coach who in my mind is a freaking idiot.
@Jimmy;I once had the opportunity to meet and talk with ESPN’s college football annalist Beano Cook one Friday afternoon when we stayed at the hotel in Pittsburgh where Mr. Cook lives.
We talked about the game on Saturday against WVA and told me that Syracuse didn’t belong on the same field and would get destroyed by them the next day.
another comment that he made was he said that Louisville would come into the Big East for all sports. I GUESS HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEN.
And finally the most important thing he said to me was IT’S SAD THAT PENN STATE AND SYRACUSE DON’T PLAY EACH OTHER ON A SATURDAY OCTOBER AFTERNOON. COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEEDS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND SO DOES THE NORTHEAST NEED THAT GAME TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
In the game against WVA,a Donavon MacNabb team destroyed them 44-0. The only people left in the stadium at half time were the people from Syracuse. I didn’t see Beano on Sunday morning,if I had I would have told him how wrong he was and how much we enjoyed the game.
Jimmy when all is said and done,I really would like for that to happen again.
@Ron,thats what I thought u felt about ND,I was confused by ur 1st post!!ND will keep ALL the money if they get a BCS bid!?!?There’s a lot of folk’s in the BE happy about the development but NDs selfish arrogance and lack of any real loyaltie’s have made them America’s most hated college team!Personally due to my Irish heritage im ambivalent!!
@Ron,I guess u went to work today as I’ve waited a longtime for a responce!!I’m surprised C’ton has’nt commented but I think I understand why but I respect his opinion’s and relate to his loyalties!No BS!!
@Ron,Beano Cook is a dyed in the wool PiTTsburgh homer and think’s Pennsylvania is the center of the football world and has been living in the past for 40yrs!!He’ll make an exception for ND!!He’s NOT a respected sport’s guy outside of his hotel!!
Winner:
1 ND…they can now position themselves for 1 of 4 playoff spots,w/o worrying about a conference championship or possible loss to a conference champ. Its SUPER smart…their schedule will continue to reflect the power to choose games from EVERY CONFERENCE. Purdue, AFU, Navy, 5 ACC, USC, UM, MSU, or BE Big12 SEC!
Loser:
2 BigEast…by never securing the football team & failing to pry ND from NBC, the BE was inevitably doomed! Now with Syr Pitt & ND, the ACC has secured its future as a strength in Fb & bb! While the BE fudged potential….potential….wvu vs nd, or boise vs wvu, or UorL vs ND type matchups! The BE yielded to ND, and now ND has burned them? I didn’t like playing with losers anyway! By BE…
Beneficiaries:
1 ACC has completed a huge purge of a coup! The Golden Domers have brought their brand to the conference that needed their star power! 3 billion dollars?
2 some school like Army will replace ND, possibly Massachusetts? Lol..who cares about the BE after this season? Not me…lofl
3 Syra Pitt Maryland UV Wake NCst…the teams that cant sniff a top10 recruiting rank. Can now say that they compete annually with ND, its a heck of a pitch to the 400 recruits ND will spurn every year. The scraps have just gotten larger n meatier….
@Dip,Md recruits circle’s around BC,at least last couple of yrs,top 34 last yr and top 25 so far this yr and Pitt is competitive with L’vile/RU recruiting most yrs and yes RUs still kickin butt r’cruiting w/o Schiano….bad example’s,drop Pitt and Md add BC and Duke!!btw Va’s recruiting is also good!!
@Carlton,remember what I said about DBP hs in NJ having political problem’s and Trinity,KY should try an play them this yr?They lost to Gilman,Md in 1st game of season 13-7 for 1st time since Sept “09”,so long ago I did’nt remember!!They’re still a top 3 in NJ hs as Gilman,Md is nationally ranked!!
@Russell Mac Eachern;you may be right about Beano Cook. I never said that I liked him but I had the opportunity to meet and talk with him about college football. It was interesting and something that a person would never forget.
@Ron,I did’nt think u liked him,I knew what u mean’t!!You think a lot like me,I would be nice to him but think he’s arrogant!I think it is interesting meeting public figure’s tho!!
@Ron- Ur right ND has been struggs forsure over the past 15yrs. They had michael floyd taken last yr 13th overall by the cards. In this upcoming draft Te’o will be a top 10 pick. Heisman trophy winners come from winning teams and ND hasnt had a team good enough to really support a heisman run for somone. They havent been great but saying “anything good happen to them” is a gen. term. Ya we havent won much as of late but we also havent been investigated (bama, auburn,fsu) put on probation (OSU,PSU,UNC, The U)so to me thats something good. BK has won at every school hes been at. He just needs time.
@Carlton,even if u don’t like em u got to respect them,I think their already on they’re way back!!Theo Riddick is a man who I loved at “Lata” Hs in NJ!!He’ll be a late 1st or middle 2nd rd pick hisself!I was wondering when ud make ur thought’s known on this anouncement??
@Carlton,correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t something fishy going on at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz or was it under Charlie Weiss. It was about the same time that USC came under investigation about Reggie Bush. The NCAA started to investigate the matter but later decided to drop it’s investigation and said that there wasn’t any wrong doing.
It really doesn’t matter anymore to me Carlton. When a big name school gets into trouble the NCAA will never punish that school the way they did to SMU. Too much money involved with all college athletics now anyways.
The NCAA is going to take a major hit when these 4 SUPER CONFERENCES ARE FINALIZED,AND DECIDE TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE PACK. THE NCAA WILL PROBABLY GO AWAY FOR GOOD WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE.
Ron,I know,but what are we gonna do as the 5th conference?Are we gonna be less relevant in football?I hope we can maybe get into the BIG?As long as were stuck in a basketball conference we’ll have problem’s getting respect nationally due to perception of ACC football’s underachieving in bowl’s and OOC games!!Shrewd observation Ron!!
@Ron,Charley “Tuna”s not jewish,its Weis w/one s!!
@Russell Mac Eachern;thanks for the correction Russ,but no matter I really didn’t like him either.
I think that with Notre Dame and whom ever joining the ACC will constitute a SUPER CONFERENCE that would be able to hold it’s own basketball tournament. Think about that possibility Russ,does anyone out there actually think that anyone would leave any of the ACC schools out of a tournament? I don’t think sooooooooooo.
Just my thoughts fellas,just my thoughts.
@Ron, Might have been Holtz b/c it wasnt weis. Unless your talking about the girl that was allegedly rape then killed herself do to the fact that she claims that Univ. police and officals sweept it under the rug and never took action. Although its hard to believe that do to the fact that floyd got two DUI’s how he was at ND and this past offseason Reese and Calabrese got arrested for underage drinking. So I lean towards it not holding much validity.
I know there is also storys floating around out there about Aaron lynch’s mom getting a new house and a job from ND to lock down his commitment otherwise he was going to sign /w USF b/c his gf went to school their. Well he he did transfer to USF earlyer this yr. So who knows but alot of the ppl running the story are the same ppl that rip ND every yr for having their recruiting classes inflated by epsn, scout etc just do to the fact that “ND signed them” and not b/c they are really that good. So I tend to think it was more to do /w jealousy that ND signed a freak.
The NCAA though is a jk. The only reason they came down so harshly and swiftly on PSU is b/c of the pressure put on them from other ppl outside of the sports world. If that wasnt the case then why hasnt USC(Joe Mcknight) and UNC(seem’s like somthing new everyday) being served the same justice b/c they are repeat offenders? I tend to agree that we are heading towards super conf’s and minor league system. The NCAA has no backbone at all and is loseing control. Hell they dont even control football anymore the bcs does! Anyways that ends my rant for today lol
@Ron,I was teasing u in that post,HaHa,I knew what u mean’t lol..u’ll figure me out Ron,I think Carlton see’s it!!Ron,nobody like’s the “Tuna”,he’s been applying for the RU job every time it open’s but they think he’s a joke!Im king of 1 liner’s and sarcasm!!LOL..Ur alright Ron,u have a good sense of humor!!But Tuna’s catholic!
@Carlton,watching the BE game tonight?I have no fantasy action in nfl game tonight!!
@Carlton;well said Carlton. I need to ask you a question based on your comments though. In one of your responses to me you kept on referring to we when you talked about Notre Dame. Did you go to school there? In another response you sounded like you work in a athletic dept. I assuming the college level? Am I close?
The reason that I ask is your post(thoughts) are to the point and provoking,which makes one to think a little to understand what it is that your trying to say.
Thanks Carlton for your thoughts,I enjoy reading them and along with your responses.
Have a good day.
Carlton,USF has more talent than they get credit for esp at DEs and LBer and RU is QB challenged from what I’ve seen!!RUs gonna need a STs or D score to win on the road!!The BE is so evenly matched top to bottom!Need’s a marquee team!!
Carl,Carlos Calabrese,just another Jersey tale LOl,seeing a pattern?Im glad FSU and MD had the cohones to vote against it!If u have to hold teams hostage,whats that say??
50 mill $$ buyout!!
@Russell Mac Eachern;I’m watching the game tonight and the first thing that I noticed was,THERE’S NO ONE IN THE STANDS. Doesn’t USF have 3 times the number of students at their state run school?
Ron,Idon’t think they have much of a fan base for a big school!
Hey fellas I feel vindicated after reading the following on ESPN’s website.
Notre Dame was powerful enough to join the Big East in 1995 without surrendering any of its football independence. Contrast that with today, when Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a news release that the deal with the ACC will “maintain our historic independence in football.”
Technically, he is correct. But it is independence by a vote of 7-5. Notre Dame will play seven games against whomever it chooses, and five games against the ACC. It is a weaker, meeker Notre Dame that made a deal with the ACC, the Monty Python knight yelling, “merely a flesh wound” as it loses limb after limb. Notre Dame has made sacrifices that the university and its partisans never dreamed would have to be made even a decade ago.
Notre Dame is not a full-fledged member of the ACC yet. But the trend is unmistakable.
priceless man just priceless.
@Ron, ya i saw i used “we” to. Didnt mean to. Was typeing quickly b/c my lunch break was about over. I Fosure didnt go to ND haha. I do work in college athletics though.
@Russ, USF is good. They just haven’t had consistent QB play since matt grothe. They always have good skill players an lynch will be a monster when he plays next season. I was sad to see him leave. I’ve seen some pretty good domers over the yr’s. Quinn, Tate, Samardzija, Floyd an te’o but none of them where near as good as a FR. as lynch was. It sucks that lynch didnt stay an team /w tuitt. What a pass rush ND could have had. Its not bad /w ishaq and nixs but lynch, tuitt an couple SR’s sucked up all the playin time last yr and u can tell ishaq is still learnning as he goes.
I noticed USF only moved on the ground a little when Scot Vallone went out!!
@Ron ahhhh I was hoping that espn article wouldnt make its way into this post. There is so much wrong /w that article that the few things that are valid are overshadow. Few things.
1. The author talks like ND didnt play a role an wasn’t at the table when the new playoff system was made. That’s just false and is a severe contradiction to the tune espn was singing during the offseason right after the new playoff format was made. I remember analyst on espn discussing and agreeing ND still must be pretty relevant to be sitting at the table and having a large voice alongside every other major conf. comish.
2. ND like any other athletic department cares about its bottom line. The BE or Big country(I find more appropriate) is spread all over now. This is a problem when you have to spend big $$ to send non revenue generating sports teams half way around the country along /w already absorbing the cost of maintaining the team. Universities like Boise cant care b/c they dont want to get left out anymore an has to take the chance in hopes it pays off.
3. Title 9. ND had to find a stable home for its other sports outside of football. If they didnt they could have easily found them self’s non compliant and in hot water down the rd /w the NCAA. Say in the next 3yrs the BE implodes then what? Every major conf. would have had ND by the short an curlys and they would have had to made alot more concessions to hurry into a conf.
Anyways espn sucks outside of getting FF news and highlights. Bloggers do a better job of reporting facts and being objective. Espn slants its views and opinions in hopes it doesn’t anger the 4 major sports it has contracts /w. Thus they have a conflict of interest rendering their points of view useless.
@Carlton;Your right on the money with how ESPN reports it news. I only used the end of the article though. Reading the whole article made me happy even coming from ESPN.
OK,it was fiction,I usually don’t put to much stock in anything they talk about. I think that their all idiots who could report a honest story about anyone if their lives depended on it.
Thanks for setting me straight.
I’m sorry,that should have been couldn’t report an honest story.
Carlton,if ND is in ur heart whats wrong w/calling them we?I’ll leave it at that cause u no this board!!I call all team’s I follow we!!
Ron,what I admire about C’ton is his sincerety!!
God forbid RU straighten’s out their offense,their STs and D are national caliber!!Nova as a true soph is finally starting to get it!!