Conference realignment "Rumors" "tweets" "etc"

[charsibb]

If the ACC and the Big East do end up merging, then the new conference needs to keep the ACC name, as the Big East name has been totally discredited by now. Letting the Big East name live on for a basketball-only conference wouldn't be a bad idea though.

[Sellular1]

Just a day after the NCAA approved Georgia Tech's waiver to become a bowl team even if they finish 6-7, a report from an ACC writer indicates more Big Ten tectonic shift is on the way.

So much for the Big Ten being happy at 14 (or not, based on that one anonymous Michigan administrator). The scuttlebutt for the last 12-16 hours has been that something was going on between Georgia Tech and the Big Ten regarding conference realignment, but it hasn't all come from sources you'd bank on being in the know. The first came yesterday evening when a West Virginia Mountaineers blog of all places reported that movement could be in the works:

Sources at Ohio State University are telling me that GT has already applied to the Big 10 and received an offer. If that's true I would expect GT to hold a press release shortly after the ACC championship game.

(Emphasis added for WHAAAAAAAA?)

Not too terribly long after that, we saw some speculation in our own comment threads after an FM sports talk show host confirmed he was hearing similar:

Word from calls today is that another current #ACC team will announce a move with 7-10 days to the #B1G. This would be a HUGE domino.

Still, those were easy enough to dismiss. But with enough smoke, you have to eventually wonder how far the fire could be off. Today, 247Sports's Tim Matty reports that Georgia Tech to the Big Ten could be a thing after all:

Sources are indicating that the #B1G has approved #GT as its 15th member. Stay tuned... @CFravel247 @Clemson247

He'd back track a bit to those hounding him on Twitter not long after, but stay firm that he did believe something indeed was going on and the situation merited closer monitoring.

Besides the most interesting subtext (like, for one, how do all these guys from areas with little to nothing to do with the Big Ten have so many midwest athletics sources?), the other is why the league would move so soon with Maryland's legal battle with the ACC not even coming to a head yet. While I imagine the exit fees will get negotiated down out of court to something in the $20-25 million dollar range, even $50 million would be a lot for the Big Ten to ostensibly front for the likes of Maryland and Georgia Tech. All for the DC and Atlanta Big Ten alums living in those areas' eyeballs, one would have to speculate.

Even still, it'd be easy enough to dismiss since team #16 is no sure thing either (Boston College? Virginia? Are any of these athletic programs homeruns enough beyond simply a market standpoint to make all this shuffling truly beneficial?) But you also have to keep in mind that Jeff Ermann, the publisher of InsideMDSports, Maryland's 247sports representative that first broke the Maryland to the Big Ten story, had sources a week and a half ago indicating Georgia Tech was vying for an invite. It's probably worth continuing to take this all with a fairly large grain of salt, but with so many ostensibly unrelated individuals making similar claims, you have to at least wonder.

[Southshore26]

The 43 page thread on conference realignment was too long for you?

[Sellular1]

The 43 page thread on conference realignment was too long for you?

Seemed more concrete than the rumors and tweets thread. (Which I read nonstop btw because its so **** awesome)

[The Sheriff]

Funny how the first story about Skip Holtz's upcoming removal as our football coach has similar roots. Curious to see if the individual who first put it out there has a credible source (which my gut says he does).

[BaltoBull]

Thats the dude, he is as much about spewing as telling any truth. But its pretty known Big12 has $60 mil set aside for realignment money. And it was expected FSU was going to get ALOT of it, because if they go the conference goes.

I didn't know this was 'The Dude'. Thanks for the head's up. I know I've read plenty of negative reviews of him.

[Bull Martin]

The Big East / ACC merger would be a horrendous idea. It would be much more beneficial for the remnants of the ACC (basically just old Big East teams, Duke, and WF) to add the best teams from the current Big East. There is absolutely no reason to Bring in ECU, Tulane, or Memphis. I'm not sure I'd even take Temple.

You don't merge b/c you have to take the crap with what's decent. Houston, SMU, UCF, Navy, Cinci, USF, and UConn are really only the teams worth adding.

[Gismo]

So, not even going to wait and see what happens to Maryland buyout? I didn't think there was going to be any more ACC defectors until after that was litigated.

[Sellular1]

The 43 page thread on conference realignment was too long for you?

Edited November 30, 2012 by Sellular1

[GaUSFBull]

So, not even going to wait and see what happens to Maryland buyout? I didn't think there was going to be any more ACC defectors until after that was litigated.

WVU defection came after Pitt and Cuse, and the latter two waited to see how WVU litigated. There's no concrete steps as to how each situation has to play out.