Is there a morning left for me to oversleep without missing something?
It is official. Pitt and Syracuse are moving to the ACC.
“The ACC has enjoyed a rich tradition by balancing academics and athletics and the addition of Pitt and Syracuse further strengthens the ACC culture in this regard,” Swofford said. “Pittsburgh and Syracuse also serve to enhance the ACC’s reach into the states of New York and Pennsylvania and geographically bridges our footprint between Maryland and Massachusetts. With the addition of Pitt and Syracuse, the ACC will cover virtually the entire Eastern Seaboard of the United States.”
The exact timeline is unclear. Big East rules call for a 27 month notice period — and the ACC stressed that they would abide the Big East bylaws. This may mean, a lot like what went down in the Big 12 last year that Pitt and Syracuse are going to have to surrender some extra money to the Big East to make it happen by next year. We shall see on that front.
According to reports, and the teleconference, this came together very, very quickly. Like in less than a week. Both Syracuse and Pitt started talking to the ACC and both sides came together quickly. It makes it harder for conspiracists to make the claim that Pitt helped sabotage the Big East sellout extension with ESPN over the summer. As On The Banks pointed out, plenty of football schools in the Big East pushed back on that one. A deal that would have paid less than the ACC gets and that everyone — including Big East Commish Marinatto — was saying looked smart after the Pac-12 money deal came through.
The fact that Marinatto was completely blindsided by this just points out his incompetency. At least Mike Tranghese knew the ACC was sniffing around Miami and other Big East members in 2003. At least Tranghese knew there was dissatisfaction from the football membership. Marinatto has remained incompetently clueless and footdragging.
There is so much more to all of this. Heck the ACC is already talking about adding MSG to the ACC Tournament rotation. Well, assuming the Big East survives, that may be an issue but last I checked there may be some other arena now located in Brooklyn that could be available.
I expect that WVU, UConn and Rutgers will be fine. In the next couple of years they will likely find their own places in a major and stable conference. Whether it is with the full expansion to 16 teams — thus providing the openings in the ACC and SEC and Big 10. Or even a 14-team conference (WVU to the SEC rumors have not abated).
Teams like USF, Louisville and Cinci are understandibly unnerved. They are looking at having to band together with remnants of the Big 12 — and probably under the Big 12 banner since they have a real TV deal at the moment.
TCU? Well, they look royally screwed.
There will be lots of crap heaped on Pitt. There will be accusations of hypocrisy, greed and betrayal. That is understandable. The fact is, though, is that Pitt and its leadership worked harder than many in the conference to save the conference starting back in 2003. Something I fundamentally disagreed upon even then. The last year or so, finally opened their eyes to the basic, unsolvable problems of this kind of awkward dual-interest league.
Pitt and Syracuse are doing the right things for themselves. Just as all the members have and will do.
Remember that Dana O’neil is a Penn State grad. As such, her objectivity when it comes to Pitt goes right down the crapper.
Ever hear of Oregon or Auburn?
Like sweet caroline said, Auburn, Oregon.
Thursday nights game, Miss St, Lsu.
There is only one person who blew that game, with interceptions, fumbles, not being able to get a first down, three five and outs in a row.
Missing a wide open Street for a touchdown with another 5 yard underthrown ball for yet another interception.
You want to blame Graham, go ahead, for playing Tino.
Other than that, you ought to quit preaching if you don’t like it and quit watching. Seems to really be bothering you.
Grahams here, the offense is here, he gets many years to prove himself or not.
Just like the past two coaches got 8 years, and 6 years, and your judging after game 3??????
We all get your point, its the same thing everytime. You don’t like Graham or his offense.
Ok, we get it!!
Anyone who uses Wanny’s initials (David Raymond Wannstedt) as his posting name is going to bash the new coach, regardless of what system he uses.
Plus DRW, like his hero, loves the grind-it-out offense so you’re going to see it over and over and over, regardless of whether it’s successful or not. 🙂
Nice letter to O’Neil. It is ironic that an ESPN columnist would talk about greed. But that’s for the business and ad people. She’s a “journalist” and above all that. She’s probably just smarting since she covered BE basketball until her promotion.
Another ESPN columnist/personality, Jay Bilas wrote that with the addition of Pitt and ‘Cuse, the power has shifted back to the ACC as the best basketball conference in the country. He sees the ACC adding UConn and perhaps Rutgers, but he says don’t rule out Notre Dame instead of Rutgers, and as a full member yet. A reach, but who knows with the way things have gone.
So, FRANKCAN: The ACC’s aggressive move and Monday’s decision by OK and TX may force the Big Ten (or whatever number they’re up to) to become the Big 16. They may try to snatch up Kansas, Mizzou and Iowa St., the Big 12’s remaining AAU member schools, leaving them one short of 16. They’ll likely target Rutgers, IMO, the only remaining big AAU school not locked up, I think.
If RU goes to the ACC, not sure what will happen then. They may bend their AAU “rule” like they did with Nebraska and beg Notre Dame to join them. I’d love to see ND demand the same deal they have with the BE though and screw the Big Whatever over. They’re the ones who started all this conference crap last summer anyway, so it serves them right.
Chancellor Nordenberg made it perfectly clear at today’s 6pm media conference, that PITT sent the BigEast a letter in May (over 4 months ago), saying they were exploring all options. Also he put to the rest, the other smear job of him being the current Executive Chairman of the BigEast. The Chancellor said he hasn’t held that position since 2005.
With the way the BigEast under Marinatto was run, it figures they wouldn’t even know who the current Executive Chairman is. Same thing for that slob Jurich down in Louisville. I really hope they end in nowheresville.
Also, the ACC would have tremendous sports in all other areas outside of wrestling. Unfortunately, I don’t believe we have the foresight to do it. Have fun with all those eastern recruits you are going to now get coming your way. If you are a east coast kid and want your family to see you play, why would you go to a school that’s 300 miles east from anyone it plays?
last 6 weeks?
Orbiting the Earth in the ISS?
Thanks for the heads on Little Dana. Did a little research on the biotch myself, she worked for the Philadelphia Daily news and for 7 years her beat was Villanova basketball. AND she’s a Penn State grad. Yes she’s very nondescript looking like so many of the Nittany Cows.
Her antipathy towards Pitt is in a much clearer light now.
Thanks for the headsup again Greg
Thanks for the thumbs up.
I would think being stuck with the big 12 dwarfs would be a more appropriate. Imagine the Little 11 could have had Pitt & Syracuse(two Major Media markets), they might get stuck with Iowa State and Kansas State (nowhere & next to nowhere). Especially in Mizzou goes to the SEC.
If WVU ends up there, there’s no reason the PG needs to report on them anymore or the Pittsburgh TV stations need to bother either.
Wonder if I’ll get a response email from our girl Dane? Ya think ! haha
I called her out for it, I’d like to send a copy to her editor actually and call him out. Of course he more than likely ok’d this attack piece by his little attack dog, Dana.
Yellow journalism at it’s finest !!
If you do get a response, you need to post it here. That would be interesting to read.
She’s writing as a columnist in that piece not as a reporter, so she’s OK stating her opinion. It just happens to be a pretty cynical, self-serving and misinformed one.
As you have found in your research, she has strong ties to the Big East. As many have stated, Pitt and Nordy did what they could to save the Big East over the years, which she uses to admonish rather than praise them. And as many have stated, Pitt was clear in its intentions over a year ago that if the Big East did not strengthen its football competition, they were going to explore their options, which she totally leaves out of her argument.
The Big East has only themselves to blame. The handwriting was on the wall. Pitt and most of the other football schools were unhappy. The Big East made no more than a half-assed effort to appease them, so why would anyone be surprised or upset that those schools are now bolting for other conferences.
I do feel bad for the football schools that will be left behind, but I’m guessing they’re all starting to look for options as well. So, the Big East will become what it wants to be, purely a basketball conference.
Not counting 2nd tier & 3rd tier revenues off of their other ESPN’s.
Let’s see how they report OU & Texas bolting the Big 12 tomorrow and how much greed and hypocrisy is reported then.
Get on there and give him a 5 star rating gents:
Anyhow, tried to use Dan0, allready taken!! ha ha
So, mine is under ddlochness if you want a laugh!!!
Anyone think Notre Dame is going to start to panic now and jump to the Big 10? That’s my feeling, expecially if the Big East dissolves altogether…ND will need somewhere for their other sports to play and a way to get to a bowlgame in non-BCS (ie: every) years, I don’t think the Big 10 will just roll over and let them part way in the way the morons in the Big East did….I predict ND is in the Big 10 by this time next year.
Seems to me they’ll be going to Plan C.
