I felt a twinge of optimism yesterday

[SMU2006]

4 minutes ago, wardly said:

They have 2 years to work it out. Also if the ACC implodes where is the landing spot for SMU?

The ACC has a GoR through 2036 and enough members that want the league to survive that its not going to collapse in 12 years let alone 2.  One of the main reasons the ACC expanded with three schools is to keep the league above the 15 minimum in order to maintain the existing deal with Disney/ESPN.  You've also added three ironclad votes in favor of keeping the league together.  

The ACCN is a boon for ESPN with nearly 50m subs.  They are heavily incentivized to see the ACC survive.  Further, Notre Dame's independent status in football and ACC membership for all other sports is vital for them.  ND was one of the biggest proponents of adding SMU/Stanford/CAL.  

In your doomsday scenario there are still going to be a handful of ACC schools with nowhere to go.  SMU would likely band together with them and raid Oregon State, Washington State, Memphis, San Diego State, Tulane, and South Florida to make something out of the rubble.

[wardly]

The main reason FSU,Clemson, and perhaps North Carolina, want out is the grant of rights that the ACC is tied to for another 12 years is the annual payout is significantly less than the BIG 10 and SEC . This gap is growing annually and if you want to play big time football you need to make big time money. If ESPN wants the ACC to be successful they need to level the monetary playing field . I have not seen any indication that they are willing to do this.

[wardly]

7 minutes ago, wardly said:

The main reason FSU,Clemson, and perhaps North Carolina, want out is the grant of rights that the ACC is tied to for another 12 years is the annual payout is significantly less than the BIG 10 and SEC . This gap is growing annually and if you want to play big time football you need to make big time money. If ESPN wants the ACC to be successful they need to level the monetary playing field . I have not seen any indication that they are willing to do this.

In fact if the ACC loses FSU and Clemson it's media value drops and ESPN might want to pay less. I hope that the ACC stays intact but if it does implode then the BIG 10, SEC, and BIG 12 will pick it apart and the conference as we know it may go the way of the PAC.

[SMU2006]

10 minutes ago, wardly said:

The main reason FSU,Clemson, and perhaps North Carolina, want out is the grant of rights that the ACC is tied to for another 12 years is the annual payout is significantly less than the BIG 10 and SEC . This gap is growing annually and if you want to play big time football you need to make big time money. If ESPN wants the ACC to be successful they need to level the monetary playing field . I have not seen any indication that they are willing to do this.

The solution is unequal revenue sharing and a compensation model dependent upon performance on the field/court.  There is also the very real likelihood that if the FSU case is heard in North Carolina that the judgment could essentially bind FSU to the ACC for the full duration of the contract.  That's why they are desperate for a ruling in Florida venue (which they will not get).

Who knows what will eventually happen but if I had to guess FSU and Clemson negotiate their way out of the ACC in the 2030-2032 time frame.  They'll forfeit the remaining years of TV revenue as well as the rights to their home games through 2036.  The ACC will use that $200-300m war chest to lure Utah and Arizona as travel partners for CAL/Stanford.  Both schools rely heavily on CA for students and long for the academic affiliation with CAL/Stanford.  Utah has already made comments suggesting its time in the Big 12 could be short, especially if Yormark goes the private equity route.

[SMU2006]

4 minutes ago, wardly said:

In fact if the ACC loses FSU and Clemson it's media value drops and ESPN might want to pay less. I hope that the ACC stays intact but if it does implode then the BIG 10, SEC, and BIG 12 will pick it apart and the conference as we know it may go the way of the PAC.

That's why it was so important for the league to expand when it did.  If membership falls below 15 members ESPN reserves the right to renegotiate the standing contract that runs through 2036.  Also, there is going to be a very, very long legal fight for both FSU and Clemson to get out of the league.  Even if there is an agreement for them to exit it could take several years to actually iron out all the details.  Hypothetically they could both announce tomorrow that they are leaving the ACC and still be playing in the league for another 5-6 years.  Time is on the ACC's side.  They can afford to let this thing play out through the legal process while the price of poker keeps going up for FSU/Clemson.

[southsideguy]

don't worry about SMUT land they have enough money to buy into another conference if needed

[NT80]

1 hour ago, SMU2006 said:

The solution is unequal revenue sharing and a compensation model dependent upon performance on the field/court.

That still won't equal SEC-type money for Florida St and Clemson.   Staying in the ACC also puts them on the wrong side of the split line when the P2/3 split off.  

[NT80]

4 hours ago, SMU2006 said:

West - SDSU, Fresno State, Boise State, UNLV, Oregon State, Washington State, Colorado State, Air Force

East -  UTSA, North Texas, Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, East Carolina, Navy, Army

I could support this.   

[Dannymacfan]

8 hours ago, SMU2006 said:

The PAC-12 needs to become the de-facto "best of the rest" conference which may still maintain access to the playoff in a post P4/G5 split.  That should be the goal.  To do that they'll need to get at least 12 (probably 14-16) schools from the MWC/AAC.

West - SDSU, Fresno State, Boise State, UNLV, Oregon State, Washington State, Colorado State, Air Force

East -  UTSA, North Texas, Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, East Carolina, Navy, Army

This would work pretty well for me.

[Texas Stranger]

5 hours ago, southsideguy said:

don't worry about SMUT land they have enough money to buy into another conference if needed

The Big 12 got a good laugh out of that

[Hunter Green]

14 hours ago, Texas Stranger said:

The Big 12 got a good laugh out of that

Smut seems to forget that the SWC left them, Rice and TCU in the dust and no P5 has wanted them since. They had to buy their way into the ACC when most of those schools didn't want them regardless. 

[SMU2006]

17 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

Smut seems to forget that the SWC left them, Rice and TCU in the dust and no P5 has wanted them since. They had to buy their way into the ACC when most of those schools didn't want them regardless. 

Super majority of ACC schools voted SMU into the ACC.  

As far as buying its way its not that different than CAL/Stanford taking 30% shares as well as Oregon/Washington taking vastly reduced shares in the Big 10.  You do what you have to do to avoid being left for dead (AAC). 

[Hunter Green]

14 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

Super majority of ACC schools voted SMU into the ACC.  

As far as buying its way its not that different than CAL/Stanford taking 30% shares as well as Oregon/Washington taking vastly reduced shares in the Big 10.  You do what you have to do to avoid being left for dead (AAC). 

Smut still doesn't bring anything to the table, sports wise, except money. Not taking revenue for 10 years reeks of desperation, but ya, do what you have to do. You guys, along with the others were backfill in the event FSU, Clemson and the others bail on you. Be thankful for your deep pockets and get over yourselves because you're not what you use to be.

Edited yesterday at 02:33 PM by Hunter Green

[SMU2006]

8 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

Smut still doesn't bring anything to the table, sports wise, except money. Not taking revenue for 10 years reeks of desperation, but ya, do what you have to do. You guys, along with the others were backfill in the event FSU, Clemson and the others bail on you. Be thankful for your deep pockets and get over yourselves because you're not what you use to be.

SMU has been ranked in football four of the last five years and currently has a borderline Top 30 recruiting class without playing a down of P4 football.  We also just hired away a sitting Big 10 head coach for basketball who has been to multiple Sweet 16's and an Elite 8.  

Revenue is for poverty programs.  Billionaires are a fun cheat code right?

But I do enjoy the copium.

[untjim1995]

I give SMU credit for making the ACC happen. There is no doubt that it’s a huge deal and they got in because of their money, which is why they’re known in the CFB world. The media fawns over their “unfair” punishment and that is something that just baffles me. The ACC knows that they are buying time here until the inevitable breakup of their league. Getting SMU, Stanford, and Cal is their hope to keep teams like Miami, Duke, Wake Forest, BC, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville to stay after the big state schools leave. Maybe add in other schools like UConn, Tulane, ECU, and USF. Maybe that group can stay as a power conference, like the Big 12 hopes.

My guess is that none of the above really happens, though. The ACC gets blown apart and the other three power conferences pick them apart. 

[untjim1995]

11 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

SMU has been ranked in football four of the last five years and currently has a borderline Top 30 recruiting class without playing a down of P4 football.  We also just hired away a sitting Big 10 head coach for basketball who has been to multiple Sweet 16's and an Elite 8.  

Revenue is for poverty programs.  Billionaires are a fun cheat code right?

But I do enjoy the copium.

Then why are you hanging around here. You and Cougar King just troll this place to brag about being higher up the food chain. Neat. Do you go by the food shelter and brag about shopping at Whole Foods and having a full pantry? 
 

Because that’s what you’re basically doing here. We get it. You have money, local media, and a ton of history that gets mentioned and even celebrated. We have none of that.Hell, our own alumni dominate the local sports media and they just don’t care about us to do anything but make fun of us. We don’t need smu posters to remind us of how much you loathe ever being associated with us and have more goals by for you. We all know it.

[NT80]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

Getting SMU, Stanford, and Cal is their hope to keep teams like Miami, Duke, Wake Forest, BC, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville to stay after the big state schools leave. Maybe add in other schools like UConn, Tulane, ECU, and USF. Maybe that group can stay as a power conference, like the Big 12 hopes.

My guess is that none of the above really happens, though. The ACC gets blown apart and the other three power conferences pick them apart. 

$mut is still a nobody.   They eventually will get kicked to the curb again.  

[UNTLifer]

2 hours ago, SMU2006 said:

Super majority of ACC schools voted SMU into the ACC.  

As far as buying its way its not that different than CAL/Stanford taking 30% shares as well as Oregon/Washington taking vastly reduced shares in the Big 10.  You do what you have to do to avoid being left for dead (AAC). 

Picture of smuT showing up at the ACC offices:

"Will you be my friend and let me join your group of friends?"

[Green Otaku]

This thread title really needs to change to, "I tried to convince myself there was hope for next year yesterday, maybe I can will it into existence."

Sorry to be a harsh realist. We have zero concrete evidence on how this team will perform, I can only judge by last year and it was poor. Lost a ton of offense, and a returning DC who was the worst in the country.

[keith]

On 6/27/2024 at 11:35 AM, cousin oliver said:

I was sharing this thought with my girlfriend, but I just get a feeling that Eric has started to figure UNT out and is putting the pieces in place to place us in the hunt for the AAC crown.  Remembering that we no longer must face SMU gives me hope that we could very well be in the top quarter to top half of the league before all is said and done.

I don't expect national championships, but I do think we should routinely expect to be in the top half of the league standings year in year out and usually get to a bowl game and sometimes win a bowl game.

It happens every year around this time.  Mean Green fans, now several months removed from the previous season, go through a sort of collective amnesia.  This feeling of optimism will increase with each passing week.  Maybe a bit of backsliding during 2-a-days or during any bit of bad news, but will hit its zenith just before the start of the season.  It's part of our coping mechanism.  

[UNTLifer]

2 hours ago, keith said:

It happens every year around this time.  Mean Green fans, now several months removed from the previous season, go through a sort of collective amnesia.  This feeling of optimism will increase with each passing week.  Maybe a bit of backsliding during 2-a-days or during any bit of bad news, but will hit its zenith just before the start of the season.  It's part of our coping mechanism.  

12-0

[NT80]

4 hours ago, keith said:

It happens every year around this time.  Mean Green fans, now several months removed from the previous season, go through a sort of collective amnesia.  This feeling of optimism will increase with each passing week.  Maybe a bit of backsliding during 2-a-days or during any bit of bad news, but will hit its zenith just before the start of the season.  It's part of our coping mechanism.  

It's actually easier to expect better now because all programs are going through NIL/Portal turnover.  Before, you had to slowly move up the improvement ladder.  Now there could be wild swings in standings based on transfers gained and lost.  5-7 last season is long gone.  

[BillySee58]

On 6/27/2024 at 10:35 AM, cousin oliver said:

I was sharing this thought with my girlfriend

Oooooooooooohhhhh! Oliver has a girlfriend!

[jtm0097]

16 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Oooooooooooohhhhh! Oliver has a girlfriend!

I hear her name is Lennay Kekua.

[NT93]

5 hours ago, jtm0097 said:

I hear her name is Lennay Kekua.

Funny, obscure reference.🤣👍