Read the entire article. I don't remember anyone in the ACC talking so openly about this before. What I found most telling is quoted below.
The rumblings have quieted a bit -- both nationally and at Florida State -- but Spetman said the wheels continue to turn.
"It's not done," he said. "I watch it every day, reading something about it every day, trying to get a sense and calling my counterparts and seeing where they're really at."
Saw this late tonight from the Cincinnati 247 Sports writer. Is anyone else reporting anything like this? This is the first I've ever heard of Cincinnati being mentioned for the ACC. Definitely surprising.
I have heard from a couple more sources that UC and Louisville are headed to the ACC along with UCONN. Rumor starting to gain momentum.— Ryan Pence (@pencerm) November 24, 2012
Hey, y'all! Only ninety-nine days till the 2012 season kicks off! In reality, that means really only a little more than two months until camp opens, and it actually starts to FEEL like football season. Y'know, it'll be nice to see players in pads again, running through drills. This off-season has been so quiet, amiright?
College football's high stakes game of chicken continues. To keep everyone up to date. BearsTruth.com (part of the 247Sports network) reported FSU and Clemson will let the ACC know they're looking around.
Sources out of South Carolina and Florida have indicated the deals have been agreed upon for Clemson and Florida State to notify the ACC of their intent to explore other conferences. Then the two universities will need to submit an application to the Big 12. Big 12 presidents will need to approve the applications and welcome the two newest members.
Then the dominos fall.
They also report Virginia Tech is among Georgia Tech, Louisville, Pitt, and Notre Dame as, "looking at the two seats to 14 to match the SEC in conference size."
Then there's this quote (full audio here) from ESPN's Chris Low on the Paul Finebaum radio show.
Low,'I think we're going to see more conference expansions. I can tell you that the SEC has their eyes on Va Tech.'— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) May 21, 2012
Announced this morning on ESPN was Notre Dame wanting to be a part of the ACC over the Big 10, and UConn wanting to be a part of the best basketball conference in the country. If both of these schools join, the money brought in would be ridiculous, but is it the best move for the conference? Notre Dame would certainly benefit, as would UConn, and I think the ACC would as well. The recruits for football would get better with the inclusion of Notre Dame, and the basketball recuits, already at a high level, will increase even further with the addition of UConn along with Pitt and Syracuse. The ACC is not what it was a few years ago; it is moving forward into the pioneer world of superconferences instead of staying stagnant.
I did not see that one coming. Nope, not even an inkling. And I challenge anyone who reads this to look me square in the eye and tell me that they thought the ACC was going to be the conference that started the super-conference dominos falling.
I, like most Hokies following the realignment discussions and rumors, was worried that Virginia Tech would get left behind in some bastardized version of the ACC and Big East. That once the Pac 12 went to 16, the SEC would feel compelled to do so, as well. If the SEC was going to go to 16, there's no way they get there without poaching a few ACC schools, and there's no way I want to be apart of an ACC sans Clemson and Florida State.
Pittsburgh and Syracuse submitted letters of application to the Atlantic Coast Conference and are "likely gone" from the Big East, high ranking ACC and Big East officials told CBSSports.com.
Pittsburgh and Syracuse independently submitted letters of application to the ACC, a league source told CBSSports.com.
"There is no scenario where a president applies to a league and isn't admitted," a Big East official told CBSSports.com.
Ironically, Pittsburgh chancellor Mark Nordenberg is the chairman of the Big East's executive committee. A Big East official added: "It's sort of like the fox in the hen house."
The Longhorns, the source said, have established three criteria when it comes to finding a future home:
The first is the well-being of its student-athletes. Traveling back and forth across the country and different time zones can make life extremely difficult for students trying to cram for midterms. The ACC with its Eastern time zone would present a more favorable option for game times and late-night travel than the Pac-12.
Let's pretend that 64 teams in four 16 team superconferences will happen. Breaking away from the NCAA and taking all that Tv money for themselves.
READ
Who makes the cut?
All current B1G TEN, SEC and PAC 12 teams for sure.
Based on stability and current tv package with ESPN, one can assume the ACC makes that cut too, but it's not 100% lock like the first 3, but let's go with it, that is 48 teams ... leaving 16 left to fill in.
Off the top of my head, I am sure I am forgetting a couple.
