The Atlantic and Coastal divisions will remain the same with Syracuse joining the Atlantic and Pitt joining the Coastal. The current primary crossover partners will remain consistent with Syracuse and Pitt becoming primary crossover partners with each other.
When Pitt and Syracuse join the ACC, the league will play a nine-game conference schedule. The format will consist of each team playing all six in its division each year, plus its primary crossover partner each year and two rotating opponents from the opposite division. This six-year cycle allows each team to play each divisional opponent and its primary crossover partner six times (three home and three away) while also playing each rotating crossover opponent two times (one home and one away).
What do you guys think? Are you happy with the nine game conference schedule and playing Pitt every year? Did the ACC get something right?
Comments
One thing to consider.
One thing to consider.
These are our ACC home games in even years (exactly opposite in odd years).
As part of a non-conference home-and-home we're scheduled to play at Pitt in 2012 and host them in 2013. If they join the ACC in 2013 then my guess is they'd come on as a home game since we would have played at Heinz in 2012. In that scenario, I think our conference schedule becomes very unbalanced in even years when we have to travel to Miami, UNC, BC and Pitt. I think the only solution would be to play at Pitt in 2012 as a non-conference game, and again in 2013 as the start of the new ACC rotation. I'm not sure I like that either.
If VT plays at Pitt twice in a row
If VT plays at Pitt twice in a row
Now is a good time to do it. With the problems they've had with coaching and the downfall of recruiting because of it, they may be at their lowest point ever. Pitt will get better because Pitt is a good football school. Take the hit, play them on the road 2x in a row, and set up a balanced schedule.
GT came to Blacksburg 2 years
GT came to Blacksburg 2 years in a row in 2005-06 to set up the current Coastal scheduling rotation after BC joined, so I don't think it would be unheard of to see some weird schedule things happen when Pitt/Cuse join the ACC. I'm sure every school will use this as an opportunity to lobby for a more balanced distribution.
Either way they slice it up, years where there are 5 ACC road games are gonna stink.
What I think would happen is
What I think would happen is similar to something that happened in the PAC-12 this year with us still playing that game but it being a non conference game because it was scheduled as such before the conference realignment. It would be better if those games were converted to ACC games though so we could pick up another ooc team
Recruiting
Recruiting
Western PA is one of the best recruiting grounds in the northeast and Virginia tech has not tapped into it at all. The players that come from the area are perfect for VTs program in my opinion. I'm from PA and never understood why we didn't have a better footprint out there. Hopefully playing vs Pitt will help with this. Plus I love being able to go watch games in Pittsburgh its a great city to watch a sporting event in.
Chris Drager was from western
Chris Drager was from western PA and Kyshoen Jarrett, Drew Harris and Jack Willenbrock are all from eastern PA. Your point stands though, there's a lot of talent from that region, and playing Pitt will help us tap into it. Our future is bright. Back in the day Penn State made a living off of recruiting Virginia Beach and Pennsylvania. Going forward we'll have prominent exposure in both areas, located almost equidistant between the two. It's going to get (more) fun.
So you only play the schools
So you only play the schools that arent in your division or your cross divisional bff every 5 years?
Clemson and FSU will only come to Lane (and us to their places) every 6 years?
Also I dont like an unbalanced conference sked
But hey we all know they werent brought in for football anyways
It'll be cool to play Pitt every year again. Visions of Rutherford to Fitzgerald. . .
Is it too late
Is it too late
Can the ACC revoke the invitations and stay at 12 teams? Is the ink on the contract dry? I'm still meh about all this.
Me too!
Me too!
Can't we just bring them in for basketball and leave em off the footbal schedule?
How 'bout Old ACC vs. New
How 'bout Old ACC vs. New
When we add two more teams (not a fan of the superconferences, but resigned to it now) - have the original 8 (pre-FSU) ACC teams in one division and the rest in the other. While travel considerations could lead to geography-based divisions, I think this would be a great way to go. From a football perspective, maybe swap FSU into the legacy ACC division for a bit some parity.
I would have liked to add WVU to renew that rivalry as one of them, but too late for that. I wouldn't mind Navy, trying to steal Penn State if they would come, or shooting for the moon with ND (doubt it would happen, but worth trying), but there are a few other ones out there I could live with. Worst case ECU.
If that's what VT wanted
If that's what VT wanted
They never would have left the Big East in the first place.