Shaking up the divisions in the ACC

[GoldCard]

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/82261/having-fun-with-acc-division-realignment

Andrea Adelson had a blog post about this recently. Scheduling is clearly an issue in the expanded conference, with that permanent crossover game being the major impediment. The obvious solution is to shake up the divisions and eliminate permanent crossover games, since eliminating divisions is off the table.

Just do it by geography. No, not North-South. Lump all the Carolina and Virginia schools together, then everybody else in the other. This preserves all the major must-keep annual rivalries, and the ones that get axed will still cycle around, only they will be a bigger event. Like FSU vs. Clemson

It's exactly the scenario Andrea has in Option 1.

What do y'all think about this?

 

[topdecktiger]

Another bad idea. The benefits are not worth the drawbacks. Unless the alignment is going to be North-South, then trading one convoluted alignment for another is pointless.

 

[zipp]

...Lump all the Carolina and Virginia schools together, then everybody else in the other. This preserves all the major must-keep annual rivalries, and the ones that get axed will still cycle around, only they will be a bigger event. Like FSU vs. Clemson...

What do y'all think about this?

My guess is that arrangement leads to unbalanced divisions from a football strength standpoint. That is, a much stronger division with FSU and Clemson.

But I'm OK with that as long as the two best teams play off at the end regardless of division. Personally, I'd rather be in the better division and play the tougher schedule.

A little unrelated, but I also think that final game should be hosted by the best team in the conference at their school with a 50-50 ticket split...

 

[topdecktiger]

If you split the tickets 50-50, then there's no point of having it on-campus. You might as well keep it in Charlotte if you're going to do that.

 

[EasyCard]

Louisville, like other if not all ACC programs, wants conference road games in recruiting hot beds. I know Louisville cares more about playing Florida schools than a crossover rival. BC and Pitt probably feel the same way about keeping its southern divisional teams.

 

[zipp]

If you split the tickets 50-50, then there's no point of having it on-campus. You might as well keep it in Charlotte if you're going to do that.

It will work if each school has to guarantee their ticket sales. The 50-50 will be the OFFER. Schools like Clemson will always take their 50% allotment and more if the opposing school doesn't want their entire 50%. Smaller football programs may only ask for 5-10,000 tickets. The host/opposing team gets the rest.

Not sure how many U of L would step up for. My guess is Jurich would ask for 50% at an opponent's stadium regardless. And if we were fortunate enough to ever host a championship game, it would sell out for sure whether the opposing team supported it or not.

With more playoff games, there will be increasing pressure on these conference championship games to sell out. Too many postseason games for the surviving team's fanbase to travel and support. Better to stage at least the first one at what will more than likely be the winning team's home field...

 

[topdecktiger]

You would still have the same problem. The tickets to the ACC title game are about $100, depending on where you sit. That's still going to be an issue, even for home team fans. (See the attendance at the Pac 12 CCG.)

The other issue is that the ACC gets paid by the host city to stage the CCG. The conference has a contract with Charlotte. The conference wouldn't get that money having the game on-campus.

 

[GoldCard]

Another bad idea. The benefits are not worth the drawbacks. Unless the alignment is going to be North-South, then trading one convoluted alignment for another is pointless.

Topdeck, why is it convoluted, and why is it pointless? A north-south alignment wouldn't work because one of the Carolina schools would have to separate from the others. Putting UNC in the north keeps their rivalry with UVa but they lose their 3 in-state rivals. Losing the UVa-UNC game is a non-starter.

This could be a moot point if the playoff expands, in which case Notre Dame would likely join full time in order to have 2 paths to the Championship. Then the league would go to pod scheduling.