http://twitter.com/#!/SETHDAVISHOOPS

Also see where Dick Vitale agrees with him.

Yup -- right in line with my position. Not a matter of "if" but "when".

And, boy, it'll be exciting when that day happens, too.

Digger also agrees

http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/sports/obse...-1.2692086

"helps also said it is time for Notre Dame to drop its independence in football and join the ACC.

"I'd love to see us join the ACC," he said. "We are east of the Mississippi when it comes to fundraising, alumni clubs, etc., and I include Chicago when I say that. And that's not going to go away, and obviously we have west coast cities.

"But, I just don't see how we will ever have the opportunity to compete for a BCS national championship without being in a conference. What's the best conference for us? If I'm looking out right now, I've got to say the ACC right now for football and basketball."

Phelps said the ACC could create a north division and a south division and rotate the basketball conference tournaments between Greensboro, N.C. and Madison Square Garden in New York. He added that key rivalries in football could be maintained, as well as the television contract in place since 1991.

"I would still say we should keep our NBC home contract," he said. "We can negotiate that. Then play nine games [in the ACC] in football. I'd give them nine. Still play Navy because of tradition, Southern Cal, and rotate with Michigan and Michigan State every other year."

Um, Digger -- we're keeping the Atlantic/Coastal divisions as is... when ND joins, they'll be hoppin' aboard the Atlantic division, complete with the following annual games:

ND/FSU
ND/Clemson (Lord, just wait until Clemson fans show up in South Bend. Life will never be the same...)
ND/BC (existing)
ND/Pitt (existing)
ND/NC State (more ties between the two schools than one might think)
ND/Maryland (when Maryland is the host, they can play it in Baltimore or DC)
ND/Wake (told you guys this past game was a trial balloon to the future)

(11-22-2011 12:44 PM)ecuacc4ever Wrote:  Um, Digger -- we're keeping the Atlantic/Coastal divisions as is... when ND joins, they'll be hoppin' aboard the Atlantic division, complete with the following annual games:

ND/FSU
ND/Clemson (Lord, just wait until Clemson fans show up in South Bend. Life will never be the same...)
ND/BC (existing)
ND/Pitt (existing)
ND/NC State (more ties between the two schools than one might think)
ND/Maryland (when Maryland is the host, they can play it in Baltimore or DC)
ND/Wake (told you guys this past game was a trial balloon to the future)

I actually think it will be based on pods. My first stab at the pods. Note: I realize that Pitt and ND has played almost annually, but I can see Pitt having to "give up ND" in the name of maximizing the benefits of pods. On top of that, I expect ND to be given special treatment for conf games so that it can maintain its ties with USC, Navy, Stanford and UM/Mich St/Purdue.

Northeast
Notre Dame
Boston College
Syracuse
Rutgers

Mid Atlantic
Pitt
Maryland
Virginia
Virginia Tech

Tobacco Road
North Carolina
NC State
Wake
Duke

Southeast
Fla State
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Miami

(11-22-2011 12:51 PM)miko33 Wrote:  Little East
Notre Dame
Boston College
Syracuse
Rutgers

Mid-Atlantic
Pitt
Maryland
Virginia
Virginia Tech

Tobacco
North Carolina
NC State
Wake
Duke

Football
Fla State
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Miami

FIFY

Also, with ND and Rutgers, the ACC would have 7 D1 lax teams

If there is to be a pod, I strongly believe it'll be based on the current division alignment. One of the beauties of our zipper pattern is that every school is guaranteed "Florida" exposure, every season, and every school is guaranteed Northeast exposure, every season (once Pitt and SU join).

That's why the N/S divisions are fail, IMHO.

Plus, as much as we all like to believe ND is worthy of special treatment, the ACC holds all the leverage and doesn't need to expand beyond 14 to be a viable all-sports conference. It didn't allow ND to (semi-)join back in '03 and it won't today. ND is going to have to be ALL IN, and make sacrifices for its own good -- if that means sacrificing some old-skool rivalries (cough*sanford*cough), so be it.

If not, the ACC is a solid, respectable 14-school conference that will represent in FB and kick 100 miles of a$$ in basketball, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse year-in and year-out.

So, I think the best place to start is here...

Atlantic
Boston College
Clemson
Florida State
Maryland
NC State
Notre Dame*
Pitt*
Wake Forest

Coastal
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina
Rutgers*
Syracuse*
Virginia
Virginia Tech

There's really no need for a 'pod' unless the ACC is going to adopt a 4-school football intra-conference playoff -- which, actually, ain't a bad idea.

(11-22-2011 01:07 PM)ecuacc4ever Wrote:  If there is to be a pod, I strongly believe it'll be based on the current division alignment. One of the beauties of our zipper pattern is that every school is guaranteed "Florida" exposure, every season, and every school is guaranteed Northeast exposure, every season (once Pitt and SU join).

That's why the N/S divisions are fail, IMHO.

Plus, as much as we all like to believe ND is worthy of special treatment, the ACC holds all the leverage and doesn't need to expand beyond 14 to be a viable all-sports conference. It didn't allow ND to (semi-)join back in '03 and it won't today. ND is going to have to be ALL IN, and make sacrifices for its own good -- if that means sacrificing some old-skool rivalries (cough*sanford*cough), so be it.

If not, the ACC is a solid, respectable 14-school conference that will represent in FB and kick 100 miles of a$$ in basketball, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse year-in and year-out.

So, I think the best place to start is here...

Atlantic
Boston College
Clemson
Florida State
Maryland
NC State
Notre Dame*
Pitt*
Wake Forest

Coastal
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina
Rutgers*
Syracuse*
Virginia
Virginia Tech

There's really no need for a 'pod' unless the ACC is going to adopt a 4-school football intra-conference playoff -- which, actually, ain't a bad idea.

I don't mind these divisions at all; however, the problem you have is that even with 9 conf games, you will only have 2 conf games per year to rotate through the other 8 schools not in your division. You can do it in 4 years if no return games are required the next year and if you eliminate cross-divisional rivals. Otherwise, you will have 2 conferences within a big conference, and that would set a bad precedent IMO. The pods will put those schools together who most want to be linked and/or have close geographical ties, and by frequently rotating the pods to create new divisions every year, the conference will be more unified as one.

Take AtlanticLeague's pods, cross-breed ecuacc4ever's zipper divisions, and you get something like this:

North Atlantic
==========
Boston College
Maryland
Notre Dame*
Pitt*

North Coastal
==========
Rutgers*
Syracuse*
Virginia
Virginia Tech

South Coastal
==========
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina

South Atlantic
==========
Clemson
Florida State
NC State
Wake Forest

Each year play your own pod (3), one North vs. South pod (4), and half of the other pod (2) = 9 games. The following year you flip-flop. Voila! All teams played ever other year (home & home takes 4 years).

(11-22-2011 02:02 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Take AtlanticLeague's pods, cross-breed ecuacc4ever's zipper divisions, and you get something like this:

North Atlantic
==========
Boston College
Maryland
Notre Dame*
Pitt*

North Coastal
==========
Rutgers*
Syracuse*
Virginia
Virginia Tech

South Coastal
==========
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina

South Atlantic
==========
Clemson
Florida State
NC State
Wake Forest

Each year play your own pod (3), one North vs. South pod (4), and half of the other pod (2) = 9 games. The following year you flip-flop. Voila! All teams played ever other year (home & home takes 4 years).

I think you're on to something! (though I didn't come up with those pods)

(11-22-2011 02:02 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Take AtlanticLeague's pods, cross-breed ecuacc4ever's zipper divisions, and you get something like this:

North Atlantic
==========
Boston College
Maryland
Notre Dame*
Pitt*

North Coastal
==========
Rutgers*
Syracuse*
Virginia
Virginia Tech

South Coastal
==========
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
North Carolina

South Atlantic
==========
Clemson
Florida State
NC State
Wake Forest

Each year play your own pod (3), one North vs. South pod (4), and half of the other pod (2) = 9 games. The following year you flip-flop. Voila! All teams played ever other year (home & home takes 4 years).

I actually rather like that setup. Provided there can be a permanent out-of-pod rival. GT should play Clemson every year.

I think he's wrong.

2 Divisions w/crossover rivals:

ATLANTIC COASTAL
Notre Dame - Pittsburgh
Boston College - Syracuse
Rutgers - Maryland
Wake Forest - N.C. State
Duke - North Carolina
Miami (FL) - Florida State
Virginia Tech - Virginia
Georgia Tech - Clemson

(11-22-2011 04:18 PM)JKMPirate78 Wrote:  2 Divisions w/crossover rivals:

ATLANTIC COASTAL
Notre Dame - Pittsburgh
Boston College - Syracuse
Rutgers - Maryland
Wake Forest - N.C. State
Duke - North Carolina
Miami (FL) - Florida State
Virginia Tech - Virginia
Georgia Tech - Clemson

Winner!

(11-22-2011 04:36 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(11-22-2011 04:18 PM)JKMPirate78 Wrote:  2 Divisions w/crossover rivals:

ATLANTIC COASTAL
Notre Dame - Pittsburgh
Boston College - Syracuse
Rutgers - Maryland
Wake Forest - N.C. State
Duke - North Carolina
Miami (FL) - Florida State
Virginia Tech - Virginia
Georgia Tech - Clemson

Winner!

Disagree. Two divisions plus a guaranteed cross over game ties up 8 conf games. A ninth game allows you to play everyone in the other division once every 7 years. If you get rid of the protected cross division rival, you can cycle through every team in 4 years.

If the Irish do eventually join, which is still a HUGE IF, I'm not sure it will be Rutgers. I think UConn may have the inside track over Rutgers for #16.

Cheers,
Neil

(11-22-2011 05:09 PM)omniorange Wrote:  If the Irish do eventually join, which is still a HUGE IF, I'm not sure it will be Rutgers. I think UConn may have the inside track over Rutgers for #16.

Cheers,
Neil

Seth Davis says...

"Too early to tell with whom. Don't think the ACC wants UConn. ACC and ND are a good academic and cultural fit."

Thinking outside the box.....
The SEC goes to 16 with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Well I know that's really 17, so someone has to go. The SEC then invites South Carolina or Vanderbilt to leave.
I'm thinking Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.

(11-22-2011 06:28 PM)XLance Wrote:  Thinking outside the box.....
The SEC goes to 16 with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Well I know that's really 17, so someone has to go. The SEC then invites South Carolina or Vanderbilt to leave.
I thinking Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.

You can't invite someone too leave. You can boot them, though.