PonyFans.com

According to ESPN its a done deal:

<A HREF="http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0618/1570063.html" TARGET=_blank>http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0618/1570063.html</A>

This could get ugly. If the ACC goes to 14 and adds Va Tech & UConn, that leaves Pitt & W.Va as CUSA targets, which gives them an inside track on a BCS invite. I would then expect the MWC to invite 4 from the western WAC in order to compete with CUSA for that 5th BCS spot.

All of a sudden, that WAC is down to 6 members and has lost 2 of it's 3 bowl games. Assuming Army leaves CUSA, the question is whether a conference of rejects could be put together. It might look like this:

Army, Navy, Temple, Rutgers, La Tech, SMU, Tulsa, Rice & UTEP (sorry, San Jose).

At this point, would you prefer the WAC east group invite UNT, NMSU & La-Laf to form an 8 school regional league? Or, could the western WAC, with it's bowls, sell UNLV & SDSU on the Yoda plan if the eastern expansion teams were UNT & NMSU (either way, the original WAC east schools are without a bowl anywhere close)

Bottom line is that ACC expansion to 14 schools leaves the WAC, MWC and SBC fighting for survival and only two are likely to make the cut.

Not going to take UConn... it is going to be 13, and invite Notre Dame to join beginning the 2006-07 school year.

This is actually a great development for us... the more schools the Big East has to replace in football, the more CUSA schools they will take, the better our chances of partnering with TCU, Houston, Tulane.

Despite the dreams of CUSA fans, Pitt, Rutgers, UConn and West Virginia are not going to give up on the Big East brand.

The more the ACC raids the BE the better for the fall out benefits for SMU. This is getting very interesting. I still favor a class action suit by the non-BCS schools to force a Div. 1-A playoff.

Interesting news, considering that around where I now live (Chapel Hill, NC) that folks in NC are more against expansion than ever. The financials laid out to the university presidents make no sense if the ACC expands to 14. Also, this is BB country. With 14 in ACC, there is no room to give consideration for ACC tourney tix, which is a MAJOR part of funding elements for Wake, NCSU, UNC, and Duke.

Press around here already saying ACC leadership is a joke, being pushed around by Virginia politicians. NC folk don't like it a bit.

Me. I find it all rather humorous. It will be interesting to see how all of this shakes out. In the meantime,

GO PONIES!


[This message has been edited by No Cal Pony (edited 06-20-2003).]

I checked out the UNC, NC State and Wake Boards, they are madder at UNC and Duke than anyone else. They want the expansion to 12 teams, they can live with 13 but don't really want the Hokies. They can understand Duke's reluctance, but not UNC's. They are mad at Warner, but understand that he and the legislature can make life miserable for UVa. (Which by the way, U.Va. has always been a favored child by the legislature and there are many around the state who would love to see their funding get cut). The UNC boards are saying that UNC was trying to cut the best deal for UNC. I read that as, UNC will vote for 12.

Exactly, EastStang. Boy, does it get weird around here. My take is that UNC goes for the orginal plan, and nothing more. ncsu like it, and their prez came from ut, so she knows the deal.

Still,

Go Ponies!


[This message has been edited by No Cal Pony (edited 06-20-2003).]