http://louisvillesportslive.net/acc-future-football-schedules-go-82-model-sec/
"After an early morning conference call with ADs, the ACC remained in decided about increasing league games from eight to nine. The other option is to remain at eight but schedule two Power 5 opponents. Either way, UofL is good through 2020 as the Cards play Purdue and Alabama at neutral sites and Notre Dame at home and in South Bend the following year – in addition to beating UK annually.
But after this recent deadlock, the league needs to adopt the 8 + 2 model. The two major reasons for this are the four schools who have the yearly SEC rivalry games and the Notre Dame scheduling agreement. Clemson and Florida State enjoy playing a marquee opponent to open the season and both schools are scheduled to continue that trend. On the years where an ACC school plays the Irish, those five teams have nine games set on their schedule. One more Power 5 school to pair with Notre Dame gives schools some scheduling flexibility. If the league went to a nine game conference slate, the schools with the SEC rival and Notre Dame would have very little flexibility.
Admittedly, it could be challenging to find two Power 5 schools to schedule, especially with the Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac 12 all playing nine conference games. No matter what the league decides, the concern about schools wanting to continue to play FCS schools should be at the bottom of the list. Those games are a de facto exhibition game and serve no purpose other than to pay the smaller school for a beat down. In a perfect college football work it would be nice, but in the age of conference TV networks, quality inventory matters. The league has two more years to start lining up other Power 5 schools since the network won’t launch until 2019. Why not see if ESPN can lean on the SEC and try to schedule an ACC-SEC challenge? Former Georgia Tech AD Mike Bobinski mentioned that idea in passing a couple of weeks ago. It could prove difficult to get both leagues to schedule for every member, but as the only two Power 5 conferences that play 8 league games, it could work. And if it is impossible to find games for all 14 schools from each league, why shoot for half the league (or the eight hypothetical matchups below) – just three more games that would need to be scheduled? The ACC and SEC Networks respectively would rotate in broadcasting their schools’ home games. It would be a win-win for both.
Let’s take a look at potential matchups: (the first four are already set)
Louisville – Kentucky
Clemson – South Carolina
Florida State – Florida
Georgia Tech – Georgia
*****This tier could work*****
Virginia Tech – Tennessee
North Carolina – Auburn
Miami – Alabama
Wake Forest – Vanderbilt
*****The remaining schools*****
Boston College – Missouri
Duke – Mississippi State
NC State – Arkansas
Virginia – LSU
Pittsburgh – Ole Miss
Syracuse – Texas A&M
The last tier is a stretch and wouldn’t command a lot of eyeballs, but if there’s a two Power 5 team mandate, why not schedule on a rotating basis between tiers 2 and 3?"
Admittedly, it could be challenging to find two Power 5 schools to schedule, especially with the Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac 12 all playing nine conference games. No matter what the league decides, the concern about schools wanting to continue to play FCS schools should be at the bottom of the list. Those games are a de facto exhibition game and serve no purpose other than to pay the smaller school for a beat down. In a perfect college football work it would be nice, but in the age of conference TV networks, quality inventory matters. The league has two more years to start lining up other Power 5 schools since the network won’t launch until 2019. Why not see if ESPN can lean on the SEC and try to schedule an ACC-SEC challenge? Former Georgia Tech AD Mike Bobinski mentioned that idea in passing a couple of weeks ago. It could prove difficult to get both leagues to schedule for every member, but as the only two Power 5 conferences that play 8 league games, it could work. And if it is impossible to find games for all 14 schools from each league, why shoot for half the league (or the eight hypothetical matchups below) – just three more games that would need to be scheduled? The ACC and SEC Networks respectively would rotate in broadcasting their schools’ home games. It would be a win-win for both.
Let’s take a look at potential matchups: (the first four are already set)
Louisville – Kentucky
Clemson – South Carolina
Florida State – Florida
Georgia Tech – Georgia
*****This tier could work*****
Virginia Tech – Tennessee
North Carolina – Auburn
Miami – Alabama
Wake Forest – Vanderbilt
*****The remaining schools*****
Boston College – Missouri
Duke – Mississippi State
NC State – Arkansas
Virginia – LSU
Pittsburgh – Ole Miss
Syracuse – Texas A&M
The last tier is a stretch and wouldn’t command a lot of eyeballs, but if there’s a two Power 5 team mandate, why not schedule on a rotating basis between tiers 2 and 3?"
Top two tiers - absolutely!
ReplyDeleteBottom tier - meh.
I think it makes sense from ESPN's end.
ReplyDeleteIt also makes sense for most of those SEC schools. They get to play a so-called "P5" program and yet get to keep their easy OOC wins at the same time.
Maybe, MAYBE it would force some of the ACC dregs like Cuse, BC, UVA, NC State to actually do something about the state of their programs* (I don't hold out much long-term hope for Duke, and Wake is hopeless). Then again, GT has been getting whomped by UGA for decades and hasn't used that to improve as a program (16-43 in their last 62 meetings...sheesh).
It would also give those same ACC dregs NO EXCUSE for failing to find opponents for an 8+2 format.
*Yes, Cuse and UVA made what everyone agrees were good offseason hires, for once.