on field football success is not the driver of value in college athletics, or any other athletics. The value is based on how much revenue the entity can generate for it's media partners. Yes, success on the field will drive viewership to an extent, but location, national brand interest and now gambling attractiveness are what really matters. the Holes are a national brands because of their basketball program. Go to a sporting goods store anywhere in the US and you will find Hole merch. Duke is the same and neither of them is driven by any success or interest in the football program. No idea why the hoos are discussed, but as others have pointed out, the vast majority of what is "reported" on this topic is utter BS, click bait. I imagine there is some interest in them from media companies as they have an above average income demographic for the graduates, but I've never seen any national interest in them (or us for that matter). The only other consideration is how a school fits into the culture and rivalries of a conference. That matters for the SEC much more than the BIG. That's why I believe Clemson is SEC or ACC as they have regional interest that fits the SECs rivalry model much more than the BIGs national media model.