Before the interstate system, the US highway system was made up of the better roads, and US29 was one of the major ones. Almost all the original ACC schools were either on US 29 or an hour or so from US 29 via a US highway road. The SEC original configuration was actually pretty compact when you see where the schools were located on the map. Same for the Big 10 with Minnesota being an outlier, the Big 8 with Colorado being an outlier, and the Southwestern Conference with Arkansas being an outlier. The conferences were set up originally for bus travel, but with plane travel these days, the schools can work out deals with the airlines to get some pretty cheap flights for their non revenue sports. So, a nationwide conference probably doesn't increase those costs too much.

to fix that so people in southwest Virginia can more easily get to the Capital/Richmond. It is still mind boggling to me that this hasn’t been fixed and I don’t live in southwest Virginia, but I know the price they pay for not having a true east west interstate highway. North Carolina gets it, but for some reason in Virginia, we don’t get it!

The key was 95 was suppose to go east to hampton roads and up the peninsula to Richmond and up to DC and 64 was suppose to follow basically 460 all through SWVA to cincinatti. 85 would have joined in richmond with 95 . HOWEVER IN the legislature at the the senior reps on the transportation committee was located in Charlottesville and Staunton area. They manipulated the routing to ensure central va got the 64 corridor. THis realignment late in the game, really kinda screwed NC, they wanted 95 eastern as well to open up development more the rural areas of eastern nc (connecting Hampton Roads to NC). but VA basically said take it or leave it. I think NC did pretty well considering..... In the fifties VA really didnt want to invest in highways, (no debt) however they saw the Fed's gold mine on interstate funding and aligned the interstates around the cities to cover their urgent needs for road infrastructure in the fifties. NC invested in roads, and felt the interstate funding as new funds to spur development. This is 19 fifties, and COMPLETELY different times and places and people.

Charlottesville (UVa), Greensboro (Tobacco Road), Spartanburg (USC) and Atlanta (GT).

of old newspaper and magazine accounts, even a book or two I think, on the break up of the old Southern Conference and the formation of the SEC and ACC. The roads were mentioned and the mountains have been mentioned as a natural dividing line, all geared more or less to transportation. The irony is not lost on old timers still around that a superconference combination today of the SEC and ACC would essentially be a back to the future old Southern Conference with a few additions and deletions.

NCAA will continue to serve what we now call DIV II and DIV III. Major college sports get no value from the NCAA. The only thing keeping them tied together is March Madness. That contract ends in 2032 and I'm not sure the big players will wait that long to split. Travel issues can be solved with money and imagination. It will not cause hardship to athletes as so many want to believe. Zoom classes, class schedules, tutors traveling with the teams, and joint travel among all conferences.

that fans view as G5, DI-FCS, or the remaining mid-majors that don't sponsor DI football?

school at any level who wishes to be a member. I think that the major FB and BB programs will establish their own regulatory body and will welcome any refugees from the NCAA. I envision the new body as being a for-profit company owned by the conferences and/or schools.

schools decline to go the for-profit route for various reasons. Some schools, VT could be one of those schools, may not have the resources especially if the courts get involved to expand which athletes get paid or the schools decide to pay all the athletes for every sport they sponsor.

they have enough schools in each area to do what you are saying, and keep the non-revenue sports playing in a region. Which is why I think the B1G is eventually going to take Cal, Stanford, Oregon and Washington. They are not going to leave the two LA schools on a remote island. Especially for their non-revenue sports, the schools need to keep their travel cost and time down. ** Edited by Stech at 11/3/2022, 12:33:13 PM

It would solve both of our problems. Let them join the ACC FB conference, sign the GOR. But with the addition that they can then leave only as a pair, with a large exit fee, with 2 years notice, with no notice possible for the first 4 years. Other sports can go into the West Coast conference. They want more money and a chance to go the B10 if invited. We want to renegotiate our TV contract so we get more money. That would do both. Even if they left after four years (that is 6 after the notice period), we would get our new contract, and their exit fees. ** Edited by Truthahn at 11/6/2022, 10:16:33 AM

going to happen in the future. Like it or not, and there is plenty, not to like.

You can’t easily separate out the football from all the media deals, conference networks, NCAA structure, and schedule contracts. So we are stuck for now with football being the main driver and other sports getting dragged along. Something will have to change eventually, but not just yet. For now all we can do is say good luck to the Rutgers (pick any Olympic sport) team when they have to travel to UCLA in the future.