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D
duro OP
May 24, 2023 at 02:53 PM ET
Regarding the UVA and UNC
On two separate interviews, one of which that included Wes Durham here in Raleigh on the ESPN radio affiliate, it was mentioned emphatically that “one of the things that we learned from this process regarding the break up of the ACC and the magnificent seven is that UVA is not going anywhere without Virginia Tech and UNC is not going anywhere without NC State period”. This was mentioned by Wes Durham as a result of conversations he had with his sources at the ACC meeting in Amelia Island. It was further mentioned that political pressure and ties would keep both of the North Carolina and the Virginia schools together. So this notion of UVA going somewhere and leaving Virginia Tech in some diminished state in a compromised ACC simply isn’t happening. The same goes for UNC and NC State, which are part of the UNC system and their chancellors reporting to the UNC system president. Furthermore, I imagine that UVA and UNC will want to maintain their proximity as well. ** Edited by duro at 5/24/2023, 2:55:23 PM ** Edited by duro at 5/24/2023, 2:56:27 PM

37 Replies

R
ren_hoek
Maybe the M7+GT joins 8 from the PAC?
16 teams, east/west divisions with no permanent crossover rivals?
B
Big12 guy
The best bet is to make the ACC work as it is.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
I'd like the ACC to explore taking 6 or 7 Pac schools from 6 different
states. They have the ACC Network. Expanding it into the Western US might bring in enough money to stay competitive until 2036. UO, UW, Cal, ASU, Utah, CU. Maybe Stanford. Maybe a Texas school, too. SMU? Would love the fresh faces in the ACC, too.
R
ren_hoek
That is ESPN's call
If they want to keep the ACC network viable and profitable, then they have to pay the ACC P3 money. Otherwise, their chief competition will take ACC schools and tank the ACC network in the process.
V
VTCALS72
1st I do not believe any of those schools have any power
to dictate anything. One thing we don't know is what other things, beyond football will come into play. We have seen post about how close as far as academics go, VT and UVA are. It was widely reported that once the first attempt at ACC expansion failed, then things such as the VT and ACC team academic and research partnerships. We have no idea how that may move the presidents in a way that football fans can't fathom.
1
133193Hokie
Fine - let UVA/UNC to the B1G and VT/NCST to the SEC - I am all in for that
J
jdkhokie
I see UVA in the SEC like the Faulkner Novel Sanctuary.
The drunk UVA aristocrat palling it up with the Old Miss crowd till Popeye comes along.
Old Line Hokie Old Line Hokie
That would be a win-win...
for all schools involved and for both states. What other states have universities in both the Big Ten ad SEC? Virginia and North Carolina could be the Power 2 "battleground states".
manassashoo manassashoo
Political pressure will not prevent UVA from going to the BIG.
The Virginia legislation does almost nothing with regard to financial support for it's state universities. UVA will not walk away from millions of dollars in AAU research money regardless of what the blow hard politicians looking for votes want.
Pylons Pylons
"AAU research money" isn't a thing
and athletics has nothing to do with research. Yes, you will see the AAU quote how many research dollars their members spend...they're not doing that because of AAU, they're AAU because of that. And, again, athletic conference membership has nothing to do with it.
M
marcbvtgm
I’ve been working in the admin of academic research for decades and…
I’ve had exactly one conversation about the AAU (and that was when I saw an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about Nebraska getting the boot). And I’ve done work with most of the top research institutions. What does get talked about is how much sponsored research an institution (or individual researcher) does - both in dollars and quantity of awards. AAU membership is just a old boy network trophy. It’s just something to put in the University fact sheet. No research money is awarded because of the AAU or conference membership of the institution or the individual researcher. No researcher makes any research collaboration decision based on the AAU membership (or conference membership) of the potential collaborator. None. ** Edited by marcbvtgm at 5/25/2023, 12:12:03 PM
T
TDVick
To that point, are you saying that UVA would prefer B10 to SEC?
That's my guess. In which case that makes it more likely that we end up in the SEC.
manassashoo manassashoo
Better fit, but going to the SEC wouldn't bring the AAU money into play.
Pylons Pylons
B1G doesn't either. Not that there even is such a thing as "AAU money"
M
marcbvtgm
You’re correct, but almost every other claim here re: the AAU here is wrong
Including the notion that AAU membership is mandatory for B1G admission/membership.
Pylons Pylons
There is an acute misunderstanding around here about how
athletics and academics are (not) linked.
S
Stech
Go or stay, UVA is not losing AAU money, that’s a false premise. You know
that, right?
Pylons Pylons
Hard to lose something that doesn't exist.
M
Mercury
Remember the bov are appointed by the. Governor
He can direct them snd frankly replace the president and bov . You dont want that to happen. Price of being a stste public school
IB4TECH IB4TECH
Is that coming from your BoV?
J
jdkhokie
You going private LOL good luck with that.
UVA could not join another athletic conference without the blessing of the Virginia Legislature if they were opposed. The University of Virginia is a public institution, and the Virginia Legislature has the authority to regulate its activities. This includes the authority to approve or disapprove of any changes to the university's athletic conference affiliation. In 2011, the Virginia Legislature passed a law that requires public universities in Virginia to obtain the approval of the legislature before joining a new athletic conference. This law was passed in response to concerns about the potential financial impact of conference realignment on public universities. If the Virginia Legislature were to oppose UVA's decision to join another athletic conference, the university would be legally prohibited from doing so. The university could appeal the legislature's decision to the courts, but it is unlikely that the courts would overturn the legislature's decision. In addition to the legal implications, UVA would also face significant political pressure if it were to join another athletic conference without the blessing of the Virginia Legislature. The legislature could withhold funding from the university, and it could also pass legislation that would make it more difficult for the university to operate. For these reasons, it is highly unlikely that UVA would join another athletic conference without the blessing of the Virginia Legislature. ** Edited by jdkhokie at 5/24/2023, 6:39:14 PM
S
SpeakToDamien
Not their decision under Virginia authority
M
Mercury
Exactly bingo
No matter what others think.. bingo…
V
Vippie1
Works for me
Been saying as often IF the NC and VA schools stick together everything will work out. If it really gets to the P2 no way DC to Charlotte gets left out. Both conferences will not want to cede to the other. The idiotic course would be to allow them to divide and conquer as they alone see fit.
T
tarheelblue
I would have thought the same forces would have kept UCLA and Cal together.
Or Oklahoma and Oklahoma State together. But it didn't.
V
Vippie1
There are reasons
As to UCLA & Cal- they dont have the cultural significance in a very large state like UVa & Vt , or UNC & NCSU in a middle size states. There was no way to quickly circle the wagons politically in such a large diverse state . The majority of the state elected officials in California don't give a rats ass about Cal or UCLA's athletic programs, nor do their constituents, so it was much easier to pull it off for UCLA & USC. As to OU and OSU. The balance of power wasnt there enough to pull OSU along. OU so dominates. It was more about not letting Texas leave OU behind. And again happened fast, before any real opposition could be mounted. UVa VT UNC NCSU ( and those that make decisions in both states) observed , learned, and foremost have had sufficient time to plot strategies.
RoswellGAHokie RoswellGAHokie
Agreed. It will be every school for itself.
E
EDGEMAN
Good to know!
If VT gets an invitation, but UVA doesn't, I don't want to leave them hanging in a disintegrating ACC conference. Both UVA and VT need to stick together. Now I have no issues if one goes to the B1X and one to the SEC, but that has to happen at the same time. Remember if it wasn't for UVA, we wouldn't have received an invitation to the ACC...at least not in the first round of BE departures.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
There's a big Catch 22 here.
Neither can leave on its own. But no P2 conference is gonna take both. So there would need to be coordination (collusion) between the schools, the SEC and the B1G. In the end, there seems to be a need for collusion. Although everyone acts like it can't exist.
T
tarheelblue
I'm not convinced the P2 wouldn't consider taking 2 from the same state
Their preference would probably be to just take one, but if that's politically impossible then they may be willing to take 2 if it's the right 2 from the right state.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
I'm not ruling it out either, but I think it's not likely.
S
Stech
B1G just took 2 from the same city, SEC took Texas even though A&M opposed
having another school from their state. These are the last two P-2 expansions, so not only are you right, the last actions prove it.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
True. But USC and UCLA are more valuable than VT and UVa.
USC is the top football brand in the west. UCLA is the biggest basketball brand in the west. Also, California is much larger than Virginia. The big question is, how many others can UNC pull to get into a conference? UNC might be able to get the B1G and the SEC into a bidding war to get them. It would be interesting to see if UNC/NCSt/UVa/VT formed a "Mag 4" and tested the waters to see if either the SEC or B1G would take all four. I think this is possible and not far-fetched. But not likely.
D
duro OP
This gives further credibility that the 7 schools were or may have been
Planning on breaking the grant of rights by dissolving the ACC and starting over with their own conference.
Old Line Hokie Old Line Hokie
Too bad someone didn't have the vision of a true ACC...
loaded with large state universities on the eastern seaboard or least in the eastern time zone. Kind of like the Big Ten of the East. The idea may have worked back in the 50's, 60's or even the 70's. Miami, Florida, FSU, UGA, GA Tech, USC-E, Clemson, UNC, NC State, UVA, VA Tech, Maryland, WVU, Penn State, Rutgers and Syracuse. If the so-called "Magnificent 7" did split they would have to add schools like Florida, UGA and Penn State to add value. No school is foolish enough to leave the SEC or Big Ten to help start a new conference unless they make more money which isn't going to happen.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
The Big East NOT inviting Penn State was the beginning of the end for all
of Eastern football. What could have been. And yes. My big problem with modern conference expansion is that it's never big enough. It involves only several schools at a time, and everyone left out suffers. It's not right.
M
MrFantastic!
I hope so.