...the contract. Let their donors make up the difference in lot revenue. They'll be far worse off than if they had stayed in the ACC and just have their donors make up the difference between the ACC and SEC payouts.

want nothing to do with leaving the ACC. They like things just the way they are, thank you very much! Would they prefer the ACC membership remain the same? Yes. But even an ACC in a diminished state would be far more preferable than trying to compete in an SEC or Big 10 from their perspective. They simply want none of it. I don’t believe Sands would ever accept a move to the SEC even if offered. He is more of an academic elitist. His mission is to elevate VT’s academic profile which he is definitely doing. His sensibilities would be much more in line with the Big 10 however the motivation to invest in the athletic department to the degree necessary to compete in said conference does not exist. After watching how the athletic department (particularly the football program) has been run under Babcock I really can’t draw any other conclusion. It would be my preference that we end up in the SEC along with UVA and the Carolina schools but I think we are right where we are going to be long term. Hope I’m wrong. ** Edited by duro at 11/16/2023, 8:57:48 AM

VT is just adjusting from I give a hundred a year, to more enterprise contributions. and they are doing very well with contributions to football. It is VT and (Pry's position) that in regards to facilities we pretty much fine. (locker room with healling pool starts after the season for early summer completion). VT culturally does not want an icon football operation, but more the campus model we have all adjacent and all very competitive. also culturally VT is not investing in water parks and put put courses so if that the measure .. we plead ok..... Whit is making sure Pry gets all his salary needs and staffing. (including projected escalations to remain competitive... The fund raising for program going very well. Our NIL is going very well and very competitive. Also with the Playfly contract, naming rights and projected escalation per school for next year college football playoffs, we should be very competitive. VT vision, is to be very competitive nationally, to compete for ACC championships. (but not crazy like A&M, or Texas ).. Our expectation for the program, is to cheer the journey and if we get there find, but not if you don't you fail... but we will be commpetive. 1. We want players who 1) want to come to VT and if so 2) we will offer appropriate competitive NIL through Triumph. We are not recruiting players (no matter what star level) who first mouth out is how much..... and that the same with portal. also we are going to be the best relationship community to high schools throughout our 5-6 hrs base including the commonwealth. We are going to EVERY high school from the eighth grade, know each player, family and coaching staff. Our investment is building better relationships to players than anyone else, and along with competitive (not the highest but competitive) NIL opportunities there should be good opportunities for players who want to come to VT. If not all the best... I'm have quiet confidence that VT (staying quiet) is working what needs to be done to be competitive.

another shake up with ACC schools leaving the conference, then we just might see 3 power conferences. Maybe they call it the ACC, the B12, or something else, as I don't think it would really matter. There are just too many good Universities and fan bases for the P2 to break away and form their own league based only on media money. it's my contention that they will implode, because the business model is flawed. We will find out when they decide to change the 12 team playoff format - which should be an equalizer, but it appears these "conferences" do not want to give access to the rest of FBS - or more importantly, share the revenue.

However this is chess not tactical daily operations Football foundation in much better shape keep it up and put more money. And solid football attendance. Playfly new comtract over 13 yesrs will get 158 million new revenue and agressive naming rights. Emphasis that high density of fans and alumni in major media higher income major areas such as dmv richmond hampton roads amd charlotte Vt position we wamt to stay in the acc with imcreased rights - if rights stay amd huge delta due to exit fees from clemson and fsu we figure we can survive and be competive for 10 years and frankly be strong to the future if we can exit . Think thats the tone of the rest

They have basically been running the ACC since inception. They have been making the call on who to accept into this conference, until recent years when they have been outvoted by the football schools who see that as the sport driving television contracts. Do they leave their "kingdom" to become a bench warmer in a P2 conference? Once they make the jump, they'll be sitting with the Kentuckys, USC-Es, Mizzous, Indianas, MDUs and Rutsgers...basically riding the pine when it comes to making conference decisions. Their days of wielding any kind of power will be gone. Do they want to lose that for more money? Even a lot more money? Who knows? I think Clemson and F$U have always thought of themselves as "outsiders" in the NC centric ACC. (Probably the same can also be said for everyone who's joined since GT.) I can see everyone of these schools as having less of a connection to the ACC. VT is where it's wanted to be for the last 60 years, so I can see our leadership wanting to keep the ACC intact, but if we have to jump, we need to jump to the best fit, and that definitely isn't the B12.

pretty attractive if she is still available. Just saying.

He knows that Clemson has had meetings (which he calls “hot bubbles of action’) with the SEC and the B1G. Flugaur has been saying for awhile that FSU is going to announce their intentions to leave the conference in the 1st QTR of 2024. And now he has given a time frame for Clemson to make their announcement of leaving the conference. He also made the comment that ESPN, Fox, SEC Commissioner, and the B1G Commissioner are all now involved. Flugaur has an impressive track record when it comes to conference realignment. He is providing very specific details in his reporting which tells me he knows something significant is going to happen in the near future. ** Edited by WBGV at 11/15/2023, 11:17:07 PM

I love this message board. The best realignment site out there. I read almost daily, but seldom post. I don’t know who Flugaur has as a source, but I haven’t heard anything as specific as he is claiming. The general consensus I’m hearing from those I talk to is sometime between the end of this season and the start of next, Clemson will announce they are leaving the ACC. There have been whispers that it could happen as early as Dec. I have no information how the GOR will be settled. There is confidence though that Clemson has a way out. Someone I know claims a BOT member has told him Clemson will be joining the SEC. I have no idea how legit that might be.

That GOR and exit fee won't come cheap. I find it interesting that the two ACC schools that want out the most have the lowest endowments in the conference. UVA could likely pay their way out of the ACC but I don't think it's in their DNA. UNC leaving would be more shocking than Clemson and FSU and probably more damaging to the ACC since they are synonymous with the ACC. There's no secret that Clemson and FSU want to leave. UNC hasn't said much, if anything. Clemson in the Big Ten would be unnatural but it's very possible in this new age of conference realignment. I'm sure USC-E wouldn't be thrilled to have Clemson in the SEC. I guess if Clemson and FSU depart, the ACC adds powerhouses like Tulane, South Florida, Rice or UConn? Clemson can renew its former relationship with Maryland. ;) ** Edited by Old Line Hokie at 11/15/2023, 11:28:47 PM

I believe there will likely be some sort of negotiated settlement, but it’s just a guess on my part. And I agree completely about the Big 10 being an unnatural fit. The money would be good, but other than money I don’t see much appeal. Clemson and Ohio State have a good recent rivalry. To hell with Maryland. I don’t care if Clemson ever plays them again.

His Clemson source is not as highly positioned as the FSU or B1G counterparts. But they gave him the green light to report that time frame. Feb. 6 is the Clemson drop dead date. FSU will act either just ahead or just after Clemson, with UNC going third. If Notre Dame wants to move they could be fourth in the sequence. They would not leak their solution for the GoR but they are hellbent on leaving. Clemson has talked to The B1G. They may have talked to The SEC as well (I'd bet on it) but he had no info to confirm that. Sankey and Petitti are active, as are ESPN, Fox, and NBC. The SEC may involve another media company beyond the Disney group. UVa, Miami, NC St and VT are not committed, but UVa is a step ahead of the other three. Caveat: These are rumors collected from his two most recent live programs. Grain of salt.

Schools must play a very delicate dance to avoid massive legal exposure. One root issue is each member school has a fiduciary duty to always act in the best interest of the collective membership. Of course, if a member needs to act in their own best interest and can follow the proper exit process that's fine... but it's a HUGE PROBLEM as soon as a member school starts having "secret" meetings behind the scenes with other fiduciary members with the result being damage to the collective membership they represent. This is why these rumors are very likely bull. Yes - Clemson may leave (doubtful) and FSU may leave, but each member would need to mostly independently reach out to the SEC or Big10, and I don't think the SEC or Big10 wants to coordinate too much else it results in tortious interference. One way to avoid this is to execute fast so it all appears as independent decisions, so anything that is months away again smells like bull due to the legal exposure.

trying to position themselves individually and in groups through indirect channels. None of these activities are done openly, but they absolutely have to be happening.

Fact: ESPN cannot break the GOR and rights if conference remains at 14 including ND. (with SMU, cal and Stanford) check. This is a wall to protect theACC if FSU, Clemson and UNC leaves.. Interesting that the 3 no votes were FSU, Clemson and UNC...and NC State changed vote.. we see the tea leaves. Financially, most members feel with the extra $$ from expansion, and (even exit fees from the 2), and the expanded playoff numbers next year, most brands can be very competitive with their peers.) Politics: Also, UNC is in a bind, the UNC chancellor of the UNC system, has established to policy that no school can independently negotiate with a new conference without their explicit involvement and it will involve affect with other similar schools. (reading UNC aint going no where without NC State is in a similar place) The next four UVA, VT, State and Miami, -they are committed to leave, however, they are waiting it out together. Interesting That VT plays both Miami and UVA all the time, and the State game.... POLITICS: big gut, at the president and AD level, UVA and VT are joined at the hip, no one going to be left behind. At the same time, watch VT actions going behind the scene. With Playfly 153 million dollar deal over 13 years, then emphasis on naming rights (to generate more revenue). Emphasis on sell outs at all costs, Vast increase in football infrastructure... and VT hiring a Associate AD for Financial Operations. It all tells me that VT is ramping up to 'something'...... Tactically, its very important VT get to a bowl game, for program perception AND hope for the Military bowl where VT can swamp the attendance in the bowl event on all media platforms. IN A MAJOR media market...(maybe with Maryland...) Fans and message boards cannot generate a negative critical cynical message.

What’s that mean? Then Uva is step ahead. What? ND hell bent to leave? No longer desiring independent status?

UVA President Jim Ryan is the Chairman of the ACC Presidents Council. He's the one who worked with SMU, Cal, and Stanford to sell their presidents on joining the league. He made the phone call to them with Jim Phillips to let them know the vote was passed for them to be invited. Why would he do that and leave 6 months later? I don't see it.

Might as well add the schools to increase the payouts to the existing schools.

UVA Duke and UNC. and I think Duke speciality is contract law. SO the GOR was written by the top minds in contract rights law. As they always say, many students of SEC schools go the games, graduate and end back in daddy's local business while ACC graduates will be the CEO of the companies that SEC community purchase from.

The GOR is based on trademarks/copyright law which guarantees that the suits end up in federal courts and not state courts. Years ago towards the end of broadcasts, the announcers would say that "this game is copyrighted by Home School, the NCAA, and This Broadcast Network". Now those announcements are "this game is copyrighted by the ACC". The federal regulations in regard to copyright infringement are quite robust in enforcement, and I doubt any network wants to get involved in a copyright infringement suit.

But there was no mention of that. I realize that’s a major point. He says they can’t afford to be “left behind” in the coming years. He feels 2027 is realistic for them to be gone. We shall see. Seems to me the remaining ACC teams will be receiving a lot of $. ** Edited by Millpoint at 11/15/2023, 8:46:00 PM

anyone else leaves the ACC (whatever money is involved), then we will indeed lose college football as we have known it. I just don't see how it will be better for the fans that pay for it. I'm not cheap, but I'm not paying ticket a travel expense type of money to watch these games. I will attend the ones that are important to me, and go old school, and read about them. This "casual" fan is just tired man. ** Edited by Big12 guy at 11/15/2023, 8:11:16 PM