1. ACC games don't get on TV - this is THE primary problem if you're a serious ACC football program - you can't expose your brand and be nationally prominent if you're never on FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC or ESPN1 2. Strength of schedule will be a major knock every single year, even if an ACC program is undefeated 3. 4-5 SEC and B1G teams will get into the CFP every year, compared to 1-2 ACC teams 4. Inability to schedule SEC and B1G programs OOC because they now play 9 conference games and only want to play each other to protect their SOS numbers 5. Major lack of homogeneity and alignment of mission in the ACC - half the conference is tiny little private basketball schools that aren't even trying to field competitive football programs 6. Every year, your best players will tend to treat your program like a farm league stepping-stone and leave for the SEC or B1G - yes, players like money, but the best players' end goal is always going to be making the NFL, and they're going to like being on major TV broadcasts and playing in CFP games more than they like NIL money alone These are just off the top of my head. There's more, I'm sure.

donor private schools are now a factor in the SEC and ACC. In fact UVA’s $20 million turn around as a public ivy that hasn’t won in decades is another example of where things could be going. I know if you look back all your points are strong, but what about Stanford having a donor that’s giving $50 million for NIL next year? Play that forward with SMU not getting any media money, and Stanford getting a discounted amount, donor NIL money is way more important than restricted media money, and if you win, the networks will cover you. They cover the SEC because they win more, if that changes because of unrestricted NIL money, they will cover your school too.

Vanderbilt is having an outstanding (for them) season this year because the best QB in the history of the program, a 25-year-old two-time transfer, who had to seek a court injunction to even be eligible to play this year because he'd already played five full seasons before this year, is playing under center for them. Even so, they've lost to both ranked opponents they've played, won't play for the SEC championship, and likely won't make the CFP. So, it's not like Vanderbilt has solved some Rubik's Cube and figured out how to go unbeaten every year with NIL money. SMU is unranked, lost both their good OOC games vs. Big 12 teams, and while they beat a ranked Miami team at home, they also got beat by Wake Forest. Because of tie breakers, they likely won't play for the ACC championship, and they're not going to make the CFP. Another thing to point out about both those schools, and this is very, very important, is that nobody cares. Nobody is watching SMU or Vanderbilt games unless they're playing a high-profile opponent. I watched part of that Vanderbilt Auburn game on Saturday, because I had money on it. Even with their outstanding season, the stadium was 95+% Auburn fans. They don't even have enough fans to even half fill their tiny little stadium. So, do you really think anyone's tuning in to see Vanderbilt play football? And, the same thing goes for Stanford. I don't care if Stanford gets a 700-million-dollar donation - nobody is tuning into a football game to see Stanford. If someone's watching a Stanford game, there's a 99% chance they're watching to see whoever Stanford is playing. Your idea that "if you win, the networks will cover you" is just completely, flat out wrong. For Disney-owned networks, it's always going to be all SEC, all the time. Why? Because 12 of the ACC's 17 football programs have no fans. It doesn't matter if they're winning or not, they're going on ESPN2, the ACCN, or ESPN+.

turn around this year. Yes watch out for Stanford and their 50 Million Dollar NIL fund next year. Do you work for Serve Pro? Their motto is, “it’s like it never happened.” 😁

in the SEC after being a doormat. I would love Virginia Tech to be invited to the P2, but it’s more important we build up NIL through recruiting IMHO. Ask Saban, ask Dabo, they underrated the impact at first too, and one retired and the other is reportedly considering retiring. As far as the B12, you may be the only Hokie I know that wants that, there is IMHO almost no chance we join the B12. I have wanted and prefer we invite WVU and Kansas to the ACC. Lastly, you write like you know what is going to happen, you don’t know, I don’t know, maybe try IMHO if you are capable of doing that. Then possibly we can have an adult to adult discussion when we disagree. Let’s agree to disagree respectfully please.

And, I'll just point out that any substantive conversation about conference realignment is going to require some speculation by the participants. When I lay out my points in my posts, clearly some of the stipulations I make are my opinion about what's going to happen down the road. I'm not sure how we move a conversation like this along if we say, "well, you don't know whether your opinion will be proven correct or not." If you think VT can thrive in a decimated G5 ACC just because it invests a lot of money in the football program, I think you're overlooking (a) where that money is going to come from; and, (b) the fact that the best players will not want to play in a G5 conference, NIL money or no NIL money. Donor money to and interest in VT football would dry up if/when it's playing in a glorified Sun Belt conference. The best players will not commit to play for the program, making it impossible to compete on a national stage. I'm not sure either of these important points are controversial in the least, but if you think they are, then we can just agree to disagree. Finally - OK, SMU made the playoff in a controversial placement. And, then what happened? They were thoroughly embarrassed. I'm not sure making the playoff is the big flex you think it is if you end up getting your pants pulled down and 30 pieced in the first round for a national broadcast audience. ** Edited by Baltimore_Hokie at 11/11/2025, 9:32:10 AM

Their alumni and friends can simply write a check, and the university since private dont have to exhibit any transparency. While many of the public schools sponsor a athletic department that solicit donation at all levels, they have to be more open (as well as some being a public school). The "NFL model into college sports is going to be interesting. How does the role of a public university and its non-profit role blend with an big time athletics role That is more operating like a professional sports entity. And how does universities balance the university and avid fans of their college athletic programs who demand their particular football team must be compete as well to be a playoff team or prevent not being left behind.

Donors are donors, public or private, and that has zero to do with the level of transparency. The real difference between public and private is on the expenditure side and related disclosures.

and evidence that the only landing spots that offer a solution are the P2(SEC or B1G). Spots in the ACC and the Big 12 are essentially swapping deck chairs on the Titanic.

You're right, the only "golden ticket" is to the P2. But, the ACC as a "power" is going to die either way. I don't think there's any question; the current iteration of the ACC cannot stand. In a conference where nobody wants to watch 85+% of the content being produced, there's just too much bad blood, and no way to keep everyone happy. A divorce is inevitable. Someone is going to leave in the next 4 years, and it's going to start a chain reaction that leads to implosion of the conference. In that instance, I think VT would be much better off in a Big 12 that consolidates all the remaining viable non-P2 football brands than it would be in a bastardized G5 basketball conference, which is what the ACC is going to transition into. Stated another way, the current makeup of the Big 12 with added VT, NCSU, GT, Louisville, Pitt, Miami, etc. would be vastly preferable to an ACC with no FSU, no Clemson, no UNC, and the football schedule filled primarily with SMU, USF, Tulane, Memphis, UConn, etc. So, right now? Yeah, there's no reason for any team to leave the ACC and go to the Big 12. But I don't think the status quo is going to make it another five years.

however, right now no FSU, no Clemson, no UNC appears to be a weakening proposition and what may transpire is likely highly dependent on what the next round of TV contracts and realignment might look like. In that scenario both the ACC and the Big 12 may not look the same either, so it seems, at least to me, difficult to project what might be preferable until more comes into focus.

appears to be headed the way of the Big East. It will eventually become a basketball only conference. The heavy hitters for football will find new homes in P2 or maybe an expanded B12 which is starting to surpass ACC in revenue, relevance anyway or VT drops down to G5 in football. If we would just get our **** together, especially in football, VT should be in the ACC Championship circa 2016 every year vs Clemson. THAT'S what ACC Football should look like every dang year, VT and Clemson duking it out for supremacy! Would be so nice if the two major land grant universities, Clemson and VT would unite together and start driving this long dominated Tobacco Road conference.

it is "safe" to say that just yet but, the possibility is there. What do you mean by the Big 12 starting to surpass the ACC in revenue? I don't think that is presently the case nor am I sure there is any present evidence of that for the near future. The ACC and Jim Phillips have a lot of work to do and results like last weekend only add to the load.

surpassing ACC in SRS ratings shows what a garbage conference we're now anchored to. Again, IMO, the Big XII has a much better conference leader than Phillips in the ACC. 7 straight years the ACC finished below the Big XII. That's baaaaaaaddddd juju. ** Edited by 91HokieBob at 11/10/2025, 12:34:53 PM

Yormark has run circles around Phillips so far from a marketing and promotion standpoint nor do I dispute QCP's data accumulation. However, the SRS for conferences is a lot like the RPI and that SOS becomes somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy. It is akin to the B1G and their perpetual fold in the NCAA tourney every year after being overrated and over seeded. The ACC's on field has been dismal, however, to date it's revenue has held solid. Perhaps if the Big 12 can ever win an actual championship or maybe perform as more than a playoff punching bag their argument will improve in the future. Texas Tech and Cody Campbell are doing their part but, the rest are TBD no matter how much bluster Big 12 Interlopers to the TSL boards might contend otherwise. To be clear, a combination of the best of the ACC and the Big 12 is the best possibility to compete with the current P2 but, how that combination comes about is the question yet to be answered.

They appear to be on the same trajectory. Alternatively, it wouldn't shock me at all if some old Big East schools (e.g., Syracuse, Boston College) end up re-joining the BE for everything but football and do their own football scheduling agreements. And, you're right, if VT, Miami, FSU, and Clemson could all be competitive, both in terms of conference and nationally, at the same time, the ACC likely wouldn't be in the shape it's in now. But, that's never once been the case in over twenty years, the conference is now considered a joke nationally, and I don't think anything's going to change dramatically in the next four years.

schools will be the 2030 media deal. it will have to be substantially more to draw enough ACC schools for it to make sense. The question I have, is will the networks connive and negotiate that contract with the ACC schools, or without them. In other words, are the schools and conference already having those discussions?

FSU or Clemson leaving. That will almost entirely eliminate what tiny bit of leverage the conference had to negotiate TV money. Once that happens, and the rest of the conference schools are staring at the cold, hard media rights numbers they'll be getting, it will be a mad dash to get off the sinking ship, much like what happened to the PAC-12. The harsh reality is that neither Disney, nor Fox, nor anyone else is going to offer significant money to the ACC for a docket that's full of games like SMU at Boston College or Memphis at Wake Forest every single week.

a power conference. The contract is good until 2036, and with 2 fewer mouths to feed, the ACC should be good. The catalyst might be the guaranteed playoff money. If that is adjusted, it could pose a problem. That, and the new B12 contract. If Miami and ND stick around, the ACC would be good until 2036 IMHO. ** Edited by Big12 guy at 11/10/2025, 12:18:19 PM

I also think you're failing to consider what the ACC would do if FSU and Clemson leave. They'd backfill those spots with more dead weight garbage like SMU. Eventually, the TV contract will have to be re-negotiated, and it will be an absolute blood bath. Media partners are only going to pay for the content they actually want; they don't care how the money is divvied up by the conference. And, with an ACC full of tiny private schools and G5 backfills, with very little appetizing football content, if the pie is split equally, they'll be looking at something like a $15-20 million per school media rights payout. You can see it coming as clear as day.