New ACC Divisions Set Up To Preserve BC-Syracuse ... And Pitt-Virginia Tech?
by Brian Favat on Feb 7, 2012 8:00 AM EST
in Conference Expansion
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PrintEveryone is happy with the new ACC Atlantic and Coastal Divisions, yes? Well sounds like you have our school ... and Virginia Tech to thank for this? Via The Daily Press' David Teel:
"Swofford said the "overriding factors" in the division assignments were keeping Virginia Tech and Boston College as partners, and rekindling the Boston College-Syracuse and Virginia Tech-Pitt rivalries that waned when the Hokies and Eagles left the Big East for the ACC."
Wait, huh? Pitt-Virginia Tech? A rivalry 11 games in the making? There has to be more to it than that ...
Officials from Syracuse and Pitt "were full participants (in the discussions)," Swofford said, "short of having a formal vote. They were fully agreeable and supportive of the end points."
Got it. So neither Pitt nor Syracuse had a formal vote in last Friday's divisional alignment. Which is why preserving a 67-game football series between Pitt and Syracuse wasn't officially an "overriding factor" in the decision. Hey, it all worked out in the end and nothing to complain about here. The conference preserved yearly games between BC-Syracuse and Syracuse-Pitt. Virginia Tech also gets their fake rivalry with Pittsburgh back. Cool.
However, it does shed some light on just how screwed both Pitt and Syracuse are as they wait to extricate themselves from the Big East and join the ACC. No vote in the ACC ... no vote in the Big East. If BC and Virginia Tech wanted, the ACC could have just as easily Oklahoma-Nebraska'd Syracuse-Pitt with the divisional alignment, placing Cuse in the Coastal, Pitt in the Atlantic and pairing BC-Cuse and Tech-Pitt as the permanent intra-divisional rivals.
Luckily, it didn't come to that.
I also hope the Pitt and Syracuse football programs enjoy their trips to Boise in late November over the next 1-2 seasons.
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How much say/pull do you think GDF has to make the Cuse/BC game an annual last game of the season? I know Virginia and VT always get that as their last game…wonder if BC could pull a few strings to get this same kinda deal going.
I’d love to just have it known every year that we end with the Cuse. No random games again NC State, Maryland, or even a bye (worst case). Every season we end with the Orange.
Now that BC and Cuse are in the same division, it makes sense to have this on the final weekend of the regular season. The ACC has struggled with this since there have been an odd number of teams that want to play conference games at season’s end.
If BC and Cuse sign up for this, I’m sure the ACC will be more than willing to accommodate.
Editor, BC Interruption
My preference would be FSU
This way if we are a solid team, we can play for the Atlantic Title and keep it rolling the next week at the ACC Title game.
That division double tiebreaker is crucial now with 6 games and 9 total.
Syracuse is also on the comeback trail, but I want FSU!!
The more I look at this
The less excited I become about the recent expansion and the two teams we took. The way the new divisions are set up, along with the loss of the OOC game, this is going to hurt until we, the fans, get used to them, or until the next round of expansion or subtraction.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
I agree it’s not ideal for the original ACC schools, but for BC, this is a very good development.
Who would you have liked to see over Pitt and Syracuse? West Virginia and Louisville?
Editor, BC Interruption
I have always wanted WVU over Pitt
I don’t see Pitt adding much to anything to the conference. If you live in Pennsylvania and you are a college sports fan then I would like to say its a 95% bet that you are a Penn State fan. Syracuse is a good addition, but just no longer as thrilled about the two new teams joining.
As for developing the Northern Region of the conference, I do think that this is a step in the right direction, and with any luck will make some in roads for the ACC and all its schools in that TV market. I do feel though, that all of this is just leading to more expansion in a few years, and that you could very well see UCONN being added. If that happens, I hope they do grab WVU, they would be a good add on for a Potomac region rivalry. And the vitriol that BC has with UCONN would be fun to watch.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Preservering the status quo
“Swofford said the “overriding factors” in the division assignments were keeping Virginia Tech and Boston College as partners, and rekindling the Boston College-Syracuse and Virginia Tech-Pitt rivalries
This is really Swofford saying that he is preserving the status quo.
If the ACC intends to keep the crossrival concept going — which it does – there were really no good moves that would be acceptable. here (if i remember correctly) are the crossrivals (and the new crossrivaly)
- FSU v UM
- CU v GT
- NCSU v UNC
- MD v UVA
- WF v DU
- BC v VT
- Syr v Pitt
Put Syracuse in Coastal and make the rivals like this?
- BC v. Syracuse
- Pitt v Vtech
or or
- BC v Pitt
- Syr v VT
Persoanlly, i like these approaches, but either one would end the Syracuse v Pitt long-standing rivalry – not desirbale.
what other options are there?
- BC v UVA
- MD v VT
hmmm, not that appealing
- BC v UM
- FSU v VT
I like this! but I doubt FSU, VT or UM like it.
Boston College to the Coastal, Pitt and Syracuse to the Atlantic
Cross-overs: Florida State-Miami, Clemson-Georgia Tech, Pitt-Virginia Tech, Maryland-Virginia, Duke-Wake Forest, N.C. State-North Carolina, BC-Syracuse
Gives BC games against Virginia Tech, Miami (a big one), Syracuse and similar schools like Duke, North Carolina and Virginia. Only thing lost imo is BC’s series with Clemson, which is a loss that is EO approved.
BC then avoids yearly games with FSU, Clemson, N.C. State (artificial TOB rivalry), Maryland (forced rivalry that never came to fruition), Wake Forest and Pitt.
Editor, BC Interruption
i like it
but, really, are the other 11 voting ACC member so interested in doing BC a favor?
apparently not!
You would think that the Coastal teams would be more in favor of this if they aren’t huge fans of the adds, as Pitt and Cuse would only hit campus once every six years.
But like the new ACC hoops schedule, this was set up to get Cuse and Pitt to cycle through as much of the conference as possible to get fans familiar with them, and to change as little as possible.
Still think ACC should have gone Buyers Remorse — Syracuse, Pitt, BC, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland and Miami (or swap out UVA and Maryland for FSU and GT) and OG ACC.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 7, 2012 12:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
ACC Expansion Division
Boston College
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Miami
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Virginia Tech
OG ACC
Duke
Clemson
Maryland
N.C. State
North Carolina
Virginia
Wake Forest
No cross overs as you move all existing rivalries within the division (exception GT-Clemson).
Six against your side and rotating three against the other division.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 7, 2012 12:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Though Mark Warner does not approve of this alignment.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 7, 2012 12:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Strangely enough. I like this set up
Mostly because it puts Clemson in the drivers seat for Charlotte
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
your new BE is too strong compared to OG ACC
conceptually, thought, it is good. Would love to dump Clemson from schedule. GT leaves me flat too. Maybe have Maryland instead of GT
All Maryland does is b*tch about how they don’t get to play Duke and Virginia anymore.
Editor, BC Interruption
Not this MD fan
I wanted Pitt as the crossover for MD. We have it for basketball so why not football.
Because the ACC insisted on keeping the existing divisions and you can’t break up Syracuse-Pitt (67 games all-time).
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 7, 2012 7:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
So I The Rival Stays and VT!
Virginia Tech
Clemson
FSU
Maryland
NC State
Wake Forest
***********
PICK 3..LOL!
***********
Notre Dame
USC
Alabama
THEN RECRUIT!
More like ...
ACC: Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, N.C. State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
ACC (2 of 6): Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia
Non-Conference: Notre Dame, UMass, I-AA
Editor, BC Interruption
Imagine
VT- Rival
FSU
Clemson
NC State
Miami – 2 Coastal
GT -1 Coastal
6 Bowl teams and all getting better!
*
Notre Dame and Pick 2:
USC/Stanford/TCU/Northwestern/Louisville
Bama/Ohio State/Michigan//West Virginia
Hey, we have played and scheduled these teams!!!!!
Then the Atlantic scrubs like we are now: MD, Syr and WF (3)
The toughest schedule in America!
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