If Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver has its way, the ACC would ink a football scheduling partnership with the soon-to-be symmetrical SEC. Working around long-standing ACC-SEC rivalries Florida State-Florida, Clemson-South Carolina and Georgia Tech-Georgia, Weaver's idea is for the remaining 11 schools in both conferences to rotate home-and-home series.
A complete scheduling cycle would take 22 years, which is an eternity in college football. When the scheduling cycle would finally complete, Virginia Tech and N.C. State would be in the SEC, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke and Maryland in the Big Ten, Florida State and Clemson in the Big 12, UConn in the ACC and Boston College in the MAC.
I give Weaver credit. It's an intriguing idea to be sure, but not a particularly unique one. It's also the type of scheduling arrangement that would face significant hurdles to ever having a chance of getting off the ground.
With a move to nine conference games starting next season, I'm not sure ACC programs with other non-conference, non-SEC scheduling obligations would be interested in tying up another slot on the schedule with a major conference opponent. The SEC, meanwhile, is staying at an eight game conference schedule. An uneven number of conference games between the Pac-12 (9 games) and Big Ten (8) was one of the main factors that would up killing a similar scheduling partnership last month.
I'm also not sure whether a program like Boston College would have any interest in such a scheduling arrangement. The money might be good. As would the exposure. But a program like BC shares little in common with the SEC -- both in terms of shared history and tradition. Of the SEC's 14 programs, BC has never faced four of them -- Arkansas, Mississippi State, Missouri and South Carolina. Though it is worth noting that BC has a losing record all-time vs. just three of 14 SEC programs -- Tennessee (2-8), Ole Miss (0-3-1) and LSU (0-2) -- so it's not like the Eagles haven't be competitive with the SEC (even if a majority of those games were played before 1960).
My guess is BC, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and perhaps Maryland kill this idea on the spot, preferring to schedule non-SEC BCS AQ opponents -- Notre Dame, Penn State, West Virginia -- over teams from the SEC. Other programs like Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest likely wouldn't appreciate the extra loss a season and fewer home games, either.
Dare to dream, Mr. Weaver. Dare to dream. But this ain't happening any time soon.
After the jump, a look at Boston College's all-time records vs. the SEC.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Series: Boston College leads 3-1
First Meeting: Alabama 37, Boston College 21 (1943 Orange Bowl)
Last Meeting: Boston College 38, Alabama 31 (1984)
Streak: Won 3
Auburn Tigers
Series: Boston College leads 2-1
First Meeting: Boston College 13, Auburn 7 (1939)
Last Meeting: Auburn 33, Boston College 26 (1982 Tangerine Bowl)
Streak: Lost 1
Florida Gators
Series: Series tied at 1-1
First Meeting: Boston College 38, Florida 0 (1938)
Last Meeting: Florida 7, Boston College 0 (1939)
Georgia Bulldogs
Series: Series tied at 2-2
First Meeting: Georgia 19, Boston College 7 (1950)
Last Meeting: Boston College 20, Georgia 16 (2001 Music City Bowl)
Streak: Won 2
Kentucky Wildcats
Series: Boston College leads 1-0
Only Meeting: Boston College 13, Kentucky 0 (1937)
LSU Tigers
Series: LSU leads 2-0
First Meeting: LSU 14, Boston College 13 (1947)
Last Meeting: LSU 42, Boston College 6 (1953)
Mississippi Rebels
Series: Mississippi leads 3-0-1
First Meeting: Mississippi 32, Boston College 13 (1948)
Last Meeting: Mississippi 34, Boston College 7 (1951)
Streak: Lost 2
Tennessee Volunteers
Series: Tennessee leads 8-2
First Meeting: Boston College 19, Tennesse 13 (1941 Sugar Bowl)
Last Meeting: Tennessee 38, Boston College 23 (1993 Hall of Fame Bowl)
Streak: Lost 2
Texas A&M Aggies
Series: Boston College leads 3-1
First Meeting: Boston College 32, Texas A&M 24 (1973)
Last Meeting: Boston College 38, Texas A&M 16 (1982)
Streak: Won 2
Vanderbilt Commodores
Series: Boston College leads 2-1
First Meeting: Boston College 27, Vanderbilt 22 (1962)
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14 (2008 Music City Bowl)
Streak: Lost 1