Boston College Daily Links: The Realignment Talk Never Ends

Big 12 realignment, playoff plans lead college football Mailbag (SI.com)
Ultimately, FSU should make its decision based on whether the financial gain and increasingly stable leadership of the once-dysfunctional Big 12 outweighs the clunkiness and added expense of sending its basketball team to Stillwater, Okla., on a Monday night. Perhaps the school will decide it's no longer possible in today's climate to be a true national football power in a basketball-centric league. Whatever the case, it should not base the move on access to the national title game. If anything, the 'Noles have a better chance of getting to the playoff from the ACC than they would competing against Texas and Oklahoma every year.

ACC's Swofford Would Be Shocked & Disappointed if FSU, Clemson, & Miami Are Talking to Big 12 (Outkick The Coverage)
Swofford replied: "Yes, it would (surprise him.) I base that on talking to their presidents and their AD’s who have told me that there have been absolutely no contact or conversation with the Big 12. The Big 12 commissioner told me the same thing yesterday. So, yes I find those comments, (chuckling) just one more rumor."

Florida State was supposed to save ACC, but instead it's killing it (CBSSports.com)
One, Florida State football will remain in relative mediocrity. The Seminoles are slowly coming back under Jimbo Fisher, but here's the reality: If you can't dominate in the ACC -- not one team finished last season in the Top 20 -- you can't dominate in the Big 12. Texas, Oklahoma, now Oklahoma State, even Texas Christian ... where does FSU fit in there? Not at the top, I can tell you that. Not an FSU program that has lost eight games in the last two years, including at Wake Forest and at home to Virginia, both last season.

Focusing on Blame Won’t Solve Florida State’s Money Trouble (Chuck Oliver.Net)
More money doesn’t solve problems. Look at the long list of lottery winners or professional athletes who came into piles of cash only to find themselves bankrupt a few short years later. Money can provide opportunities, but its power is neutered without leadership to cast a vision for how to use it and management to properly apply and guard its use.

Texas AD not for expanding, but admits courting Notre Dame (CBSSports.com)
"We could expand to some number," Dodds said. "You name the number -- 12, 14, 16. We could expand but the question is 'do we need to expand?' In my mind, 10 is perfect because you play everybody in football and there is a double-round-robin in basketball. When we get into whatever system we get in for a championship, I think those coaches that play in a conference championship are going to say 'What in the world are we doing?' "

Notre Dame Fighting Irish committed to Big East for Olympic sports, Jack Swarbrick says (ESPN)
"As long as we have an appropriate home for our other sports, that's really important to us. It's not just that the Big East has been such a great home for us in basketball, it's been a platform for us to win national championships in women's soccer. We're headed to the lacrosse final four this weekend. Many of our programs hvae enjoyed their best years ever in the Olympic sports. It's been a pretty good platform."