BC Interruption - ACC Announces Grant Of Rights AgreementA Boston College Eagles Community.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47285/bci-fave.png2013-04-23T13:30:37-04:00http://www.bcinterruption.com/rss/stream/40176012013-04-23T13:30:37-04:002013-04-23T13:30:37-04:00Big Ten Looking At Vanderbilt?
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<p>#goB1G</p> <p>It's over for now. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2013/4/23/4256822/big-ten-vanderbilt-expansion-conference-realignment">Or is it</a> ...</p>
<p>Cue ominous music.</p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2013/4/23/4257456/report-big-ten-expansion-vanderbilt-oklahoma-kansasBrian F.2013-04-23T09:00:07-04:002013-04-23T09:00:07-04:00ACC Grant Of Rights: Now What?
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>With the conference's immediate future secure, what are the next moves for #NinjaSwoff and the ACC?</p> <p>OK, now that the Atlantic Coast Conference has secured its future through 2027 and the conference will move forward with 15 members, what now?</p>
<p>1. <b>Division realignment.</b> It's not too late, you guys.</p>
<p>The Big Ten is set to fix a three year mistake. Know how I know it is, in fact, a three year mistake? The conference brass leaked the story last Friday during the Boston Marathon bombing suspect manhunt. R.I.P. "Legends" and "Leaders." So it appears that the Big Ten will leave the ACC holding the bag as the only conference with divisions that don't make sense and division names that make less sense than the division alignment.</p>
<p>In aligning along geographic east/west lines and thinking of the least common denominator fan who can't keep divisions with meaningless division names straight, the Big Ten signaled a couple of things. One is that geography matters. Two is that competitive balance does not. Three is that scheduling flexibility matters. Instead of opting for protected rivalries, the only protected cross-division rivalry is the Old Oaken Bucket -- the barnburner! -- giving every NOT Purdue NOT Indiana program as much flexibility as possible to cycle through the teams on the other side.</p>
<p>Some argue that the Big Ten West -- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin -- <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cornnation.com/2013/4/21/4249174/big-ten-going-east-west-in-2014-nine-game-conference-football">is every bit as strong as the Big Ten East</a> -- Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers -- yet that argument loses all credibility the second one starts discussing Northwestern as the third best program in the West, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Much like the Big Ten, the ACC gets a second chance to fix an eight year mistake. Take the lead from the Big Ten here. Scrap "Atlantic" and "Coastal" and move to a North/South alignment, competitive balance be damned. Give programs as much flexibility as possible in playing teams from the other side by using a select few cross-divisional permanent rivalries.</p>
<p>This can be achieved in one of three ways:</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516963/acc-north-south.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516963/acc-north-south_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Acc-north-south_medium"></a></p>
<p><b>Option 1: Screw Wake</b></p>
<p>Most North / South alignments bantered about have Wake Forest in the North because ... Wake Forest. The cross-division rivalry that must be perserved here is North Carolina-Virginia. Both programs hate this alignment for this very reason, by the way.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516995/acc-big-east-acc.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516995/acc-big-east-acc_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Acc-big-east-acc_medium"></a></p>
<p><b>Option 2: Buyers Remorse</b></p>
<p>This option sticks all the former Big East programs -- and Virginia -- together in one division that's <i>almost</i> geographically appropriate. The lone exception Miami is in the North but would have a protected cross-over with Florida State, ensuring the possibility of that Florida State-Miami ACC Championship Game we are still waiting on. Also ensures that every program gets at least one game in Florida every other year which I'm told is important for recruiting (though I'm not sure if there are still daily flights from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to Florida. I'm pretty sure there are.).</p>
<p>The league would also have to protect UNC-UVa here. The rest would rotate. The Carolina schools should be happy.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2517003/acc-football-other-stuff.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2517003/acc-football-other-stuff_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Acc-football-other-stuff_medium"></a></p>
<p><b>Option 3: 'Suposed To Be SEC</b></p>
<p>Why not just throw all the southern football schools together and have one big SOS fest? The two rivalries you'd have to protect are UNC-UVa and Virginia-Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Personally I prefer the North/South alignment but don't hate the "Big East"/"ACC" one either.</p>
<p><b>2. ACC Network</b></p>
<p>The announcement of the league's grant of rights agreement and the exploration of whether an ACC Network similar to the Big Ten, Pac-12 and (soon) SEC are not unrelated activities. The conference first needed to stabilize before they could really go to ESPN pitching the idea of a 24-hour TV network. I doubt ESPN had any interest in starting up a television network with a league that was perceived to be on the verge of imploding as soon as Maryland and the ACC's lawyers settle.</p>
<p>I'm not wholly convinced this is the greatest idea given uncertainty around the cable television economic model. But if it makes sense financially and helps to plug the gap between the ACC and the other four power conferences, at least in the short term, it's probably worth pursuing.</p>
<p><b>3. Nine-Game Conference Schedule</b></p>
<p>I'd imagine the idea of playing a nine-game conference schedule will come back on the table, even with the deal to play Notre Dame five times a year. This is related to point #2. If the conference is serious about starting its own TV network, they're gonna need more inventory. The programs that were the biggest detractors of this idea are starting to schedule tougher anyway. Clemson has two BCS AQ opponents a year on the schedule for each of the next three seasons:</p>
<p>2013: Georgia, at South Carolina<br>2014: at Georgia, South Carolina<br>2015: at South Carolina, Notre Dame</p>
<p>Florida State trades in a 2013 non-conference schedule of Nevada and Idaho (but that would have included West Virginia, mind you) for Oklahoma State (in Arlington, Texas) and Notre Dame.</p>
<p>If the league can fit a nine-game conference schedule around the needs of Florida State and Clemson (at SEC rivals in odd numbered years) and Georgia Tech (at Georgia in even numbered years) by working the home/road splits to ensure at least seven home games a year, school officials should again take a hard look at the nine-game conference schedule. The Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten are already there and it only seems a matter of time before the SEC, with the launch of its own television network, follows suit. Just the way everyone else is headed. Might as well get in line.</p>
<p><b>4. Scrap FBS vs. FCS games </b></p>
<p>This goes back to optimizing the leagues own television revenue. Again, the ACC should follow the Big Ten's lead in saying no to the body bag games. It only helps improve the inventory of games for the conference's TV network and improves strength of schedule. No one is going to miss that Florida State-Savannah State game that went to running clock in the second half because the Noles put such a hurtin' on the Tigers.</p>
<p><b>5. Secure The Conference's Bowl Tie-Ins</b></p>
<p>The Big 12 wants a greater postseason presence in Florida and <a target="_blank" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12-wants-minor-bowl-153345147--ncaaf.html">get into more bowls that its fans can reach by car</a>. Don't we all? The ACC should be no different. The conference hasn't done the greatest job in making some of these bowl tie-ins accessible to fans and alumni with destinations as far-flung as El Paso, Boise and San Francisco. Making bowls more accessible to fans becomes even more important in light of declining bowl attendance and fan bases fatigued by going to 12 straight bowl games in far-off locales like Tempe, Honolulu, San Francisco, Boise, San Francisco and San Francisco.</p>
<p>We know that the conference champ will have a spot in the Orange Bowl, but conference brass should turn to the second-tier bowls to shore up desirable and accessible locations for fans. Make a run at the Pinstripe Bowl for BC, Syracuse and Pitt fans. Work to move bowl tie-ins with San Francisco and El Paso closer to the conference's geographic footprint.</p>
<p><b>6. Conference Championship Game to Campus?</b></p>
<p>Charlotte has been a fine host for the ACC Championship Game after the failed Florida experiment. My first preference would be to keep the game in Charlotte permanently to build up some brand equity similar to the SEC title game in Atlanta. The city of Charlotte is set to pump <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9199272/carolina-panthers-stadium-renovations-vote">some $87 million worth of renovations</a> into the not-that-old stadium.</p>
<p>If the conference starts to look elsewhere, it may want to take a look at holding the conference championship game on the campus of the team with the better record / higher ranking. I'd also look into alternate time slots to hold the conference championship game. This game simply can't go head-to-head against the Big Ten title game or a de facto Big 12 title game and expect to get decent ratings.</p>
<p><b>7. Equal Revenue Sharing</b></p>
<p>Non-negotiable. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tomahawknation.com/2013/4/22/4253148/florida-state-acc-grant-of-rights-notre-dame-fsu">Florida State tho</a>. I've seen some arguments that TV revenue should be evenly split but that bowl revenue should be given to teams that make the postseason more often but it's a slippery slope. Do you also then start to pay out NCAA Tournament credits based on postseason success and appearances? Short of a national television network through ESPN, what about rewarding those schools who will bring more to the table in terms of media markets and getting a fledgling cable TV network carriage on cable providers? Different programs bring different things to the table and unless you want to get all math'y and figure out the exact formula for which programs bring what table to the table, sharing everything equally is the only way to go.</p>
<p>Don't like it? Leave the conference. Oh wait ...</p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/acc-expansion-syracuse-pittsburgh-louisville-notre-dame/2013/4/23/4254722/acc-expansion-grant-of-rights-florida-state-clemson-virginia-tech-miamiBrian F.2013-04-22T23:28:03-04:002013-04-22T23:28:03-04:00BC's Reaction To The ACC Grant Of Rights
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<p>#goacc</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1569905/ibfku3CFBs3tLt.gif"><img alt="Ibfku3cfbs3tlt_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1569905/ibfku3CFBs3tLt_medium.gif"></a></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2013/4/22/4255412/acc-grant-of-rights-agreement-boston-collegeBrian F.2013-04-22T15:58:42-04:002013-04-22T15:58:42-04:00More Details On The ACC's Grant Of Rights
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<p>#goacc</p> <p>CBS Sports' Jeremy Fowler has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/jeremy-fowler/22116192/acc-eyeing-grant-of-rights-deal">more details</a> on the ACC's recently announced grant of rights. Let's get to it:</p>
<p>-- The deal lasts the duration of the league's contract with ESPN, through 2026-27. </p>
<p>-- Starting July 1, the ACC's annual media rights intake per school will surpass $20 million, according to a league source. That's not Big Ten money but it's certainly starting to close the gap with the other power conferences. </p>
<p>--There is a relationship between the announcement of the GOR and the ACC's push for a 24-hour channel not unlike the Big Ten, SEC or Pac-12's TV networks. The league is still evaluating whether this makes sense, but if the ACC was able to start its own TV network, that would go even further to putting the conference on par with the rest of the power conferences. </p>
<p>-- Despite Twitter speculation to the contrary, the announcement of the league's GOR probably has no bearing on the ongoing litigation between the ACC and the University of Maryland. </p>
<p>Let's go to the ACC threat advisory level:</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2515773/acc-threat-advisory.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2515773/acc-threat-advisory_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Acc-threat-advisory_medium"></a></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2013/4/22/4253578/acc-grant-of-rights-florida-state-clemson-notre-dame-syracuse-pittsburgh-louisvilleBrian F.2013-04-22T14:30:22-04:002013-04-22T14:30:22-04:00ACC Announces Grant Of Rights
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<figcaption>Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>You are stuck with us, Florida State.</p> <p><a href="http://www.theacc.com/genrel/042213aaa.html" target="_blank">Officially official</a>.</p>
<p>The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents announced today that each of the current and future 15-member institutions has signed a grant of media rights, effective immediately.</p>
<p>"This announcement further highlights the continued solidarity and commitment by our member institutions," said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "The Council of Presidents has shown tremendous leadership in insuring the ACC is extremely well positioned with unlimited potential."</p>
<p>"The ACC has long been a leader in intercollegiate athletics, both academically and athletically," said the collective ACC Council of Presidents. "Collectively, we all agree the grant of rights further positions the ACC and its current and future member schools as one of the nation's premier conferences."</p>
<p>The ACC's current and future 15-member institutions include: <br>Boston College<br>Clemson University<br>Duke University<br>Florida State University<br>Georgia Institute of Technology<br>University of Louisville<br>University of Miami<br>University of North Carolina<br>North Carolina State University<br>University of Notre Dame<br>University of Pittsburgh<br>Syracuse University<br>University of Virginia<br>Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University<br>Wake Forest University</p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/acc-expansion-syracuse-pittsburgh-louisville-notre-dame/2013/4/22/4253260/acc-announces-grant-of-rightsBrian F.2013-04-22T13:23:01-04:002013-04-22T13:23:01-04:00ACC Announces Grant Of Rights Agreement
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<figcaption>Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The ACC has apparently reached a media deal similar to the one that ended talk of Big 12 realignment, ensuring the league's stability at least for the next while.</p> <p>According to ACC Sports Journal's David Glenn, the ACC is set to announce a 15-school Grant of Rights agreement that would help ensure greater conference stability.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>BREAKING: Multiple DG sources says ACC will announce unanimous 15 school agreement extending Grant of Media Rights</p>
— David Glenn Show (@DavidGlennShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidGlennShow/status/326379035754106880">April 22, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
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<p>Glenn's initial report was later <a href="https://twitter.com/JFowlerCBS/status/326383661815566336" target="_blank">confirmed by CBS Sports' Jeremy Fowler</a>, with league presidents clearing this with each's legal departments as a next step. The ACC's Grant of Rights will extend through the conclusion of ESPN TV Deal (the 2026-2027 season).</p>
<p>What is a "grant of rights" you may ask? Essentially, a grant of rights is a contract between member schools and the conference pledging the school's media rights to conference for a number of year should a school leave the conference. The Big Ten, Big 12 and PAC-12 all have similar agreements in place. The grant of rights agreement makes it more difficult for existing members to leave the conference without giving up their media rights.</p>
<p>Just like any other contract, however, a grant of rights can be broken and challenged in court.</p>
<p>While a grant of rights contract can ultimately be broken, this is yet another mechanism, along with exit fees, that promotes conference stability and makes it more difficult for teams to leave the conference. At the very least, GOR agreements promote the <i>perception</i> of conference stability, which may be as important as <i>actual</i> stability in the high-stakes game of major program musical chairs.</p>
<p>Also important to note that the Big Ten, the conference currently seen to be the biggest threat to ACC stability, also has a grant of rights agreement in place. Should the conference be successful in luring schools like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State into the fold, they would have to successfully argue against the ACC's grant of rights while upholding their own. I'm no lawyer but this sounds ... difficult.</p>
<p>This is yet another step in the right direction in terms of stabilizing the conference and protecting from raids by the Big Ten, Big 12 and/or SEC. With Notre Dame <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/22097487/notre-dame-extends-television-deal-with-nbc-through-2025" target="_blank">extending its TV deal with NBC through 2025</a>, thus making full ACC membership for the Irish unlikely, it would appear that conference realignment may just be slowing down to the point where we reach a temporary equilibrium for the major conferences. Never say never, but things seem to be slowly stabilizing.</p>
<p>What will West Virginia bloggers do all summer now?</p>
<p>UPDATE: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bcinterruption.com/acc-expansion-syracuse-pittsburgh-louisville-notre-dame/2013/4/22/4253260/acc-announces-grant-of-rights">Officially official</a>. NinjaSwofford does it again.</p>
<p><i>More from SB Nation.com <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/4/22/4252900/acc-media-rights-deal-conference-realignment#157855971" target="_blank">on the ACC's Grant of Rights here</a>.</i></p>
https://www.bcinterruption.com/acc-expansion-syracuse-pittsburgh-louisville-notre-dame/2013/4/22/4252892/acc-set-to-announce-grant-of-rights-agreementBrian F.