What should be Pitt's strategy in conference realignment?

[Phillypanther2]

I apologize if it came off as me calling them alarmists, because that wasn’t my intention. Heck, I’m in the same boat as you. We really don’t know what’s going to happen, although I have to think we’ll be OK in the end.

You didn’t come of that way. I was talking about the people that are sure the ACC is in a good place with a secure future, and people are just overreacting to a few people making stuff up trying to get hits on social media.
Honestly, if 4 years from now the ACC was exactly the same as it is now it wouldn’t surprise me. If 4 years from now, Clemson, FSU, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and a few others were gone from the ACC it wouldn’t surprise me either.
I just hope we don’t end up in an ACC that looks something like this:
Pitt, Syracuse, BC, UCONN, Temple, Marshall, Villanova, Navy, WF, NC St.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Just feels like there is so little upside for Pitt in the Big12.

I think it would actually be an opportunity in Pitt's ability to consistently win or be at the top of the league.

Its a long time, so who knows if he would still be around, but I could absolutely see HCPN win what the league would look like a couple times easily. If its life after him, it is contingent on whoever comes next, but again, better chance to win the league or be considered one of the top programs in the league than the SEC or B10.

As long as it has an avenue to the college playoffs, to get into them and legitimize the conference, there are worse things in life than being a big fish in a smaller pond.

 

[PittPharm2002]

They won't do anything proactive, but if we could pretend for a minute, what 'should' they do?

I think that the Big Ten potentially adding southern schools like FSU, Clemson and Miami could present an opportunity for Pitt. Would the SEC feel like they have to respond by adding schools outside of their current footprint? And if so, who would they target? Pitt could be a candidate considering they are in the BIG's footprint.

I guess the ideal scenario would be if FSU and Clemson leave, pay the exit fee to the ACC schools, Pitt gets it's share, and then leaves a broken conference for less than what FSU and Clemson had to fork over.

If we had torch cut letters and Dinocat we’d be in the B10 instead of the acc

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

I think it would actually be an opportunity in Pitt's ability to consistently win or be at the top of the league.

Its a long time, so who knows if he would still be around, but I could absolutely see HCPN win what the league would look like a couple times easily. If its life after him, it is contingent on whoever comes next, but again, better chance to win the league or be considered one of the top programs in the league than the SEC or B10.

As long as it has an avenue to the college playoffs, to get into them and legitimize the conference, there are worse things in life than being a big fish in a smaller pond.

Yes. As long as it has an avenue to the playoffs. That’s the key.

Otherwise, who cares which conference or what it is called. The tradition and rivalries of college football are long destroyed anyway.

But whatever we are in, it must have that access to the playoff

 

[BigChungus90210]

Yeah, I get the feeling that pretty much everyone else in that league can't stand PSU. If they tried to block us, that might be our golden ticket.

Having said that, I'd rather be in the Big 12 with WVU, Cincy and PAC and ACC leftovers than the B10.

They wouldn't have to block Pitt. There's no way the other Presidents & ADs would admit us based on the financials alone.

 

[forbesfield]

Yes. As long as it has an avenue to the playoffs. That’s the key.

Otherwise, who cares which conference or what it is called. The tradition and rivalries of college football are long destroyed anyway.

But whatever we are in, it must have that access to the playoff

Without playoff access, recruiting becomes impossible.

 

[Jeffburgh]

If FSU is going to pay a buyout of $300M+, and other schools (e.g., Clemson, North Carolina) do so as well, would it be best to just stay put in the ACC and reap the buyout distributions while backfilling the vacant memberships? I’m sure they’d have to determine the short/long-term financials.

Who do the "backfill" with?

They clearly are not going to make the big move to become bicoastal.

So what programs east of the Mississippi do they bring into replace the loss of any of schools like Clemson, FSU or even North Carolina?

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Without playoff access, recruiting becomes impossible.

Few here seem to realize that the entire program becomes untenable without continued playoff access.

As I say, I have no affinity or affection for the ACC, most of them have never accepted Pitt (or the other yankee members) and are now actively looking to screw us. FSU is merely being vocal about what the others think and intend to do.

Their football refs (as ordered) regularly and actively cheat us against the southern teams (witness the 2021 Miami game, which was a travesty). Our basketball program / recruiting has been destroyed by being in the ACC (granted that’s significantly on the awful coaches).

We have never belonged there. We should have been in the B10 going back to the 1930s. Getting into the ACC salvaged our football program for 20 years, nothing more nothing less.

So F the ACC, as long as Pitt is safe wherever we land, I don’t welcome but won’t feel the least bit remorse at the conference’s destruction.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Who do the "backfill" with?

They clearly are not going to make the big move to become bicoastal.

So what programs east of the Mississippi do they bring into replace the loss of any of schools like Clemson, FSU or even North Carolina?

If we’re unable to attract Big 12 schools, I’d guess the most likely candidates would be South Florida, UConn, and Navy.

Obviously none of those schools would actually replace the value that Clemson, FSU, and UNC bring, and I think viewing it that way would be missing the point. IMO, you’d backfill to have enough teams to keep the ACC TV contract intact and secure an AQ bid as one of the top six conference champions while being able to reap the cash divided out to existing members from the buyouts. That could at least keep us financially competitive for the immediate future.

If three leave, perhaps we just invite one because I’d imagine adding those three versus just one would actually decease the per-school media distribution.

 

[Jeffburgh]

If we’re unable to attract Big 12 schools, I’d guess the most likely candidates would be South Florida, UConn, and Navy.

Obviously none of those schools would actually replace the value that Clemson, FSU, and UNC bring, and I think viewing it that way would be missing the point. IMO, you’d backfill to have enough teams to keep the ACC TV contract intact and secure an AQ bid as one of the top six conference champions while being able to reap the cash divided out to existing members from the buyouts. That could at least keep us financially competitive for the immediate future.

If three leave, perhaps we just invite one because I’d imagine adding those three versus just one would actually decease the per-school media distribution.

The problem is, when the media contract opens up back up, the ACC will be lucky to maintain the revenue that they currently have with what they will lose and what they will bring in.

It also greatly diminishes the on ramp to the playoffs.

 

[Pitt1992]

They offered Oregon and Washington 40mill a year to be in the BIG,if that’s all they would get I can’t imagine Pitt would even get that,these conferences only care about the tv market

 

[HailToPitt725]

The problem is, when the media contract opens up back up, the ACC will be lucky to maintain the revenue that they currently have with what they will lose and what they will bring in.

It also greatly diminishes the on ramp to the playoffs.

No doubt, I agree with you there. If/when the ACC gets poached, staying on a sinking ship would hopefully be temporary until we got an invite to the Big Ten, SEC, or Big 12. It’d at least stop the bleeding momentarily.

 

[Parkview57]

Other than that, we have to bank on the SEC going against their current expansion strategy

Not so fast my friend! Way back in the thread the concept of one of the most admired woman in the nation as far as Athletic Administration in higher education is concerned, whom has B10 ties btw, currently crusades for P-I-T-T. Do not discount her status as it relates to diversity and prestige, call me a wokaphobe if you like, but there will be those in charge, some where in this process who will at least hear her out, money be damned.