If the Big Ten/SEC goal of getting to 20-24 teams is true, I maintain that the ACC's best plan is to just get there first. Get big, renegotiate the TV deal (taking huge liberties here as I have no idea how that works), and kill the other two conferences.
I'm not happy about having to pick from the scraps of the other two P5 conferences, but it's the only shot.
In this scenario, you'd have 6 pods of 4 teams. It maintains regional rivalries as much as possible (unfortunately killing in-state rivalries out west, but that has already happened to most of the country).
Pitt
WVU
Cincinnati
Louisville
BC
Syracuse
UVA
VT
UNC
NC State
Duke
Wake
GT
Clemson
FSU
Miami
OK State
Kansas
Houston
Baylor
Washington
Oregon
Stanford
Utah/Arizona
Continue some arrangement with ND and obviously find a way to get them in if they ever want to join.
I think this conference even is able to survive losing some members. UCF and USF to replace the Florida schools. Appalachian St to replace a loss in the Carolinas.
In my opinion, the SEC and Big Ten would struggle to exclude that group of 24 from a new expanded playoff. TV money would be much lower than the big two superconferences, but I think you'd stay competitive (unless the Big Ten and SEC kick out members like Rutgers and Vanderbilt and poach mid-tier schools from the new ACC).
I'm not happy about having to pick from the scraps of the other two P5 conferences, but it's the only shot.
In this scenario, you'd have 6 pods of 4 teams. It maintains regional rivalries as much as possible (unfortunately killing in-state rivalries out west, but that has already happened to most of the country).
Pitt
WVU
Cincinnati
Louisville
BC
Syracuse
UVA
VT
UNC
NC State
Duke
Wake
GT
Clemson
FSU
Miami
OK State
Kansas
Houston
Baylor
Washington
Oregon
Stanford
Utah/Arizona
Continue some arrangement with ND and obviously find a way to get them in if they ever want to join.
I think this conference even is able to survive losing some members. UCF and USF to replace the Florida schools. Appalachian St to replace a loss in the Carolinas.
In my opinion, the SEC and Big Ten would struggle to exclude that group of 24 from a new expanded playoff. TV money would be much lower than the big two superconferences, but I think you'd stay competitive (unless the Big Ten and SEC kick out members like Rutgers and Vanderbilt and poach mid-tier schools from the new ACC).
