It's really true. Pretty much all the ACC (and Big ten, and SEC, etc) are like the Pirates... basically compensated to act as whipping boys for the serious programs. Because in the end, there has to be 12 football games, there have to be 162 baseball games, yet Ohio State can't play ONLY Michigan or PSU, Clemson can't ONLY play FSU, Alabama ONLY Auburn, the Red Sox can't ONLY play the Yankees etc (though the latter certainly feels like the case during baseball season).
The sports leagues need plenty of willing paid off stooges to pad the win totals for the real teams, to set up the drama of Rivalry Week.
Pitt is apparently happy to suck for money. Like many as you say. But year after year, more and more of our fans are losing interest, seemingly at a greater rate than schools in places where there's less going on. As we repeat seasons of 6-6, 5-7, occasionally 7 wins but no more, etc ... never sniffing the top 15, let alone playoff... our 30,000 crowds inevitably will shrink ... to 20, 15, 10 ... for most games. It's already happening. Last year's non PSU crowds were the sparsest I remember.
I know, TV deals have made attendance little more than gravy. But how long is that tenable? The ACC eventually must have a low bar we can't sink below, like Temple and the Big East ... doesn't it?
