There is alot going on behind the scenes that are not in media reports. Miami officials tonight have publicly denied that any decision is forthcoming within the next few days. They allude to the fact that alot depends on what happens with the Big East.

There are STRONG rumours out of South Bend that some sort of arrangement between the Big East and Notre Dame will be worked out. Notre Dame would be hurt if the Big East collapsed, as their bowl tie-ins would be gone. They'd either be a BCS team or have the option of a few low-tier bowls. It's in ND's best interest for the Big East to survive.

At minimum, they will schedule an ongoing series with Miami to keep them in the BE. More likely is BE membership on Notre Dame's terms - meaning they will keep their NBC contract, and they might not play a full schedule of BE teams, so that they can keep traditional rivalries on the schedule.

The word is that if something can be worked out with ND, then PSU - where fans have long been unhappy with Big 10 membership - will be amenable to the Big East, as long as the 5 non-football schools are dropped (something Miami has long wanted anyway).

Why is the ACC acting so rashly and hastily right now? Their hand has been forced. There are major changes on the horizon, and the ACC is acting to defend itself.

Miami is toying with the ACC to get the Big East to act and improve itself, and to drop the 5 non-football schools - which will likely happen.

And then it will be time for the ACC schools to start panicking... because it won't be BC or Syracuse changing leages. The new Big East will want to expand to 12 and hold a championship game, and who are the most likely candidates? CLEMSON AND GA TECH.

Don't be surprised if this is what the Big East ends up looking like:


NORTH

UCONN
Boston College
Syracuse
Rutgers
Penn State
Pitt

SOUTH

Notre Dame
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Miami


This is far from over, and will have far-ranging implications. The 5 non-football schools will merge with Charlotte, Depaul, Marquette, St. Louis, Xavier and Dayton to form a 12 team basketball league with East/West Divisions. Charlotte being in the East with the 5 former BE schools, and the others being in the West.

Then the ACC will be scrambling to add the likes of Louisville and Vanderbilt.

Stay tuned.

I really hope you are right, but I still have a hard time believing that ND would have any need for the BE at all. The Big 10 has such a hard on for the Irish that they might be duped into agreeing to the same thing deal that the Irish has with the BE, so long as the money works out.

Also, Joe Pa has been lobbying the Big 10 to add one of the Big East teams like Pitt or BC, not lobbying the chancellor to leave the Big 10 to head to the Big East.

I do agree that if the BE drops the 5 non-football schools, Miami is likely to stay and at least Clemson would be interested in joining the BE. Like I've stated in other threads, it's a well known fact Clemson is not happy with the BB happy ACC.

I don't understand where GT comes in here, although I'd love to hear it. Are they too unhappy with the ACC, and if so, why? I could see Louisville before GT, but could see both instead of ND.

As a GT grad I'd be extremely surprised, and likely dissappointed if they were to leave the ACC. So long as the conference is in as good a shape, I don't see them leaving.

Clemson I could see, though from what I undertsand their problem is not a desire to leave as much as needing to improve themselves as a candidate/player in these negotiations. Particularly as SC would lobby to keep them from the SEC, Clemson needs conference stability and BCS access right now.

I have to agree with Chevy706 about PSU; They'd rather see the Big 10 add one more than abandon the historic football conference. Ironic considering Loe Pa was the original lobbyist for a big east conference back in the day. It's possible, but all the other peices mentioned have to fall into place first.

That seems to be the crux of all this: The BE FB powers would have to start the dominos for this scenario, which Miami could be doing. But is this really the scenario ND wants, and could it all happen before the ACC makes a formal offer as a counter? When are ND's TV contracts up for negotiations?

"clear" ... fwummmpfh
bbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeepppppp (flat line)

"crank up the power"
"clear" ... fwummmpfh
beeep beep beep

ok, for now, it's still ticking,
.....but how many times can we do this before it's brain is fried?

Well that will never happen. The Big Ten will always treat their members as equals. No one gets special treatment by joining. PSU didn't and ND woudln't.

Bowl & Bid Dance revenue split right down the middle (after a smallish "expense allowance" is given to the particular parcipant in each game). TV revenue right down the middle.

With the #2 TV deals in football (behind SEC) and basketball (behind ACC), and the #1 consortium in research grants in the nation, they don't feel the need to add anything to the cash-heavy package they offer.

"Hard on" seems a little strong, although it is true they are only truly interested in someone of PSU's & ND's stature, given their historic place in NCAA football.

They would take Nebraska in a heartbeat in place of ND, if they offered. Of course there is no reason for the Huskers to do that.

ND would get a much more favorable situation in the Big East - they would basically give them whatever they wanted, ND would have the best of both worlds. And the BE would survive.

Joe Pa has wanted the Big 10 to go to 12, preferably with an Eastern school... but long before that he wanted his "Eastern SUper Conference" - and it may... *MAY*... be a reality.

As for GT, Clemson and GT are both resentful of the power and basically decision-making presence the NC schools possess. Both are "football" schools that would leap to the BE if Miami stays and either ND and/or PSU are joined in some fashion. Louisville is only a viable option if the ACC does in fact take 3 BE teams.

Which won't happen, by the way. Supposedly - according to UVA sources - there was an informal vote this weekend, and only Miami got the required votes. VT, SYR and BC were all voted down by large margins.

not many. It's been vulnerable for years. THAT's why it has been taking steps to shore up its membership. ACC is reacting to events that have already been taking place. They know that if the BE comes together w/ either PSU and/or ND that the ACC would be in serious trouble of losing 2 football schools.

U must be a WV fan drawing on straw again... It aint dead but its on life support. ND will never ever join BE.

Informal vote by who? The ACC AD's, the ACC presidents, or UVa employees?

the BE might be fighting back -

www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/126/sportsMiamiacknowledgesdiscussions+.shtlm

IMO i give this move of "3" to the ACC a 50/50 chance
of happening. there are now reports that NC STATE
may be waivering and vote no.

check out following. click links under subject.

sports.espn.go.com/ncf/index

UM head coach larry coker does not seem to be in
favor of going to the ACC

cqi.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050603/col12468277.sshtml

if the link does not go through put a space between
col and the nrs. also on the boston daily globe link if
it does not go through try and put a space between
the words after sports.

if the 7 votes do not go through and UM remains in the
BE, as i 've said before, i then think that MIAMI has a lot
to say on the future of the BE conf. ie; all sports conf.
(split with BB schools), conf. expansion, etc. i would bet
that ND and the BE are talking now. if the "3" go to the
ACC, then i think that ND can wind up as odd man out,
and they know it. i'm sure that they can cut a loose deal
with the BE, but yet still be in the conf. check out the
ND board. there seems to be a lot of concern there, and
rightfully so.

on the other hand, if swafford does not get the 7 vote
needs, then he is in a weaker position when making
his next FB tv deal. also my guess is that FSU, GT and
CLEMSON would be mighty ticked. it would put the BE
in the potential position of becoming the FB kingpin
on the east coast if they land ND. as to whether they
expand beyond that in the foreseeable future is
anyones guess. remember UM's AD paul dee said that
they want to explore what could be done with the BE.
i don't recall the exact wording, but it says a lot.

ACC presidents. Only Miami got the needed votes, and SYR, VA TECH and BC were voted down.

However: today the ACC commissioner has basically said that "if we don't add 3 schools, the ACC will be history".

And the word is that things have taken a DEFINITE TURN FOR THE WORSE for the Big East.

However, this does not change the fact that the ACC was reacting to moves elsewhere, but it looks like they may have pulled off the move needed to preserve themselves. But nothing is done yet. Just goes to show you how much can change in 24 hours.

www.espn.go.com/main.html

espn main page - might have been yesterdays
go to article by gregg doyel "all about football, money"
and "could devastate big east" by ivan maisel

soulds to me like trained geese better get his tail in
gear and get something done to keep the BE in tack.
if UM's tv marketablility is worth 25 mil, then he'd
better figure out something soon. what has he done
to keep MIAMI happy? seems to me that all he's done
is to try and appease ND. HELLO !!! it's time for trained
geese to stop walking around with his hands in his
pockets and start moving to get something done and
fast. it's time for him to patch the holes in his sinking
ship, pump the water out and get moving full speed
ahead. right now it looks like he's just hoping for a
"no" vote from the ACC (which i think might happen).
i also think that MIAMI just might be looking to throw
it's weight around the BE and force some big changes.
there, i said it. let's see what happens. i think that
there is the possibility of the BE becoming a heavy-
weight all sports conf. with the right leadership, or just
fade away with the status quo.

here's so more articles

3 opposed
www.miami.com/mld/miamihe...802113.htm

www.orlandosentinel.com/s...hurricanes

www.boston.com/dailyglobe...ind+.shtml

will they or won't they? i still give it a 50/50 chance
but leaning more towards a "no" vote at this point.
we might have an indication over this coming weekend,
but most likely we'll have an idea which way this
thing is going by the end of this month. also this whole
thing might just be a ploy by UM to force the BE to move
away from the status quo. let's see.

mooseheadcane, the new NC basketball coach probably has a lot to do with changing of votes. He knows all too well the unbalance basketball schedule issues caused by 12 team formats at Kansas.

The votes may be there, however, I agree with 50/50 chance the ACC will not expand.

Notre Dame is in a very interesting position. Their fans are not being so smug now that Miami has expressed real interest in leaving the BE.

The ACC may want to hold out for Notre Dame and Notre Dame fans are expressing interest in the ACC. Of course this could be a plot to sabotage the ACC expansion plans.

The Pac 10 will never expand unless the Big 10 expands and both really want to maintain the Rose Bowl alignment and have the Rose Bowl taken out of the BCS rotation. I just dont see the Big 10 taking any school other than Notre Dame. If Notre Dame joins the ACC in the future as the 10th team, the Big 10 and Pac 10 may never expand. The ACC basketball schools may be thinking about this possible scenerio as more reason to hold out on the votes.

The Big East football schools need to break away from the bb schools and this should be determined in the BE meetings taking place two weeks in Florida.

There's one I've never heard in the last ten years.
I doubt the existence of an ND contingent in favor of this one. No fan I know spouts this.

The Big Ten has the academics, location & history that match ND's. The Big East has the "catholic connection" the easier ride to the NC and a willingness to kiss some Irish tail.

The ACC only seems to offer a combo of the negatives of the other two: A group of mostly large state universities not similar to the ND mindset (like the Big Ten) that are far away from the school (like the Big East).

And let's face it, even a "new" ACC of Miami, FSU & Syracuse may have some flash, but can't beat the allure of the near-mythic history the MI, OSU, PSU trio provides. You know ND alumni really love history when it comes to football.