i think it would be interesting to here from you guys on what the acc should do about their 12th member. my opinion of the matter is that they should get louisville. louisville adds a decent market, excellent hoops, and a rising football program who if given a real bcs opportunity would take the ball and run with it. louisville would cause no problems as it would be seen as an upgrade to bcs status. look at it this way, if kentucky wanted to join the acc dont you think they would be accepted in moment? i do and here you have an opportunity to get the team who beat kentucky in football this year and basketball last year. i would love to hear other thoughts and opinions.

Regarding UL: Many ACC fans, myself included, would love to see this for hoops reasons. Regrettably I don't think this will happen because a) the BE is already courting UL and is considering adding UC (UL's longtime rival) as well, and b) UL's academic profile is substantially below-par compared to the ACC schools.

I'm in the camp that suggests that any school can be quite good given the proper support and guidance, and also recognize that UL is supplying a different education market than the ACC schools. If every school were a GT, than GT wouldn't be so special( ;D), so to speak. And if the ACC were trying to enhance their academic model, there's something to be said about the concept for helping a modest comprehensive urban school develop into a truly credible instituion. Alas, it will not happen unless...

The ACC (VERY QUICKLY) scans the field of prospective candidates and realizes that the pickings are indeed slim (understatement). Then, in a moment of clarity that has been rare as of late, they notice the value of the economic and cultural sides of the equation and understand that UL, and perhaps only UL, would give the ACC exactly everything it wants but the academics. With a gun to their heads, I suggest every president would take UL over ECU, Temple, Tulane, or any other non-BCS school. Their football is a credible addition, their basketball a huge asset keeping the ACC ahead of the BE in national perspective (possibly), more ACC/SEC rivalry, etc. And Cardinal fans would travel to Carolina for ACC events. Adding UL would balance the financial side such that everything else could be addressed in due course. Other candidates would/will leave at least a mild, sour taste for a while.

Perhaps the ACC, or select members of their leadership, either assumed they would get SU and BC or were edged into thinking that way as given little lee way from Miami. As such, UL was never truly considered in their original plans and the ACC has yet to regroup and properly consider them.

What should the ACC do? At this point, I honestly don't know, except to say act quickly, unanimously, and with depth of vision for the future.

Frankly, the best combination of facilities, academics, & geography is Rutgers. They would make a nice partner for Maryland - only a few hours up I-95. In time their programs will become more competitive. Of course I would prefer that the ACC take Temple

Rutgers clearly fits the academic profile, and provides a presence in the NYC market.

what if another school ends up taking cincinattis place as a big east football school. its been speculated that not all big east schools are thrilled with cincinatti due to their reputation. would louisville go to the big east without cincinatti or would they wait and see what the acc does because its becoming more and more apparent that there is not a lot to chose from. i dont think another big east school would leave, especially with the lawsuit looming and the bad publicity it would garner, and i sincerely doubt an sec school would leave considering how the sec is number one in conference revenue. that leaves cusa schools and temple. my pick goes w/ the cards.

Everything I've read out of Louisville indicates that they have no reservations about going to the Big East. So I expect that they will go to the Big East regardless of what Cincinnati does. I also expect that if the ACC came knocking, that they would go there instead, although there have been no official comments from them about this option.

the acc should wake up and realize what they are about to throw away and how little options there really are.

A good point. Pick your #12 now, be done with expansion, take the flack that carries over from the summer, and let a few years go by and allow the grudges to come into perspective and diminish; and get on with scheduling and organizing the championship game which they wanted in the first place. The "ideal" pick is just not there/available.

now i believe the ball is in the acc's and bc's court. will the acc extend an invite to bc, the "ideal" candidate, and if invited will they accept. should be an interesting couple of weeks. i believe that the acc knows that they need to beat the big east's november 4th deadline because once the big east stablizes the only options left are temple and a depleted cusa.

For 90 million plus the acc can have miami,votech and bc.That is the price the acc corruption.

we do not know what goes on behind closed doors. i would imagine that Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and Depaul have already been told they are being invited. My feeling that is that Louisville even if the ACC called would stick with the Big East. I think Rick Pitino would rather be in a Northeastern based conference and i imagine he has a say in what they do. Also there is the plus of having Notre Dame in the conference. Coach Pitino has already said he would love to be able recruit with the promise of a Big East tournament in MSG. I really think the ACC will be stuck with a school like Temple, East Carolina, Tulane, or maybe Vanderbilt.

What the ACC should do, and perhaps should have done first, is invite Louisville (then VT...) and come to a better understanding of the economics of true regionalsim. I'm all for the academic consortium they're pursuing, but that can be done in cooperation with, but independent from, the athletic side, and the ACC needs a UL to make the money work out. IMO.

What they will do is gauge the reults of their law suit with the BE schools, then pursue as quick and painless a marriage with BC as possible. As a private school BC will be more successful as an "island" geographically apart from the bulk of the conference than say Memphis or UConn. Their economic development endeavors will cater to the internal research side rather than the more community oriented industrial development fostered through state schools, and the academic partnership forged with the ACC schools will broaden their appeal throughout the East Coast. (Trying to horn in on ND's national image, perhaps?)

I like the school, and I love Boston. I pray this all works out and that the BE still prospers no matter what. And, not that I expect it, but in the odd event that the BE does somehow suffer and there is a future for a 14 school conference, the ACC is in position to make it work.

but if this lawsuit goes in favor of the big east, then the acc is in deep trouble.