Pulling from footballgod's thread about running the SEC, what would you do if you were given the keys to the conference. Do you keep the staus quo? Are teams evicted? Are teams brought in? What is the logic behind your decisions?

Feel free to question others' decisions, but don't be a wimp --- put your own ideas up first!

1. Send Florida State to the SEC give a standing invitation to Florida Tech as soon as they upgrade to Division 1.

2. Send Boston College back to the Big East and give a standing invitation to Delaware.

This all depends on the Big 10 network. If the Big 10 network takes off (meaning Time Warner and Comcast sign off on having on basic cable network):

1 - I make another run at ND, although, I think that the Big 10 would be NDs first choice

2 - I consider two of the three schools in the NYC area - UConn, SU, and RU for expansion to 14. With the Big 10 network taking off AND on basic cable, the NE TV market is the last TV market that is divided. This would help to unify it. These schools would also provid e a link in the conference between BC and Maryland and are good academic schools.

Panther,I agree with your assessment that the BE NY area schools should/could be the next target of any future ACC expansion.
However,regarding the timing of expansion,it would be most likely be well after the ACC had started and operated it's own conference tv network.The earliest it could even start would be in the 2010-2011 school year.Stay tuned.
Thanks
Freaked

I would swap Boston College for South Florida.

My logic behind this move is a belief that John Swofford was on the right track but needed work on the strategy to move the ACC up in the college football world. Keep in mind that this move is something done today and not a "if we could do it all over again", scenario- no time machines or time warps, in other words.

I have nothing against BC as it is a fine institution with great academics and sports, but there are some drawbacks. Despite success in recent years, both in the ACC and the Big East, BC failed to draw a large crowd to the ACCCG in Jax. This is bad news for those thinking that BC would bring a large net of fans given the success of sports in a major east coast city. Just the opposite. BC-like Miami, does not travel well and that is exactly what the ACC was looking to avoid in the first place.

Yes, we are a mobile society, but you will still get more fans in the seats if you can drive to the venue as opposed to taking a flight out of Logan. BC would probably improve its travelling stats if they had away games in Connecticut, New Jersy and Syracuse as opposed to South Carolina.

As for South Florida, most of my fellow Miami fans would argue against having USF in the ACC. I can understand the problems it would creat in recruiting but it also has benefits. From the ACC's and Miami's perspective, the conference and Miami are going through a down period for various reasons. With coaching changes in 7 out of 12 schools over these past two years and improvements to facilities and stadiums and even moving to a pro-stadium (Miami) the expectations are for long-term improvement. USF being in the Big East with a direct pipeline to south Florida talent gives USF an advantage since Rich Rodriguez's departure from WVa, Louisville's plunge after Petrino left and Rutgers not having the strong showing from the 11-1 season prior, USF could be looking at a opportunity to win much in a BCS conference of 7 opposing schools and no conference game title to worry about. So it behooves Miami to keep your friends close and USF even closer in the ACC. For Miami, it removes a long distance school to travel to and adds a rivalry closer than any other school.

I would also boot out Boston College for attendance/travel issues.
I would invite Vanderbilt to join fellow privates Duke, Miami, Wake Forest.
I think 12 is the ideal number for football, but I would extend invites to Villanova and St. John's for all sports except football, in order to grab the Philly and New York markets for any potential ACC Network.

Football Divisions:
West: Vandy, Clemson, FSU, Ga Tech, Miami, Wake Forest
East: North Carolina, Duke, Va Tech, Virginia, NC State, Maryland

SEC can take South Florida. Big East can take BC, Memphis, UCF.

I'd think you run a problem with FSU more than Miami in getting USF in. FSU has a substantial presence in Tampa region that they would fight to keep.

I like your idea, Dafoe. The future of big-time conferences is TV networks or broadcast contracts, not attendance. I wonder whether the ACC would allow non-football members, but it would allow for a lacrosse conference and successful college TV network. For that reason, I doubt BC will be tossed. Boston is a prime market and would fit in well with the expanded northern members. Boston's only 200 more miles away from Raleigh than Nashville is and easier to reach by plane, train or car than Nashville is. I wonder if it would work. I could see the 4 privates, Georgia Tech and the mid-atlantic 3 being in favor. Less notable southern publics like NC State and Clemson would be opposed. That leaves UNC and Florida State. FSU may not approve a basketball member. UNC may want to expand TV coverage and NYC ties, but be held back by NC State and conference tradition. Replace Villanova, whose alumni network may not gotten Comcast-dominated Philly to add the ACC network, with non-football Notre Dame and you'd have the approval of most members.