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YOUR BALANCE
WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.
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WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 7:27 AM

Hello Tiger Fans,

So, I'm a WVU fan and I want to get an outside perspective involving the current situation. Please tell me if I'm bat-crap crazy or if there's any semblance of logic in my thinking.

First, it's all about money and power. I think the SEC made their move in order to keep a stranglehold on the revenue and prestige of the being in the playoff, along with winning the title. Think about this - based on playoff history thus far, the SEC has a 71% chance of making a playoff appearance in any given year. That's insane. However, when you open the field up to 12+ teams, that will obviously diminish their odds. So, in snatching up Oklahoma, the SEC accomplished two objectives. 1) They added to their playoff-worthy team count, and hence, increased the odds of seating an SEC team in the playoff. 2) They bought up their competition. Meaning, OU cannot possibly steal a playoff spot from the SEC anymore.

So, because this is ALL about money/power, where the heck does that leave WVU? Well, regarding athletic competition in basketball and football, we're a excellent fit for the ACC. We'll never be on the level of Clemson, but we're a perennial 7-8 win football program, and every 5ish years we tend to get lucky and have a 9-10 win season. That's solid. However, our downfall is obviously the lack of TV revenue, right? But, this is where we get into this chicken/egg scenario and I don't think most consider the big picture when the thought of WVU to the ACC is brought up. I see WVU going to the ACC being more about the TV/streaming revenue it will create for the OTHER teams, not necessarily WVU.

Think of it like this, what exactly generates TV/streaming revenue? Excitement. What generates excitement? Fans. Does winning cause excitement? Sure. But, there have been many sold-out games involving two crappy teams solely based on the rivalry-aspect alone. How many times have you flipped through channels on a Saturday and found a Pitt game, only to notice a stadium where the upper section is blocked off because they can't even fill the lower section more than 60%? Those optics are NOT good for your conference. That crap doesn't happen in the SEC. So, bring in WVU and what happens? You're now talking about a sellout at Pitt stadium. Sellouts on TV are the optics you want for a strong conference and those optics generate excitement and hype. That hype creates TV/streaming revenue. That revenue affects TV/streaming contracts.

I'm sure Clemson and ND sell out in every stadium, but what about Louisville, Syracuse, UVA, VT, Miami, BC? If any of those teams take a trip to Morgantown, it will be a sellout or darn near capacity. In turn, WVU would certainly bring a large contingency of fans to away games. We'd be elated for a 7 hour car drive to a game because our CLOSEST competition in the B12 is 800+ freaking miles away. In any case, this is what I mean by the chicken/egg scenario. Does ESPN cause the fans to show up to games, or do the fans cause ESPN to show up to games? Do you think the SEC would as prominent as it is today if mid-teir SEC teams consistently played in front of 35k fans every weekend? Heck no.

So, does any of this make sense? You know, thinking that WVU could increase ACC TV/streaming revenue not by our viewership, but by affecting the image of the ACC as a whole. Am I just living in WVU-Land and in the real world... the excitement... the buzz... the fans... surrounding mid-level teams of a conference on any given day just simply doesn't matter anymore?

My unfortunate prediction is that WVU is screwed because any realignment needs to get the blessing of the Godfather of College Football - ESPN. Within the next few years... when Clemson calls a timeout during a game... you're going to hear the ESPN announcer say something like, "Don't forget to tune-in to ESPN3 on Tuesday night to see WVU and Wyoming go head-to-head". Yep. That's our future. How wonderful.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 7:47 AM

The likelihood of 9-10 win seasons would increase for WVU as a member of the ACC, if for no other reason than recruiting. Selling recruits in OH, PA, DC/VA/MD and FL on games against Pitt, Miami, VT, UVa, FSU would be much easier than games in TX, OK and KS with no road game within 850 miles of campus. $55 million in football facility upgrades over the last 2-3 years won’t hurt, either.

Timing has hurt WVU as much as anything. In 2011, streaming wasn’t a thing and it was all about market size. By beating out Louisville for the Big 12 spot in 2011, they weren’t available a year or two later when Maryland bolted and the ACC was left with no option other than Louisville. Had the Big 12 taken UL, or if they both were available, it’s likely that WVU would have been an ACC member already.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 7:55 AM

That's an excellent point that I never thought about. You're absolutely right. Although, we'd probably be closer to 9 wins than 10 because have this amazing ability to crack under pressure. Haha.

Well, hopefully the ACC throws us a lifeline.

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WVU's TV market does little for the ACC***


Jul 27, 2021, 7:54 AM



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Reading comprehension would help... He clearly explained


Jul 28, 2021, 10:54 AM

the enhancement of some previous established rivalries as it pertains to TV marketing... It's not JUST about the the WV populous.

It's exactly what is needed to get some of those former Big East schools more involved. WV vs. Pitt or WV vs. Syr. has much more appeal and draw than most any other team from the original ACC... Might get them to get off the AXXes, too.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:02 AM

Did you bother to read the posts on this board from the last few days? Most on here are clueless as they post silly crap like raiding the Big 10 or act like inviting ND to join the ACC for the 20th time will make a difference.

Problem is the calculation for adding WVU is not clear (too many variables). Does the ACC sit and wait on ND or does the leadership think adding a team now is necessary? If adding a team how many to add and which ones? Maybe add a POD of Big 12 teams? A big move to join with the Big 10? Will FSU and CU bolt for the SEC?

Will PITT and VT support WVA or is there too much bad blood? You know the blue blood schools will not support inviting the redneck cousin to the party so your fate may rest on your two closest neighbors.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:21 AM

Great points.

About the blue blood schools not inviting the redneck cousin, that's certainly true. However, nothing is more powerful than money. Would Pitt pass on the opportunity of a sellout at Pitt Stadium and national TV exposure just because they don't like their redneck cousin? Well, if so, that's a bit self-sabotaging and does nothing to help the conference as a whole. But, sure... it's entirely, and rather unfortunately, possible.

Yeah, I see your point. There are too many unknowns at the moment. Although, I do believe at some point, whether months or years from now, Clemson will (deservingly) end up in the SEC. Perhaps that will open the door for WVU, who knows?

Although the B1G has supposedly stated (in reports this morning) that they have no plans to expand, I'm not sure how much to believe that. This OU/Texas thing pretty much caught everyone off-guard. It's obvious that everyone is now working in the shadows and looking out for themselves. Not sure how any conference can just sit around and not be proactive right now.

I'll never understand the ACC's relationship with ND. I think you need to call their bluff and tell them - get in or get the heck out of here. If they don't join, then go after a big name, like PSU.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:09 AM

As a fan of the sport, I would love to have WVU and ND in the ACC. WVU is fun to watch and my cousin played there, so I’m biased, but they never made sense in the BigXII.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:13 AM

Good perspective, but you are not alone in the getting the shaft column. The ACC as a whole is in a position of needing to make a significant move ,but it involves Notre Dame .They are the key to expansion ,an expansion which should include WVU if for no other reason geographical location.
But there has been some talk lately that if Notre Dame joins as a full football member they could persuade Penn State to join. If those two teams joined then more than likely WVU would be out.
But if Penn State says no that opens the door for WVU.
Frankly, what I would like to see would be our new commissioner telling Notre Dame to either join full time or don't miss the noon day stage out of Morgantown.
With the Irish gone we could then say go after Cincinnati or Baylor to join along with WVU making the ACC a respectable 16 team conference.
One final thought. You say your team is a perennial 7-8 win team every season. Just think what you could do recruiting as a member of the ACC.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:25 AM

Honestly, if the ACC had to choose between ND and PSU, or ND and WVU, it would be a no-brainer. It would be PSU without a doubt.

Yeah, we'll need a lot of lucky things to happen in order to get out of our current situation. If not, well then... hello to our new home, ESPN3 on Tuesdays nights playing crappy teams.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:18 AM

Excellent take. Never thought about the things you said . Having the privilege of meeting and knowing several WVU fans .They are some of the MOST passionate fans I have every met. So I know WVU travels with a large amount of people. Also you guys pack your stadium. What you said makes sense, but does it make ??cents $$$$ for the ACC. The ACC needs more winners and fast . Not say WVU won't win, can they win consistently. Thanks for Coach V. You guys surely caused that hiring. Good Luck . Hope you get invited to the ACC. Geographically it makes sense, old rivalries would be renewed.

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I don't think WVU significantly increases the ACC's...


Jul 27, 2021, 8:23 AM

television market footprint.

Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech pretty much have the state of WV surrounded.

However, that's not to say that I don't think WVU would be a feasible addition to the league although the academic ranking may still be a problem for some.

I can tell you that I'd prefer WVU over some of the other teams that are frequently mentioned like Cincinnati, UCF, USF, UConn, Rutgers, ECU, Memphis, and Navy.

That said, for me, it's not simply a matter of growing the league and getting bigger. It's about getting better. At the end of the day, does the addition of WVU make the ACC better. I don't know if it does or not ( I haven't really considered it) but I'd be interested in your thoughts. I definitely don't think teams like Cincinnati, UCF, USF, UConn, Rutgers, ECU, Memphis, or Navy make the league better.




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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: I don't think WVU significantly increases the ACC's...


Jul 27, 2021, 8:34 AM

I agree, WVU will not increase the ACC's television market footprint. But, I believe we could increase viewership in all of those areas.

For example, it's nice to have a television market, like Pittsburgh, let's say. But, what percentage of the population in Pittsburgh is actually tuning in to watch a game against Duke? I guarantee you that whatever that percentage is, it would triple if Pitt were playing WVU.

I believe the whole TV-revenue thing is slowly shifting from 'market' to 'viewership'. Who cares if you're in a big market, unless people are actually watching. It used to be that the only way to determine viewership in any market was to count the number of viewers with a Nielsen box. Those days are gone. With streaming, they can count down to the precise number how exactly how many are watching.

So, going back to the Pitt example, adding WVU won't increase the TV market, but it will increase viewership. Increased viewership means more excitement. Increased excitement means more exposure. More exposure means stronger conference brand. But... I don't know... maybe I'm looking at it too simplistically.

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One problem is...


Jul 27, 2021, 8:50 AM

cities like Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Boston are more pro sports centric.

I'm not sure there is a large percentage of people tuning-in to watch Cuse, Pitt or BC regardless of who they play.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: One problem is...


Jul 27, 2021, 9:23 AM

BigCUFan® said:

cities like Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Boston are more pro sports centric.

I'm not sure there is a large percentage of people tuning-in to watch Cuse, Pitt or BC regardless of who they play.


Syracuse is not a pro-centric city. The closest NFL team is actually further than the two closest NFL teams to Clemson.

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That is really splitting hairs. Buffalo is just over 2 hours away from Syracuse


Jul 27, 2021, 9:36 AM

but yeah, technically Clemson to Bank of America stadium is 4 minutes closer than Syracuse to Highmark Stadium. I’d be curious if most Syracuse fans are Bills fans or there’s a large Bills/Giants/Jets split like there is here with Falcons/Panthers/Redskins


Message was edited by: owensb01®


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I didn’t read your message because, well, too long but I have


Jul 27, 2021, 8:39 AM

One question. Does West Virginia still play football?

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All of this is ONLY about money.


Jul 27, 2021, 8:43 AM

Luckily, we have the power of not watching and not attending.

Butts in seats and eyes on screens (and wokeness) are what MSE$$$PN is all about. And the $EC, which is the same thing (ESPN is to the SEC what MSM is to the Democrat party, sorry if that's too political).

So I for one will be voting with my butt and eyes going forward.

FWIW, I live in SWVA and like WVU. Mountaineers are good people. I wish y'all the best.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 9:03 AM

You stated your case for membership well, pgibbons. I have no idea what will happen but there is always a chance.

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"It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers any more than it is to make sheep ferocious."
--Henry David Thoreau


Why wouldn't WVU stay in the BIG12 and enter the CFP as


Jul 27, 2021, 9:04 AM

Big12 Champion every year. The vacancy of OU and UT is a huge wide open door to walk through. They won't be changing the conference champion rule will they? Is the conference disbanding?

Personally i'd like to see WVU in the ACC because they make sense..they've always made sense. IT solidifies the Virginia region and they're competitive in all sports. But if i was a WVU fan i'd have to be a little selfish and just raid the BIG12 championship every year and punch my ticket.

OU and UT will have a hard enough time getting into the bid dance because the SEC can't have more than 3/4 teams in it at a time. I can't imagine they allow the conference champ and 4 or 5 other teams advance do they?

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I agree with pretty much your entire premise regarding the


Jul 27, 2021, 9:16 AM

value a WVU would bring to the ACC. The optics of a packed house full of passionate fans and energy is gold for a TV production. If any league is guilty of banking on TV markets over overall program support and energy in football, it is the ACC. I do believe that WVU, while not bringing necessarily a "TV market" to the equation, would provide a significant boost to the NE TV markets that have been delivering lackluster numbers. Sure, those are pro markets mostly, but there are still millions of college football fans that the ACC has been under-delivering to, and I believe WVU would boost that and the overall appeal of the league were it a member.

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Eggxactly...***


Jul 28, 2021, 11:02 AM



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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 9:21 AM

Points well made. +1

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NC state is in the ACC. Are you asking the acc to


Jul 27, 2021, 9:30 AM

Increase it's quota on chitty schools?

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Geville Tiger on Clemson football , "Dabo's only problem is he has to deal with turd fans questioning every move he makes.”


Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 9:34 AM

The issue with WVU and the rest of the ACC is academics - and yes, those matter. The ACC has traditionally been the conference that has pushed academic standards far harder than athletics.

Being ranked #241 overall, 114 in public universities is a big, nearly insurmountable issue. Basically WVU is not a peer of the other school in the conference.

For comparison, Clemson is 74th and 28 (public) - which we have taken a hit since peaking at 20th. And NC State which we troll as being a bunch of illiterate nobodies is 80th overall, 32 (public). Finally, University of Louisville which we feel is an mistake taken to replace Maryland, they are ranked 174, 87th (public).

To put it bluntly, East Carolina is held in a higher place that WVU (217, 109)

It isn't athletics that us keeping WVU out. If you had better academic, we would have likely taken you before UofL.

That being said, I think the choice is up to the Pitt, Cuse, VT, BC crowd. Why? Because the likes of UVA and UNC, Duke, Wake, GT, as so forth are not going to consider you an equal to play in their sandbox. You would need to basically have the northern schools be willing to absorb a northern-only schedule to even consider WVU and that is a big ask to have the "nawth" give up the opportunity to recruit in the south.

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I graduated from Clemson but I still do not understand how another school’s academic affect another***


Jul 27, 2021, 10:01 AM



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It's an athletic conference. Should it really matter?


Jul 27, 2021, 10:11 AM

It can be reasonably argued both ways.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Because Clemson is an academic insitution first.


Jul 27, 2021, 11:00 AM [ in reply to I graduated from Clemson but I still do not understand how another school’s academic affect another*** ]

Take South Carolina for example: The basically left the conference because of the SAT minimum requirements. It wasn't just that, UofSC players at the time to compete were often borderline illiterate. At the core, the conferences "supposedly" set the "minimum" so that it isn't a race to the bottom in search of any athletic talent. Notable exception being UNC academic scandal. Thus schools with specific academic requirements - UVA - do not want to play against "peers" without similar standings. Granted, they all fudge things from time to time, but normally it is not institutional. Back to Clemson, we pride ourselves on our athletic and academic achievements.

Next, most "member schools" have academic relationships. Again, it comes down to what schools consider their "peers". For example, my PhD committee included faculty at Georgia Tech.

Do we consider UofSC a peer: nope. CCU nope, CofC nope. USC Upstate -nada. Georgia Southern, App State - nope nope. Do I consider WVU a peer: no. With the exception of the coots, are these bad schools, no, they are fine but they are not on the same level as Clemson or even NC State.

Keep in mind that all schools are academics first. The academic side ultimately matters most. Not saying that athletics isn't important. I am a PhD that values the athletic side (as I am a family of coaches mostly). However, at the end of the day, the power is in the faculty side more than the AD.

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Re: Because Clemson is an academic insitution first.


Jul 27, 2021, 12:23 PM

South Carolina left the ACC because of the NCAA basketball tournament.

The game has changed. Academics aren’t going to matter in the future. Not from a conference perspective. Clemson will still be a good academic school, but there are many schools in the SEC ranked higher than Clemson in academics. As well as the B1G.

The only reason Clemson has gotten better in academics is because of football. It brings recognition and a larger applicant pool.


Message was edited by: Lowcntry_Tiger®


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Re: Because Clemson is an academic insitution first.


Jul 27, 2021, 2:23 PM

Wait, wut?

SC's departure was very much getting out from under the thumb of "tobacco road" but that completely an academic thumb/requirements. It was Dietzel's push alongside the mid-60s push by the ACC for more academic standards (which also hurt Clemson and was one part of Howards later career decline as it was tougher for him to transition). Not only that, but the ACC then went into further investigation into SC's prior dealings so that SC was basically being penalized, not winning, and now being held to a higher standards (1.6 GPA vs 800 SAT). They force an ultimatum - whining spoiled brat - I mean, it was their own board politics. They cut and ran THREE DAYS before fed cut down the 800 requirement. Clemson held back from the insanity and thus prospered while the coots lost it.

Clemson's biggest push academically was under Jame Barker and his top 20 approach. That happened under the Tommy Bowden era mostly, way before any modern football glory. I know, I was one of those out-of-state near-free educations that drove that push at the graduate level. If anything, we have slipped a bit since 2016... but then again, money is limited and they have been building infrastructure rather than spending the money getting better students/faculty. Fair enough trade as it is always a balance.

Many SEC schools? Ehhhhh... Florida (ironically) and Vandy traditionally but that is about it. I am not buying jawja... We have sweat equality in the ACC as a LG school, but we would make most SEC schools look like knuckle-dragging idiots - which they are.

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There is a problem with that too...


Jul 27, 2021, 10:10 AM [ in reply to Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective. ]

The B1G requires its members to be AAU member institutions.

Now, that's a rule that can be changed just like the league voted to change the rules to keep OcryO State in the CFP discussion.

However, WVU is not an AAU member institution so membership in the B1G would be a problem for them unless the league votes otherwise.

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Re: There is a problem with that too...


Jul 27, 2021, 11:03 AM

And this is/was basically a bone of contention with Nebraska.

At the time of Nebraska joining the B10, they were AAU, then the AAU kicked them out shortly after for failing to meet the standard. Kinda left the B10 sour

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I may be mistaken, but...


Jul 27, 2021, 11:14 AM

if the B1G is seriously considering grabbing a few members from the soon-to-be defunct Big XII, I believe only two Big XII schools are AAU members (Kansas and Iowa State)

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: I may be mistaken, but...


Jul 27, 2021, 11:23 AM

That is correct. AAU was mostly a NE/Midwest/Pacific thing. Sure the UVA/Duke/UNC were members but realistically, the membership is just as much tied to early PhD relationships with the Ivy League schools and this you have Buffalo, Stony Brook, Johns Hopkins, etc in the mix. Thus if the faculty of a given school kept academic relations with the original 14, then there you go."Newer" schools like Clemson were naturally not in that relationship.

Texas/Mizzou/A&M are/were also AAU


Pre-expansion, the SEC only had Florida and Vandy. The members to leave the SEC were their other AAU schools, GT and Tulane. Syracuse was also a former member but voluntarily withdrew.

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Re: I may be mistaken, but...


Jul 27, 2021, 2:22 PM [ in reply to I may be mistaken, but... ]

The B1G has always been proud as well of the fact that they are all land grant universities. All of the original members. Not sure about any recent changes.

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Re: I may be mistaken, but...


Jul 27, 2021, 3:07 PM

Incorrect. Not all, but many. Indiana, Iowa, Michigan are not land-grant schools. The expansion school are. Rutgers was, initially one of the few private schools given land-grant status (Cornell and MIT being the others).

Most of the schools in the B10 existed before 1862 and were existing schools that were designated to receive the funding/status via the Morrill Act, and naturally later used the Hatch Act.

Purdue is the only original B10 school -to my knowledge - that was founded based off of the actions in the Morrell. 1868 I think. Maryland would be the other. Everyone else already existed.

Now, fast forward that Clemson came some near 28 years after the original Morrill Act and thus you had the revision in 1890 alongside the Hatch Act.

We were a late addition (and why I said we are a newcomer).

The PhD and Morrill/Hatch expanded generally in-step. It was mostly a faculty research network before it became formalized in the early 1900 along side the formalization of the PhD process. Again, much of the Morrill/Hatch and the PhD process is RESEARCH oriented as compared to the European academic tradition.

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The academics ratings and approach seems more of a relic


Jul 27, 2021, 10:37 AM [ in reply to Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective. ]

of an older approach to college conferences where institutions were able to better control and regulate recruiting among its members - sort of a pact whereby there would be a more level playing field, and league members could better claim amateurism and more of a student-athlete approach to skeptical academes and other supporters.

The game, and obviously the money, have changed significantly since these conferences were founded, even over just the past decade or so. And now that amateurism is pretty much out the door, along with challenges to college eligibility requirements for student-athletes across the board, I don't believe this approach will wield near the influence it once did, and don't believe it should.

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I wouldn't say you're crazy, but I also wouldn't say that's


Jul 27, 2021, 9:36 AM

a strong point.

Yes, an atmosphere of more sell-outs will create a more exciting...looking...product. But I think you're overstating both the impact that has on actual revenue and the impact WVU has on fan attendance.

I just don't see a good "revenue" argument for adding WVU. BUT...I do see a good "fit" argument, and if we NEED to add someone, they are as good a candidate as any that would be available (I am precluding ANY Big Ten or SEC team as pipe dreams). I like WVU for the strong football tradition, strong fanbase, good location, and natural rivalries. I would happily take them...if we need to do all this...over any Florida school or Cincy. I would prefer them over any other Big 12 team just because they don't fit geographically. I think an argument can be made for Navy and UConn, but all schools have positives and negatives.

Hope it all works out for your program!

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null


Re: I wouldn't say you're crazy, but I also wouldn't say that's


Jul 27, 2021, 10:12 AM

Thanks! I like it... maybe it's a good point... just not as strong as I think it is. I can accept that.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 10:19 AM

The only way WVU gets an invitation is

1) The ACC loses members and is desperate to get back to its current number

or

2) The ACC has to expand to X and WVU helps with that and the better options reject the offer.

WVU by itself doesn't offer anything to the ACC and many of the schools will object to WVU due to its reputation and poor academics.

Yes, Louisville is also a ###### school but doesn't have a national reputation for it.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 10:44 AM

This is just one Hokie talking and needs to be taken as that. VT is also a team that for decades, since the inception of the ACC pined for membership. But there was always something, until there wasn't. Maybe it did take the governor of Virginia to cast the swing vote, but you know what. The ACC needed a body and if VT was going to be it, then so be it.

So I'm not sold, at least once someone looks deeper than USN&WR at what WVU's research numbers are, what their mission is, and what they do for the people of their own state that no other university in the ACC does, then maybe those perceptions would begin to change a little regarding academics.

I'd welcome them with open arms to the ACC, but anyone not in a P5 now, in my humble opinion, simply is not going to get in now. I'm of the opinion that this is the first salvo of a contraction overall, not an expansion. It would not surprise me at all to see portions of the ACC and the SEC combine to form a 25-30 team superconference, and the remnants of the B12 that are salvagable and the PAC/BIG do the same to our west.

I do believe WVU will be considered in this due to their history and P5 status. I am not sure all the ACC teams we have now will be, though. This will be a media driven, dollar focused seismic change that will affect pretty much every team in the FBS before its over in my opinion. And if you aren't in it now, I seriously doubt you ever will be. Sorry, Boise, See ya;, BYU.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 11:40 AM

Hey Hokie,

Thanks for the input. I think you're spot-on with many things. You bring up an interesting point about the research numbers, because just yesterday, WVU AD Shane Lyons released an official statement, of which it touted the research numbers. So, perhaps he was advertising... or more likely... it was plea for help. Here's the link: https://wvusports.com/news/2021/7/26/general-statement-from-wvu-director-of-athletics-shane-lyons.aspx


Although, I did hear some ESPN talking heads yesterday mention the SEC/ACC merger rumor. Their thoughts were along the lines of "Why?". Why would the SEC do such a thing when they're so powerful, they can just pick/choose/steal whoever they want - they don't need to merge with anyone. Not saying I agree with that, but it's from the Godfather, ESPN, so sort of reveals their view on the topic.


Once upon a time I saw a game in Blacksburg. We had a great time. Beamer was a class act and great coach.

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ACC could have killed Big 12 years ago by signing W Virgina


Jul 27, 2021, 12:14 PM

Perhaps Texas would have joined, who knows.

You guys got screwed by the whine and cheese "academic" crowd who eventually were forced to take Louisville.

I'd love to have West Virginia in the conference. You bring back some old Big East natural rivalries along with a football centric fan base.

I'm not sure it will ever happen, but it should.

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That's not likely to happen unless and until...


Jul 27, 2021, 1:21 PM

Notre Dame first joins as a full member, and even then, if the conference eliminates the Divisions in football, there is probably no need to add any other members.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


West Virginia adds nothing to the ACC.


Jul 27, 2021, 12:26 PM

You’re good but not great in football. You’re a small state and you have few big-time football recruits. You don’t add anything from a TV market standpoint either. And not that it matters to me, but it seems to matter to others, your academics suck. But that’s the least of your problems in this scenario.

Pretty much everyone on this forum is thinking small. We need to think big. Clemson needs to join the SEC or lead the way in creating a mega conference that would compete with and exceed the SEC.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 2:48 PM

The scary part of your post to me is Clemson and WVU differ in their attractiveness largely based on our recent ascension. If this were 2012, we would be in the exact same boat - great fan base, meh television appeal nationally, small alumni base, no major metro area, etc. In today’s environment, eyeballs matter. Think the B1G wanted UMD and Rutgers for their sports? No, DC and NY. So where does that leave us? Only time will tell…

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 27, 2021, 9:35 PM

My $0.02, I think the whole academic argument has fallen by the wayside this only about $$ now. I also believe that WVU academics are skewed because they give chances to WV residents to go to college that would not ordinarily have that chance. Having said that I was at the 2012 Orange Bowl and WVU fans were not nice to me. Stole my $15 tailgate grill and hurt my feelings. So my (worthless) vote is no.....

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 28, 2021, 12:07 AM

Welcome. WVU football is at a crossroad. While they check a lot of boxes for why they would make for a good ACC member, it’s just not a program that is all that exciting for the ACC, particularly Clemson fans, in light of the huge UT/OU news.

The SEC was by far the best conference before the addition, so we’re not super-pleased about them getting much better. It’s going to take a lot for the ACC to close that gap and adding WVU does a lot for you guys but does not make the conference stronger.

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Re: WVU fan wanting an outside perspective.


Jul 28, 2021, 10:36 AM

I like WV and they have a good Football and BB program However recruiting is not helped by the other teams because of the few football recruits in WV annually Also the TV market is not helped by the small population However if Joe Munchin turns Republican that could make all the difference ??????

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