It seems to me that the ESPN contract works for everybody in the ACC except for FSU, plus the division set up is a source of frustration when FSU does not even play their closest conference opponent in Atlanta on a regular basis.

Notre Dame is the big fish everybody wants, but of course the ACC contract with ESPN complicates things with Notre Dame and NBC. Also Notre Dame values their independence and their long time rivalries with the teams from the other conferences.

So how do we please everybody? Simply accept Notre Dame as a partial member in every sport except football and stipulate that they must play 6 ACC opponents every year which already includes annual games against BC, Pitt and familiar opponents like Miami, GT and Syracuse. Notre Dame will have 6 open slots on their schedule to play Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Navy, Stanford, USC.

FSU must do the same and play 6 ACC opponents which will include annual games vs Miami, Clemson and GT, the 3 most meaningful games to FSU fans. The other 3 games will be rotated amongst the ACC schools.

As far as tv goes, I’m sure it’s in the realm of possibility for FSU, Notre Dame and NBC, ESPN to work out an agreement where they can split up the games so that NBC and ESPN get to have 6 FSU and ND games each without devaluing, possibly even adding some value to the current ACC contract. FSU and ND will of course take a smaller cut out of the ACC/ESPN deal, but they ought to more than enough make up for it through NBC.

The ACC will then have to add 1 more school to bring it back up to an even number of 14/16 and Rutgers with their academics and big city market seems to be the logical choice. The divisions could potentially look like this:

ATLANTIC / COASTAL
Clem / UMD
Miami / VT
NCSU / UNC
Wake / Duke
BC / RU
SU / Pitt
GT / UVA

Notre Dame and FSU will of course be disqualified from participating in the ACC Championship game, but with both FSU and Notre Dame as Independents in football, the Orange bowl can also select them as an at large team to play the ACC Champion if they qualify.

If the other ACC members can swallow their pride, I think everybody wins in this situation.

Problem is the sport causing strife is football….so playing partial in the ACC for football would just be the same old problem.

The ACC has already said they will not take partial memberships. They have refused to give FSU their third tier rights. Notre Dame will not give up theirs. I am afraid that ship has already sailed long ago. I am more interested now in whether or not FSU will get cross division games with Texas and Oklahoma.

Here is the gist of the idea what it all boils down to:

-The ACC is trading out 9 games with a marquee program with 12 games with marquee programs.

-The ACC adds the populous state of New Jersey and and helps fill out NYC in it’s digital foot print.

-The ACC will get paid more money as a result.

-The full members of the ACC have an easier road to the Orange bowl when they don’t have to play FSU as a conference opponent.

-FSU get’s what they want by getting to play GT, Miami and Clem every year and makes a few million more.

Other than the ACC not wanting partial members,  I don’t see how this is a bad idea. If the ACC’s options were to do this or lose FSU to te Big12 and ND not coming over at all, which would you do?

Garrett_TD23 - 15 June 2012 07:29 AM

-The full members of the ACC have an easier road to the Orange bowl when they don’t have to play FSU as a conference opponent.

-FSU get’s what they want by getting to play GT, Miami and Clem every year and makes a few million more.

So what your saying is GT UM and Clemson get to take the hard road every year…hell if yall throw in VT into your yearly schedule the ACC champ could be anybody

FSU and ND would be Independent, if they beat an ACC opponent it would not count against their conference record unless you mean a path to the national championship game/playoff.