SMU could join Stanford and Cal in the ACC, which would make the Pac-12 look even worse
The Pac-12 began courting SMU in February. George Kliavkoff went to an SMU basketball game and was seen talking in a suite or luxury box to SMU power brokers.
One of the especially exasperating aspects of the Pac-12’s failure is it played out over a full year, 12 months between USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten in the early summer of 2022 and — at the other end — the mass exodus that destroyed the conference in early August 2023.
The Pac-12 had a great deal of time to land the plane, but it couldn’t. One decision at the center of all this was the conference’s refusal to bring new schools in, out of the misguided belief that it had to do the media deal first and then deal with expansion.
The Big 12 didn’t do that. The Big 12 added schools first and then finalized its media deal.
We can see which conference made out better in the long run.
On Tuesday, new reports emerged that the ACC is considering inviting SMU in addition to Stanford and Cal. The ACC might just invite the Bay Area schools, but SMU could also be included.
Seeing SMU become the focus of another Power Five conference only reinforces the magnitude of the Pac-12’s failure to bring in the Mustangs — alongside San Diego State — in late June, when Colorado was still in the conference and the addition of new schools would have boosted a media rights price point.
Here’s reaction on social media to the new reports connecting SMU and the ACC:
HAHAHA!
With all due respect have these people lost their minds? https://t.co/nyQ1PABffp
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 8, 2023
DISTORTED MARKET
This has all started to remind me of when a crypto exchange goes bust and we get days of discussions over whether some bigger crypto exchange is going to buy them out https://t.co/0e0GsoPi5G
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) August 8, 2023
THE NEW NORMAL!
What kinda desperate 1:55 am lights-in-the-club-are-on approach is this? https://t.co/9V3YVEOHOt
— Joel D. Anderson 🆓 (@byjoelanderson) August 8, 2023
IT'S A MESS
Why would basketball schools like UNC and Duke or football schools like Clemson and Florida State have ANY interest in SMU? What am I missing here? https://t.co/bLkEuKs2O5
— Shockerland (@Shockerland) August 8, 2023
NOTEWORTHY
As we’ve reported for a long time on @SMUOn3, #SMU has been on the ACC’s radar for over a year.
All avenues have been pursued by SMU’s administration and many on the Hilltop liked the ACC best from the start. https://t.co/CvxpohEZme
— Billy Embody (@BillyEmbody) August 8, 2023
IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN ESPN
I am once again begging Ned Lamont to kick ESPN out of the State of Connecticut. This is absurd https://t.co/mIITxMZUor
— Alex – UConn 2023 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (@aburks41) August 8, 2023
BARGAINS!
Good to see I am not the only one who likes to find killer deals at T.J.Maxx https://t.co/nBKjrb1nR8
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) August 8, 2023
POSSIBLE REVENUE
now this finally makes sense. the Pro Rate clause.
add all 3 = $90m/year in revenue
pay them 2/3 of that amount combined
Bump FSU/Clemson up by $15m a year each https://t.co/iW3oSzrm7a— Doug Scott (@DouglasTS) August 8, 2023
WE SHALL SEE
And we thought the Oregon softball players were pissed … wait until these STANFORD Olympic sport athletes have to travel to Raleigh in the middle of the week. https://t.co/WXH5Fv1O0S
— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) August 8, 2023
QUESTIONS
So greater carriage rights fees in Texas and California + ESPN pro-rate + lower payouts to SMU (and likely Stanford/Cal) = more money for current members. Is it enough to offset travel costs? How does the new money get split, i.e., do Florida State/Clemson get a bigger share? https://t.co/0VubPuBtDb
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) August 8, 2023
LOL
“ACC, are you just looking at schools on the office map and saying that you love them?” https://t.co/1ZcUbaocRy pic.twitter.com/dDz2tVGzcd
— Jeff (@saintwarrick) August 8, 2023
PONY UP
SMU this whole realignment cycle: https://t.co/bUgbXrrCyq pic.twitter.com/55oqrl6RCA
— Ŧristan McGonigal 🌵 (@TristyMc) August 8, 2023
MEME TIME!
https://t.co/TGJvdDHBNj pic.twitter.com/JU4Wi6m02C
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) August 8, 2023
ALWAYS
I've always said SMU, Boston College and Stanford belonged in one conference https://t.co/7rr0gcq9ED
— Patrick Andres (@PAndres2001) August 8, 2023
PUTTING IT MILDLY
— Kegan Reneau (@KeganReneau) August 8, 2023
FUN STUFF
SMU at Boston College would deliver a MASSIVE global audience… #ACC #collegefunction #realignment https://t.co/1XWKHtnqAC
— A Friend of the Program (@TheFOTP) August 8, 2023
IT CAN ALWAYS GET MORE BIZARRE
Just when you think college football can’t get any more absurd….
Like we’re just beyond the pale now…🤦🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤣 https://t.co/ekHUSfPbYN
— Jeremy (@Jerm_C) August 8, 2023
THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN FOOTBALL
SMU averaged home football attendance of 24,971 last season.
Y’all can count, right? https://t.co/pqpp8JTeMN— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) August 8, 2023
THAT IS A GOOD IDEA -- WHICH MEANS IT WON'T HAPPEN
This makes no sense. The west coast power teams should just form their own conference, maybe 12 teams, anchored by USC, UCLA and Oregon https://t.co/XIjJVE0Nd5
— Run Differential Insider Jeff Everson (@EVR551) August 8, 2023
BUT THE ACC MIGHT BE SERIOUS
This is so unserious lol https://t.co/XLdn8STEqQ
— Luke Chaney (@luke_chaney4) August 8, 2023
COMPARISONS
SMU makes more sense than the other 2
Huge market, booster base that wants to win, pretty decent team. Give me them and Tulane over the Cali schools https://t.co/Ffx3Yz7loU
— Jazer (@Jazerbeam) August 8, 2023
SANKEY TROLLS THE ACC
"We don’t need to be in four time zones to generate interest," SEC commish Greg Sankey says on Finebaum.
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) August 8, 2023
HORSEPLAY
SMU to the ACC? pic.twitter.com/xG6F7X2cCK
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) August 8, 2023