Recent legal battles have cast a massive shadow of uncertainty over the future of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Serious concerns have been sparked about the potential fallout if the conference were to collapse. (Something once thought to be impossible.)
With 17 teams potentially left in limbo, the landscape of collegiate athletics could undergo another seismic shift.
Comparisons to the demise of the Pac-12 have been drawn. The surprising (at the time) departures of key programs such as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington triggered a cascade effect.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum joined McElroy and Cubelic to discuss what could potentially happen with the ACC.
“I think the real concern for everyone in this group is what happens if the ACC starts to implode even more than it currently is,” Finebaum said.
“There are certain schools that I don’t think either league really wants and then there are those who I think both covet. So I think that’s where it would get really sticky.”
Of course, there has been plenty of speculation that the two main football powers in the conference – Clemson and Florida State – are looking for a way out of the ACC.
While there are other solid programs in the conference – such as Miami and North Carolina – the Tigers and Seminoles figure to be the most coveted.
There are rumors that the SEC and Big Ten are closely monitoring the landscape and figuring out what is best for the future of their conferences.
This should come as no surprise to anyone. After all, the SEC and Big Ten have emerged as the two unquestioned kings in college athletics.
In what has become a cold and ruthless game of survival, the SEC and Big Ten have shown zero hesitation at poaching other conference’s members if they see fit.
However, Finebaum believes that while competition between conferences is fierce, collaboration is unlikely.
“I don’t think Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti would sit in a room and go ‘okay, you take that one, I’ll take that one.’ That’s just not the way this works,” Finebaum said.
“I mean, this is still pretty serious competition at the highest level. But I think that’s the one area … I think it is mainly done from a legislative standpoint, let’s be aligned on the issues.
It was done from a judicial standpoint. So you know, in court, let’s have the same ideas. I don’t know if that carries over to competition.”
What do you think about Finebaum’s comments?
What will end up happening to conferences such as the ACC and Big 12?
Where will Clemson and Florida State end up?
In the bigger picture, how will the college football landscape look ten years from now???
