Merrimack and Sacred Heart are leaving the NEC for the MAAC after this school year. Funny Merrimack didn't even finish their reclassification period before bolting.
Some AAC news as they look to replace SMU: - Army is in for football only (similar to Navy) - VCU is the target for all other sports, but not accepted yet
the first one or two ACC schools were set to announce their intent to withdraw the conference in late January to early February – before today. those eventual departure-related announcements have been imminent for months. now though, Florida State is as angry as ever and wants to burn all bridges with ESPN, which of course would mean burning all bridges with the SEC by association, so don't be surprised if they happen to steal the spotlight at any point in the upcoming Bowl-Game Season. the SEC was the heavy favorite to land Florida State for Notre Dame-related reasons, but this just might restore the chances of the Big Ten which has a new media contract involving a lot of networks that don't include ESPN. maybe Clemson, North Carolina, and Virginia still go to the SEC. who knows. Florida State's administration preferred going to the Big Ten all along anyway, for academia-related reasons. although until those exit negotiations with the ACC & ESPN happen, the actual end result there let alone with the other schools remains anyone's guess.
meanwhile, the other 'lesser' ACC schools are apparently [back to] all-out panicking as they've [re-]established contact with the Big 12 – basically all the littler fish not named Duke or the three newbies. (not that the Big 12 hasn't spoken to Stanford & Cal before though lolz.) the Big 12 is even entertaining the idea of a merger with the ACC's dead carcass and maybe even the Pac-2, which is if nothing else – and for now, it is certainly only nothing else – a pretty thought.
the first one or two ACC schools were set to announce their intent to withdraw the conference in late January to early February
to correct myself – my bad – i guess it’s not an intent to withdraw as much as it is a “direct challenge” to the Grant of Rights, which may or may not involve the courts at any point. regardless, it’s highly likely that any such challenge will result in a negotiated settlement and a subsequent departure from the conference.
Florida State & Clemson will be the first ones to take the plunge, and North Carolina will follow suit at some point (spring or summer). after those three, a mix of Virginia, VT, NC State, Miami (FL), and/or others might also tap in – as early as North Carolina’s involvement, or later on down the road – but those schools currently aren’t sure things. but, it’ll take some time for everything to fully play out – years plural.
allegedly, Florida State at least continues to believe they have a legitimate path out of the Grant of Rights. (Clemson & the others may as well, though less has been rumored about them.) what that means – and where that leads – is anyone’s guess.
Clemson Watch starts for the next two weeks or so, and North Carolina & NC State are apparently about to be fundamentally tied at the hip when it comes to any potential realignment as of this Wednesday.
Clemson Watch starts for the next two weeks or so, and North Carolina & NC State are apparently about to be fundamentally tied at the hip when it comes to any potential realignment as of this Wednesday.
Clemson did not make a move – apparently because they and North Carolina are plotting a move at about the same time... even as North Carolina is a bit tied to NC State these days. not sure what it means.
in the meantime, the spotlight remains on Florida State. entities are also trying to drag Notre Dame into the spotlight by the collar of their invisibility cloak, while they're just trying to keep it on and stay in the shadows.