RE: Time machine: ACC expansion 2003
If Duke leaves for the Ivy when the Ivy forms in the mid - 50's, they take UVa with them. (Just imagine Jim Crow apartied is not written into the law in Virginia)
That leaves a break away group of just MD, UNC, NC State, WF, Clemson, and SC. They want to keep the Orange Bowl Bid. There is one school that they are not pissed off and not located in bumfoozle no where - Miami. Miami already has a solid playing history with these schools. Miami gets you to 7 in the mid 1950's and probably helps to prevent the conference from being totally Greensboro-centric. The ACC did not play a round robin football schedule until 1969. Just seven schools makes this easier, sooner. FSU will be on Miami's doorstep every week attempting to gain entrance and without Duke and UVa to poo-poo them they have a high likely hood of making it in prior to the mid-60's when GT and Tulane leave the SEC. With Miami and FSU in the ACC, both Tulane and GT probably seek out the ACC sooner rather than later. When VT finishes Lane stadium that are voted back in and around 1970. SC never leaves.
An ACC at 11 in 1980 but without Duke and UVa, is a conference looking for a 12th. Your guess is as good as mine between Pitt and PSU if the choice is being made in 1985. Some will clamor for ND. I can see the ACC inviting both Pitt and PSU and allowing them to pick a 14th and they without Duke and UVa as impediments, likely help WVa return.
That gives you a 14 school ACC with PSU, Pitt, WVa, MD, VT, UNC, NC State in the north and WF, SC, Clemson, GT, FSU, Miami, and Tulane in the south.
Big 10 expansion to 14 is in population rich Syracuse, BC, Rutgers, and Nebraska.
SEC expansion is Arkansas, Mizzou, TAMU and Kansas to get to 14.
Now when the B12 and P12 contracts come to an end in 2024, Texas, OU, USC, and Washington can form their own conference effectively jettisoning WSU, OSU, and others.
The new Pac 10-16 with Washington, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Utah, and ASU in the west and Texas, OU, Colorado, TCU, and TT in the east. These 10 now dictate how it will be to Arizona, Stanford, Cal, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and K-State by witholding their invite until the new 10 set the rules.
WSU, OSU, Baylor, Houston, Cincy, UCF and BYU are **** out of luck. iii
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