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Big East, ACC tussle is full of intrigue

I love a good fight, especially when the combatants are a couple of old-school warriors with a grudge. But I'm having a hard time getting excited over the smackdown shaping up between two of the most successful and prestigious conferences in college sports: the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Soon-to-Be-Not-Quite-So-Big East. Seems the ACC has its eye on the prettiest girl in the Big East: Miami. Specifically, the powerful football Hurricanes, perennial national-championship contenders. In order to break the ice with Miami, the ACC is even inviting her to bring along a couple of her cutest friends: likely Syracuse and either Boston College or Virginia Tech.

The attraction is obvious: The Hurricanes-plus represents a sweet influx of fresh dollars in ticket sales, television revenue, sponsorship and credibility in the deep-pocketed football arena. But for the Big East the potential defection of three prominent programs could be devastating. Beyond the obvious loss of Miami football, Syracuse boasts solid programs in football and basketball (where the Orange are reigning national champs), and the Carrier Dome, one of the most lucrative college arenas in the nation. Boston College is a solid two-sport program with an attractive market and committed alums. Without these three programs the Big East would become the Big Least, a mid-level basketball conference comprising schools with only one national-level program (St John's, Georgetown, Connecticut), one with two-sport prominence (Pittsburgh), and an orphan football school, if Virginia Tech stays put.

Beginning Saturday Big East officials are slated to pow-wow in Ponte Vedra, Fla., where the first, second and third items on the agenda undoubtedly will be self-preservation. League commissioner Mike Tranghese, a pit bull in glasses, was insulted that ACC honchos never called him to ask permission to dance with his dates, and he has vowed to fight to keep them. "Our schools have that right," he told The New York Times.

Fighting words. I love it. But in the ever-evolving convergence of sports conferences that began decades ago, does it ultimately make any difference to the people who matter most -- the schools' fans -- what conference their teams belong to? In short, no. Certainly the rivalries that have been forged among the Big East schools would be diminished by the absence of three of the conference's most prominent programs. Syracuse students would lose the chance to drive to games against UConn, BC and even Pitt. That's a shame. But since students have no vote in the matter, their concerns will be given about as much consideration by ACC officials as whether Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim would be able to adjust to Southern cooking. On the other hand, deep-pocketed alums certainly might be riled up by Tranghese's challenge and could withhold support for their departing teams.

Yet, if you're old enough to remember the Pac-8 and Big Eight conferences, you might also recall the sky-is-falling cry of objectors who tried to stall the creation of a pair of new conferences (Pac-10 and Big 12, respectively) that now seem as if they've existed forever. Old rivalries have not died, while new ones have been created. Students still cheer for their teams, and alums still write checks.

If the move happens -- and indeed something certainly will happen here -- it will represent just another wave in the sea change in college sports, one that began years ago in an effort to squeeze more dollars from the television networks that dutifully feed the beast. Where it will end is anyone's guess. In time there might only be three or four megaconferences, supported by an array of mid-levels that will be forced to discover new and even more creative ways to preserve their existence. But as we saw in the most recent NCAA basketball tournament, the best and smartest of those conferences will not only survive but also thrive in an industry where young men and women still dream and schools still pursue their dual mission of education and competition.

The 24-year-old Big East might appear doomed if it loses Miami, Syracuse and Boston College -- or even just two of the three. But Tranghese is a battler. He likely will reshape the conference and leverage strengths (i.e., the New York and D.C. markets) in a way that cloaks its weaknesses. He even might attempt to lure Notre Dame football into the fold in an effort to preserve the league's Bowl Championship Series berth.

The linchpin will be Miami. Tranghese will take his best shot at persuading the school to remain by offering a plan of growth for the future. "They have taken action," he said of the ACC. Now, he'll take his. On second thought, perhaps it will be fun to watch.

Roy S. Johnson is an assistant managing editor for Sports Illustrated. His "Pass the Word" column appears on SI.com every Friday. Catch Johnson on CNN Headline News every Thursday at 3:40 p.m. ET.

 

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