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#3 The ACC + SEC is the wall keeping the raiders out. Protecting this should be the battle cry, not cracking it for the other conferences to come in and raid.

SEC at 14 and supporting the ACC is better for the SEC than raiding 2 ACC teams and allowing the B1G and B12 a chance to come in after. Say the SEC adds VPI and NC State, then the B1G takes UNC and UVA, followed by the B12 rising from the ashes to claim Free Shoes and the Taters. Are UGA fans happier to see GT in the ACC or would they like to see GT in the B1G? Same with Gator and Cock fans. The ACC is not my favorite conference but the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Better to have the ACC in my camp than to have them in the B1G or B12 camp fighting me.

If Sankey says the SEC is going to 16, then so be it. Until then 14 is fine and I will pay little heed to B1G or B12 fans starting brush fires to try and distract me.

If the B1G and SEC crack the ACC, I think ESPN would give the ACC the same deal they gave the B12: "Stay at 10 (plus partial Notre Dame), and we'll keep your total payout the same." ESPN does this because they control ALL of the ACC content, whereas they'd have to share w/ Fox if the B12 absorbs FSU and co. Maybe ESPN even gives them the conference network they've been pining for.

I even think Notre Dame would consider full ACC membership if it was absolutely necessary. Because if the ACC falls, they are faced w/ joining the B1G (who they obviously hate, for some reason), the SEC (probably a non-starter), or the Franken121416whatever.

I think the biggest actual threat is if the B12 folds, and the ACC takes 6 refugees to form a 20 team league (plus partial Notre Dame). If the ACC takes UTx/TTech/OU/OSU/KU/WVU, they can split the first five of those teams as one geographically contiguous pod. Then West Virginia easily slots into a pod of other Northeast ACC schools (where they always wanted to be in the first place).