re: B1G and SEC will collaborate to seperate Duke and North Carolina.

The latter part actually looks pretty good. The permanent pairings look thought out.

These proposed pods with LSU, A&M, Missouri, and Arkansas together are terrible. That division would be a Big 12/SWC conference more than a SEC conference. Plus, they aren't as balanced when it comes to pairing out of division permanent opponents.

NW:
Alabama (Tenn)
Auburn (UGA)
Missouri (Arkansas)
MSU (Ole Miss)

SW:
LSU (Florida)
A&M (Va Tech)
Arkansas (Missouri)
Ole Miss (MSU)

NE:
Tennessee (Alabama)
Va Tech (A&M)
NC (USC)
Vanderbilt (KY)

SE:
Florida (LSU)
UGA (Auburn)
USC (NC)
Kentucky (Vandy)

Simply moving Ole Miss into the division instead of Missouri:
1) balances the strength of all four divisions (putting one of the worst teams in each of the four divisions instead of loading one division with two)
2) balances the strength of the best teams in different divisions by splitting up the big six as evenly as possible.
3) keeps the LSU/Ole Miss game in the same division
4) keeps the LSU/Florida game (a game of national interest)
5) gives MSU/Ole Miss a relevant permanent out of division opponent of appropriate strength and
6) allows you to pair Mizzou/Arky as out of division opponents

quote:

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I really think they both want to go to he big 12. UVA is rumored to have already accepted a big 12 deal so they can't take both UNC and Duke. So we either have to take them or there must be a split. Duke is letting UNC speak for them so......

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Big10 you mean?

UNC and Duke are posturing right now. They know they won't be together in the next round of expansion if the ACC fails. Simply makes no sense for either us or the B1G monetarily.

How this goes down is IF the ACC is destabilized and teams start to jump, we sit down with North Carolina, show them what we have to sell, inform them that we are taking Va Tech, and we've got a spot for them if they want it, but Duke needs to accept the B1G invite they'd inevitably get. If UNC doesn't accept these terms, we are going to pursue NC State -- and they should view it as a cautionary tale based on what's happening down in Texas right now.

IF that were to happen, the B1G would ultimately pursue UNC -- and Duke would likely be left to the new(basketball only) Big East or something similar. So, in UNC trying to "protect" their rivalry with Duke, they ultimately screw Duke longterm -- instead of both landing on their feet and continuing their rivalry as a great OOC series similar to practically every team in the SEC east already enjoys with UNC in the SEC, Duke in the B1G, and NC State in the eastern division of the Big12 along with FSU, West Va, Clemson, Miami, Louisville.