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Why can't the ACC make any money?
Posted on 8/14/26 at 10:57 am
Posted on 8/14/26 at 10:57 am
It's weird to me that between the Big 12 and ACC, that the ACC is the one that can't get media deals done. When you look at the ACC compared to the Big 12, the ACC is better brands and bigger fanbases across the board while the Big 12 is pretty much a bunch of directional schools. The ACC will be the next conference raided because nobody really wants any of the teams that are currently in the Big 12. So, why is the ACC seen as the inferior conference to the Big 12? Someone explain this to me.
This post was edited on 8/14/26 at 11:02 am
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Posted on 8/14/26 at 11:11 am to Landmass
To me they're pretty much equal as conferences unless FSU or Clemson is good. Both have fallen off. TT has a chance to climb as a football program but as of now neither conference has marquee games that are must see. ACC appears to lack true leadership. Sankey sucks imo but the SEC is strong enough to prop him up.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 11:16 am to Landmass
Way back in the day the ACC was "The Basketball Conference" with great programs such as Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Maryland to name some of the stars...AGAIN...way back in the day. Clemson was the only football school and they weren't great all the time.
The Big 12 used to be the Big 8 with Football Powers Oklahoma and Nebraska...and occasionally Colorado and Oklahoma State...then they became the Big 12 with the Texas schools joining the conference...hence a MUCH better Football conference then the ACC.
Even with the losses of Hook 'em and Gig 'em as well as Oklahoma and Nebraska it still kept the stereotype of being a better football conference than Duke/NC.
I might be off my rocker(grandpa pun) but this is why I always think of the Big 12 as a better football conference than the ACC. Granted the ACC is better at the top with Miami, FSU, and Clemson as the "Blue Bloods" but the rest of the conference isn't good enough to vault them over the Big 12 in perception.
The Big 12 used to be the Big 8 with Football Powers Oklahoma and Nebraska...and occasionally Colorado and Oklahoma State...then they became the Big 12 with the Texas schools joining the conference...hence a MUCH better Football conference then the ACC.
Even with the losses of Hook 'em and Gig 'em as well as Oklahoma and Nebraska it still kept the stereotype of being a better football conference than Duke/NC.
I might be off my rocker(grandpa pun) but this is why I always think of the Big 12 as a better football conference than the ACC. Granted the ACC is better at the top with Miami, FSU, and Clemson as the "Blue Bloods" but the rest of the conference isn't good enough to vault them over the Big 12 in perception.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 11:38 am to NitsFan71
...and you could argue that currently the Big12 is a better, or at least on par, basketball conference than the ACC.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 11:45 am to Landmass
Fan apathy.
Look up how many ACC stadiums have home attendance in the top 25.
Rodo
Look up how many ACC stadiums have home attendance in the top 25.
Rodo
Posted on 8/14/26 at 11:58 am to kajunman
Basketball.
UNC and Duke make a ton of money
Plus they do have some pretty good marketplaces so not sure...maybe they are asking way to much?
UNC and Duke make a ton of money
Plus they do have some pretty good marketplaces so not sure...maybe they are asking way to much?
This post was edited on 8/14/26 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:00 pm to Gatorbait2008
Agree with your basketball take. Although Kansas is stout in the Big 12.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:09 pm to Landmass
Long story short, cultural/academic differences that lead to infighting, cronyism, terrible management at the top, putting all eggs in the espn basket and bad timing. The acc could have been a much stronger and more lucrative conference if it were self serving instead of unc serving.
This post was edited on 8/14/26 at 2:32 pm
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:09 pm to Landmass
quote:
It's weird to me that …
Name 4 ACC teams you’d want to watch their football games on Saturday. I can’t name 1.
And that’s right now. ACC hasn’t been picked over yet. Why would anyone pay the conference big money to show …. the last games of the season of ACC leader because they might be in the CFP.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:10 pm to p226
Miami was way more interesting than lsu last year
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:26 pm to Landmass
The former ACC commish- Swafford, locked the ACC into a long-term contract with Espn, thats why you don’t hear any talk of media deals in the works. That being said the ACC does still make more than the Big12
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:27 pm to bamabaseballsec
Forest and trees. The point is …. All that stuff.
We’re talking about why ACC can’t make money like other conferences. I’m saying the teams aren’t interesting, not competitive.
We’re talking about why ACC can’t make money like other conferences. I’m saying the teams aren’t interesting, not competitive.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:38 pm to bamabaseballsec
I think you guys shitting on LSU are going to be in for quite the surprise. LSU like Bama, is a sleeping monster just waiting for the right coach. They wandered the desert waiting for that coach to arrive again and won 2 national titles during that wait. Neither the grass eating Les Miles or shrimp boat captain Coach O were elite coaches. Yet they both won titles.
They now have an elite coach again. Yall hate Kiffin now. Just wait.
They now have an elite coach again. Yall hate Kiffin now. Just wait.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 12:48 pm to Landmass
Outside of Miami, Florida State and Clemson, they have terrible football branding.At most they can have three big games a year. The SEC can have three big games in a weekend.
Think about it like this:
At the low level:
Mississippi State vs. Kentucky >>>>>> Boston College vs. Stanford, Syracuse vs. Wake Forest.
At the mid level:
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee >>>>>>> Georgia Tech vs. Maryland, Pitt vs. SMU
At the high level:
Georgia vs. Alabama >>>>>> Florida State vs. Miami, Clemson vs. Miami.
Think about it like this:
At the low level:
Mississippi State vs. Kentucky >>>>>> Boston College vs. Stanford, Syracuse vs. Wake Forest.
At the mid level:
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee >>>>>>> Georgia Tech vs. Maryland, Pitt vs. SMU
At the high level:
Georgia vs. Alabama >>>>>> Florida State vs. Miami, Clemson vs. Miami.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 1:17 pm to auburn2eugene
They now have an elite coach again
Do they, I’m wait and see on kiffin, I think it could go a lot of different ways. No offense to non big 6 schools but being the hunted is much tougher than being the hunter. Whether the man fails or succeeds youll be able to look back and construct a narrative that points to why he did or didn’t bc there is ample evidence for both.
Do they, I’m wait and see on kiffin, I think it could go a lot of different ways. No offense to non big 6 schools but being the hunted is much tougher than being the hunter. Whether the man fails or succeeds youll be able to look back and construct a narrative that points to why he did or didn’t bc there is ample evidence for both.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 1:27 pm to Landmass
quote:
So, why is the ACC seen as the inferior conference to the Big 12? Someone explain this to me.
A big factor is the time zones.
ESPN is desperate to fill the 10:00 PM ET time slot because west coast fans tune in and CFB obsessed east coast fans will watch games on Saturday until there is nothing left to watch.
The Big 12 having so many Mountain Time Zone teams + Arizona and Arizona State who match Pacific time through early November helps ESPN fill this gap.
They don't want the ACC because they'd rather air a middling SEC game over an ACC game in most cases. Stanford and Cal are the only late night options for the ACC.
Basically the ACC suffers by being in the SEC's backyard.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 1:36 pm to Landmass
quote:
Why can't the ACC make any money?
Because the conference spans three geographical areas, only one of which cares about football, which is what drives revenue. The lack of success from top brands hasn't helped, but it's got a geography problem that's paramount.
Generally speaking, conferences that have been geographically oriented east/west have outperformed those that have been north/south. For a variety of reasons, regions in the US are mostly oriented east/west. Conferences that follow that pattern are more likely to be comprised of better-aligned universities, fan bases, and interests, and have so far been the most stable: the SEC, Big 10, Sun Belt, and MAC.
This post was edited on 8/14/26 at 1:37 pm
Posted on 8/14/26 at 2:03 pm to NaturalStateReb
I don’t think geographical orientation has anything to do with it. I think it’s more the opposite of what you’re saying. The acc wasn’t split geographically it was zipper aligned. Which broke up regional acc and big east rivalries.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 2:37 pm to NaturalStateReb
Basketball also drives revenue. I guarantee UNC and Duke draw a ton of money per year. Them and Kentucky and Kansas are the kings of Basketball.
Posted on 8/14/26 at 2:37 pm to bamabaseballsec
Big XII has many schools that are the only show in town and easily the most popular team in their state (BYU, Kansas, West Virginia). They also have a number of schools that are easily the second most popular team in their state (Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State). These passionate fans drive attendance, viewership, and revenue.
ACC schools can't say that about any of their members except Clemson football and UNC basketball.
ACC schools can't say that about any of their members except Clemson football and UNC basketball.
This post was edited on 8/14/26 at 2:39 pm
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