Syracuse Officially Bolts Big East in ’13: Why The Stalemate Was Silly
D.A. | Jul 16, 2012 | Comments 14
LacrossePlayground.com
Syracuse finally announced today the school would indeed be moving to the ACC in 2013. In other news, it may be warm outside this month and Fab Melo could’ve taken his studies more seriously. This always seemed like a no-brainer until the Big East began waffling a few months back.
“Yeah, we know what we said before,” you could imagine Joe Bailey saying as he pawed at the dirt in front of him. “But we were kinda thinking it over, and maybe you should stay for an extra year…”
This was always about the jilted Big East looking to recoup some more cash, since the conference is starting to look a lot like the Island of Misfit Schools. That venerable Big East tourney at MSG is gonna feel just like the old days when Houston battles UCF for a chance at Memphis in the quarterfinals.
Syracuse was staring at a 27-month window and $5M payout to jump from the conference. But for a mere $2.5 more, we can cut that wait time in half. Voila! And it cuts through cans too!
“Yeah, I don’t know if we can let you out of this deal… unless of course you’d be willing to pay a little more…”
We all know this was untenable. West Virginia cried and groused and finally pushed its way out immediately. Pitt levied a lawsuit. Syracuse (for the most part) kept its mouth shut, and tried to play nice. It looked like the road was paved for an amicable split, but when The Electrician John Marinatto was dumped the Big East tried to play hardball again.
What would have been the end result? Two lame duck years in a conference that you want to exit? A bonus round of conference resentment from the other schools left behind? Another two Media Days in each sport distracted from the athletes? Letting this guillotine hang over everyone’s head until 2014 would have been short-sighted.
Darryl Gross said the right things. “Both sides thought the deal was truly reasonable, and it was done in a most collegial way. We’re excited that we were able to negotiate and that sophisticated minds came into play and we were able to get it done.”
But let’s face it, the only thing the Big East can salvage is a few extra bucks. SU ponied up because it’ll recoup that soon in the new ACC TV deal. $7.5M to depart for a more stable and properly run conference in a calendar year? Money well spent.
Posted: D.A.
Filed Under: ACC Realignment • Featured
I know its not going to be popular but I can’t YET find the joy in leaving the BE..I know its finacially necessary but Im a little saddened to see Eastern football moving south piece by piece..go “Cuse”..
@Russell MacEachern;at first I to Russ really didn’t like the idea of going to the ACC, but now I believe that it’s going to be ok for Syracuse. Long ago I was hoping that Penn State would return to Big East and help form a northern division for football,but when Boston College bolted I knew then that it was never going to happen the way that I had hoped.
Let’s take a look at what will be coming to the dome,we will have Boston College,Maryland,Pittsburgh and Virginia all good teams to play every year along with Clemson and Florida State. Can you picture that?
Think about the men’s and women’s basketball games. Say goodby Kentucky to the overall attendance record because both will bring bigger crowds into the dome during the winter months. Can you picture it yet?
Better games for the men’s and women’s laccrosse teams. The women’s softball team will be playing in the dome,field hockey will be better. I’m trying to tell everyone Russ, that things will inprove dramatically after July 1,2013. Can you picture the change yet?
After all of the complaining and telling everyone that I had given up on Syracuse and wouldn’t be a season ticket any longer,my son’s did an awful lot of talking and convinced me that turning them in would be a hugh mistake and convinced me that the competition had just gotten a whole lot better and I agreed.
GO CUSE;
@Ron,thanks its just gonna take a bit of digesting..Im really gonna miss our rivalrys with UConn and RU in particular..worthy rivals..Im 60 and old habits die hard!!see ya during our winning streak!!
There wasnt a stalemate da get a clue
Its called negotiating two sides with different priorities find a common ground
This site should be shut down until they can find someone with a clue
this was a necessary move on behalf of upgrading our athletic programs. i applaud syracuse in how they handled this deal. this move had to happen, because theres no stability in the big east..
@Russell,before the Big East was formed, Syracuse was an independant for football. My how things have changed!!
I hope that when Syracuse schedules their non-conference games that they remember who it was that got them where they are today. The GODFATHERS of the BIG EAST,Little Louie Carnasaca,Rollie Massimino,John Thompson and Dave Gavitt along with Jim Boeheim. I would hope that Syracuse would keep St.Johns, Georgetown, Villanova and Providence on the schedule.
One only has to think,can Syracuse keep it’s old friend’s on the schedule with the new schedule that is going to come with the ACC? Think about that,not even the mighty Kentucky Wildcats could handle a season with a loaded schedule like that.
It’s going to be interesting.
I have extremely mixed feelings on Syracuse leaving the Big East. I completely agree this is the right (or best) move for the future. If Syracuse were the lone team leaving I would be incensed but the Big East as we know is gone forever – very sad. One on hand it’s going to be exciting to be playing Duke and Carolina every year, but on the other it just doesn’t make up for UConn, Gtown, Nova, ND, Marquette, St Johns, etc. It’ll be a bittersweet Big East tournament in NYC this year – I don’t know that I’ll even be able to bring myself to watch the 2014 BE tourney.
I’m excited the direction it seems the football team is moving in. We’re recruiting better and I think being in the ACC will help us recruit more warm weather talent in GA, FL, SC, etc. I was never married to any of the football rivalries, so I’m less concerned about seeing the schedule change. I know we bicker over the quality ACC vs BE, but I’ve been to some in-conference ACC games and the atmosphere is much better – tailgates, students, number of fans, etc. I see this as a step forward in football; hoping we can return to prominence.
I also live in Atlanta now, so I’ll have quite a few more opportunities to see the Orange in person. Looking forward to some fall Saturday’s in Clemson, Chapel Hill, down at Bobby Dodd here in Atlanta, etc.
GO CUSE
Big picture – this is not about SU leaving the Big East. This is a complete re$shaping of college $ports. The Big East that we all loved is dying a slow and painful death. We didn’t want to be there when they put the last nail in the coffin. I will miss a couple of the rivalries, the BET in MSG and the frequent trips to they NY/NJ area by our teams. I will not miss the small school, small conference mentality that killed the BE in the first place.
I agree Ira. It’s like watching your 8th grade girlfriend, who was once loving and fun, turn into a lush in high school. You might long for the good old days, but it’s not going to happen so you move on. The only true rivalry I ever felt in football was against Miami anyway.
I don’t understand?I thought it was the small catholic bb school’s that was the problem?Heck we can’t blame everyone (BE)else on footballs demise!!I thought Groobers brought it down?Hell..Cinncy,RU,UConn,Louville,et al thrived in the BE?what hyappened to us?I look at BC and can’t believe how far the ACC moved hurt there recruiting and place in the national spotlight…heck even Boston don’t watch them anymore!!!MD w/out Locksleys hiring starting to stink also..Temple38Md7..Edsall had a mutiny on his hands pre-Locksley and I see RE and Locks clashing in a power struggle down the line…UMiami called the Big12 and reaffirmed there commitment to the ACC “after they were rejected” so im still not seeing anything more than dollars in separating the ACC/BE..heck I don’t like the way they talk about us on there board’s!!I guess ill just have to get used to it…give me a little time fellas..go “Cuse”
@Bgogo..u show your age..believe me Miami don’t consider us a rival and we were great when they did’nt even have a team!what doe’s a rivalry consist of?There facing sanctions constantly since the 80s?There a factory and were a institution of Education first…no geography,no culture..outside of being a private school we have nothing in common with that “school”…not my favorite place!!I agree nothing makes me happier that to kick there butt’s..lol..again I was posting at the same time u were..lol..
I’m with you guys. Not having MSG in March will suck, and some of the vintage rivalries are lost – but the more you stare at what the new BE will look like – the less you want to be a part of it. Granted they might not have made these changes without SU leaving, but the BE standing pat was not a great idea either. Onto the ACC I say.
Russell: I’m 42. If you haven’t heard, 42 is the new 12. Therefore I’m 12. That’s still pretty young.
@bgogo,congratulations on reaching such an advanced and senior age…I was under the impression you were merely 38 or so…HaHa..hear about Ray Ray??at the U?..waddup?