New Sign of Realignment Trouble for the ACC

The biggest hire of the college football offseason is sending some powerful realignment signals to the ACC.

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[TheToddFather]

I don’t think anyone at UNC ran off Mack because he was too old. He was running the program as an experience. There was no commitment to win. He lost to JMU in a blowout, lost to Duke and lost to NC State 4 years in a row. Mack Brown wasn’t improving anything. North Carolina has never been world beaters in football. If BB doesn’t work out, not much will be lost.

[LyleTuttle-bc]

Both ACC teams are 1 and done. Both losses totaled 42 points or 21 points a loss. However with 2 ACC teams getting in the playoff, the ACC will not implode, and FSU and Clemson won't be going anywhere.

[keitht]

Re-alignment is not driving anything, it's the chase for $$$ by both schools and the athletes that driving all of it. Re-alignment is a symptom, not the cause.

[robk]

Belichick’s father played at UNC. So there’s a history here.

[crisco-crispy]

All these schools criticizing FSU are learning that they had a point and whether people have the forward site to anticipate the changes- they too are about to find out. There are working towards 2 major conferences in a top tier league with super money 💰 better get yourself a seat at the table

[willpsone]

I'm not sure this really represents a change or anything like that- everybody in ACC land who has a realistic view of things has long understood that there are two paths forward for the league and it's schools- either grab a seat at the SEC/Big Ten table whenever those seats become available or make our existing ACC product more exciting/notable/whatever in order to compete if those SEC/Big Ten seats don't ever actually become available. The difference between what UNC is doing here vs what FSU did/is doing is FSU trying to damage the ACC in order to create an out for spots in the SEC/Big Ten that aren't actually open and might not ever be open. No problem at all with making your product better in order to make it more attractive if/when spots become available because that in turn does actually help the ACC as it exists now and no problem at all with openly expressing an interest in getting into the SEC/Big Ten if the opportunity presented itself- as a Georgia Tech fan I can definitely say we are in the exact same camp and, again, if everyone in ACC land is honest with themselves they are saying/thinking the exact same thing. Just don't go out of your way to destroy/harm the ACC as it exists in order to do, especially when there isn't actually any clear path forward.

[JohnOakley-ncpg]

That would be great for this Conference!

[paulkweiner]

Hey John,
Interesting, entertaining and informative ! Excellent plus job !!!

[michelleweintraub]

I thought UNC was a lock to be admitted to either of the P2. Why would they need to hire Belicheck to improve their football program? I think they might be doing this to elevate the prestige of the ACC, so the conference can try to negotiate a better media deal.

[JoKeer]

First thing I thought of when I saw that 10 million a year contract, “looks like they are leaving the ACC”

[seanm]

The other way to look at it is North Carolina has so much potential Rialto be great. Why do you think the B1G and SEC want them? This could be a huge win for the ACC in general. You have 2 teams in the playoffs in the first year. GA Tech, Miami, Syracuse are improved. Stanford hired Andrew Luck as the gm of football, so they're showing they want to get better as well. If clemson stays clemson, and SMU continuity grow, this conference could pass up the Big Xll as the #3 conference.

[mikeshaw]

I agree with the swinging for the fence.not sure this is going to work but it does show UNC may finally be getting serious. It may work, we’ll see.

[runnerxc]

They didn't run Mack Brown off for being too old.

[chuckwright]

when you gonna admit you jumped the gun on the expansion thing...

[nnnnnopenoway]

Let's be honest, the concept of a power 2 is going to lose so many viewers it would be doomed to fail. College football viewership and attendance, except the Big 12 championship, we're WAYYYY up this year because everybody matters now. Make it an east coast heavy 2 conference sport.... You lose 20M viewers minimum. College football isn't big because of brand recognition, it's big because of academic pride and loyalty. The ACC needs to stick together. The boat isn't sinking. Hell, what if the Pac 12 sequel isn't bad? Regionality matters. So does traditional and historical rivalries.

[chriscrossinthrulife]

Carolina ran off Mack Brown because he failed to produce a product worthy of his hype. Age had little to do with it.

[andrewpolunsky]

Quite comical coming from the Lil 12 who was worried about getting 1 team into the CFP while the ACC was looking at 3 teams in up until the last week 😂

[popeyeschicknbiscuit]

Weird to see this realignment push for a power 2 while we are also starting to see NIL create more parody across all the power 4. Just look at what Colorado is doing in the portal rn

[kenmcbride]

I can't wait for Clemson, FSU and NC to leave the ACC basketball conference.

[kev]

At this point, in football only. All the conferences need to be done away with. Let all the other sports play mostly regionally with the traditional conferences and let football do their own thing. Whether that’s 1 giant league or 2 leagues simulator to AFC and NFC or however they wanna do it. But the way the conferences are structured now just doesn’t make sense for football.