While I think the “interest because of strong academics” part of this story is complete bullshit, I’m not surprised in the least to hear that Georgia Tech is rumored to be putting feelers out.
Man the lifeboats, boys! It’s every mediocre program for itself!
Filed under ACC Football, Georgia Tech Football, It's Just Bidness
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If the ACC falls apart Tech’s real option is probably the Big East. I still think that it is premature to write the ACC’s epitaph, though.
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They are putting out Feelers? The hell you say man. Conferences are probably salivating and down right fighting one another over the prospect of adding Georgia Tech.
The question is…with so many suitors–how could GT choose one?
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I dont think the “strong academics” part is bullshit, Senator. It’s just a kinder way of saying “we need another Vandy-style pushover as a conference game.” Why would they be looking to add a powerhouse team? Tech gives the Big 12 a toehold in the Atlanta tv market (so TV will love it), a toehold in the Georgia recruiting market, and all at minimal cost in terms of potential future losses to the current conference powers.
Based on every major decision they’ve made for athletics at Tech the last 50 years, the odds are that this doesnt end well for them if it happens. Maybe they should go ahead and join the Southern Conference and get it over with.
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plus, I might add, Tech gives every coach, administrator and player over the age of 21 access to the Atlanta strip club market. Let’s not overlook THAT regional point of pride.
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If the Big 12 picks up Florida State and Clemson, can the SEC trade Arkansas and Missouri back to the Big 12 for those two?
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+1.
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Hmmm… If the Big 12 is interested in the Atlanta market plus strong academics, perhaps they should try to convince Emory to add a football program. That would mean higher academic prestige – and maybe they’d throw the ball ever now and then…
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+1
As an Emory grad I just had to laugh. This is why I’m a Dawg fan.
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As an UGA grad and current Emory grad student, I would love an Emory football program. It would give me something to do on this stuffy campus.
We would obviously start small and run a Pop Warner-style offense. Got any ideas on what to run(hint, hint)?
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Get into the Fraternity League. Sometimes flag football gets to tacklin’ in the mud. Many schools that don’t field a team will have frustrated jocks all over the place. They gravitate to the Fraternity teams by joining or as ringers. And sometimes they forget they have no pads. Primitive-played football on intellectual campuses; that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.
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Try Pi Kappa Alpha at Emory. Understand that sometimes they play nasty.
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It does seem to make a lot more sense for Tech than the conference. Tech needs cash, and there’s only so much you can get from a smallish lukewarm football fan base. They’re building a new arena. They raised much of the cost of their new indoor facility from private funds, but they’re struggling to remain solvent and competitive with a $55 million budget – 2nd-lowest of all public schools in the ACC and $10 million below ACC average. Would they sacrifice competitiveness and a better natural fit in the ACC for a much larger gravy train? Does First Baptist have a van?
On the other hand, the thought of Texas and Oklahoma dipping into Atlanta every now and then isn’t a pleasant one.
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I hate Tech and love to poke fun at it as much as anyone, BUT, the Atlanta TV market is a big attraction to conferences.
Here is another thing to keep in mind. The Big 10 Network’s deal with cable and satellite companies is that the BIg 10 Network gets a $X per subscriber in states that do not have a Big Ten team and $5X (I think it is; it may be 4 times or 6 times, but it is a lot more) per subscriber in states that do have a Big Ten team. Georgia has one of the top third states in population. There are a lot of cable and satellite subscribers with sports packages in Georgia. By simply adding Tech the increased subscription revenue from millions of Georgia viewers would go up a hell of a lot without signing up any more viewers. Tech or GA State are the only teams available in GA for the Big Ten.
Florida is a bigger pot of gold. The Big Ten should court FSU.
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Whoa! It just occurred to me… If GT leaves the ACC and joins a better conference, that means that the local affiliates would start carrying games from that conference, so I wouldn’t be stuck with Wake/Maryland as a main option on Saturdays. Niiiicce. Here’s to Tech being the new footstool of the Big 12 or Big Ten or whatever…
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Footstool U. – I Like It !
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Sorry. FU is already taken.
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