North Carolina has officially been offered to join the Big Ten

[HungaryGator]

Per Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports, who broke the story of Maryland joining the Big Ten.

Rumors that Virginia would be the 16th team if UNC accepts offer.

Here's a link to Jeff Ermann's Twitter where he is talking more about it. https://twitter.com/insidemdsports
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If this is true the SEC will obviously respond. There's no way the SEC would not put up a fight for UNC.

[geauxgator1]

Wow.. that would hurt the ACC big time if they jumped. ACC is barely viable as it is.

[elrongator]

SEC should just get to 16 and be done with it too.

[LeafUF]

Doesn't a lot of the ACC movement depend on Maryland's lawsuit? I think I read somewhere that if they successfully fight the exit fees then its open season on the conference and more realignment will begin.

[1984Gator]

Originally Posted by HungaryGator

Per Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports, who broke the story of Maryland joining the Big Ten.

Rumors that Virginia would be the 16th team if UNC accepts offer.

Here's a link to Jeff Ermann's Twitter where he is talking more about it. https://twitter.com/insidemdsports
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If this is true the SEC will obviously respond. There's no way the SEC would not put up a fight for UNC.

Nothing much to it. B1G want UNC. A no brainer!

[dadx4]

I still say let's add Clemson and refshrooms and be done with it.

[TheGator]

Originally Posted by dadx4

I still say let's add Clemson and refshrooms and be done with it.

No this is about entering new states and TV markets, none of which Clemson adds.

[tegator80]

Kind of surprised with this move. They really don't have anything in common with the Mid-west. Probably thought that they could compete better there than in the SEC. Not sure what 2 teams the SEC is courting to get to 16. And NO, not FSU and Clemson. Bad choices looking forward.

[Brodeur]

Originally Posted by TheGator

No this is about entering new states and TV markets, none of which Clemson adds.

Yep. If UNC and UVA go to the Big 10+6, SEC will probably target NC State and VaTech. The next move would then be FSU and Clemson begging the Big XII to invite them (possibly bringing Miami and GaTech with them).

[luciaboy]

I haven't seen anything about this from the mainstream media

[atlantagator86]

Originally Posted by LeafUF

Doesn't a lot of the ACC movement depend on Maryland's lawsuit? I think I read somewhere that if they successfully fight the exit fees then its open season on the conference and more realignment will begin.

It's not really dependent, but it would be a risky move for a school like FSU to announce a move without knowing whether it was going to cost them $10 million or $50 million to leave.

So the thought has been that schools like FSU, Clemson and GT would wait until Maryland gets the $50 million buyout thrown out before they announce their moves, many of which I think are pretty much defined.

But here's what I think could be the interesting part to UNC. UNC essentially is the power of the ACC and the primary school that's held the conference together and they are the one school that can single handedly destroy the ACC.

IF UNC leaves, that would pretty much be the death blow to the conference. There really wouldn't be anyone left to fight for the $50 million buyout because if UNC leaves, that probably almost ensures the conference imploded, $50 million buyout goes away, and probably almost immediately results in FSU, Clemson, GT, UVA, VT and NCSU leaving the ACC.

But I'm not sure I'm buying this UNC move at this point. And it should be noted that the report is only that the Big-10 wants UNC, not that UNC is ready to go yet.

First of all, AT THIS POINT, I don't see UNC leaving without Duke. I have said all along that ultimately, UNC might have to choose to either leave Duke to join the Big-10 or SEC, or die by Duke's side as a basketball school in whatever remains of the ACC. But they aren't at that point of deciding. The only way I see them leaving this early is if Duke is going with them, which hasn't been mentioned.

Second, all the talk recently seems to center on the Big-10 taking whichever 4 or 6 schools it wants from the ACC - and the SEC and Big-12 fighting for the scraps. I don't see that happening at all. The SEC isn't going to allow the Big-10 to control the expansion process. If UNC is really prepared to consider leaving now, without Duke, then I don't think the SEC lets that happen without making a serious run at UNC first.

UNC is THE crown jewel of expansion right now and the one program that could make the SEC become proactive in expansion. It's a similar scenario to Texas A&M where the SEC didn't really want to expand at the time, but Texas A&M was just too good a fit to pass up. UNC being available could make the SEC consider making a move now.

That's not to say UNC wouldn't ultimately prefer the Big-10, but I just don't see the SEC sitting on it's hands if there's a chance UNC is willing to leave Duke now.

[atlantagator86]

Originally Posted by Brodeur

Yep. If UNC and UVA go to the Big 10+6, SEC will probably target NC State and VaTech. The next move would then be FSU and Clemson begging the Big XII to invite them (possibly bringing Miami and GaTech with them).

Surprisingly, there has been a decent amount of buzz about FSU going to the Big-10 as well, if the Big-10 goes to 20 teams. FSU has apparently been trying to sell itself hard to both the Big-10 and SEC.

I think FSU sees that in the long-term, when the Pac-12 has to expand (and it will), it's more than likely going after Texas, OU, OSU and Texas Tech again - there really aren't any other good options available to the Pac-12. So a move to the Big-12 could ultimately end up putting FSU in the same exact position of being in an unstable conference they're in now.

While I still think the Big-12 is the most likely destination for both FSU and Clemson, there's a possibility FSU ends up in the Big-10.

[your_perfect_enemy]

It's going to be funny if/when the acc implodes and all the schools that just bolted the big east for the acc are going to be left without a home and might be forced to come crawling back

[gatormoe1]

Hilarious, Big10 fancies themselves a football conference so what do they do? Go get a crappy football program to pad their schedule even more.

[Dreamliner]

This will no doubt add color to the Big10. Doesn't UNC have a big scandal every five years or so ?

[tilly]

Haven't heard this on local radio or TV in the Carolina's.

The popular belief is that Duke and Carolina are a package no matter what.

[GatorLaw]

A Tweet by a blogger doesn't sound very official to me.

[acegator]

I think its just some guy wanting my attention on twitter.

[MiddleTNgator]

Didn't the Big 10 mention possibly going as high as 20?

If so, it seems there plan could be UNC and Virginia followed by Clemson, GA Tech, FSU, and Miami. Especially with the SEC not wanting those schools and possible fear of a Big 12 implosion by an expanding Pac12

[luciaboy]

the acc is nc. I haven't seen anything nor do I believe they will leave