Should Georgetown Join the ACC Before Sinking with the Big East?
By Luke McCann lmccann@thehoopsreport.com Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Earlier today, it was announced that Notre Dame would join the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, Notre Dame will not be joining the ACC full-time in football, just five games per year against ACC schools. They will be a fully joining the ACC for basketball which leaves the ACC with 15 basketball teams in the conference. It makes sense for the ACC to reach out to another school to get number 16 but make it a basketball only school, essentially like Notre Dame joined.This is where Georgetown comes into the picture. Georgetown is basketball only and is in a quickly sinking Big East conference. Georgetown has always had one of the better basketball programs nationally with a strong national brand. Furthermore, since Maryland is already in the ACC, this would lock up the DC TV market for the ACC. Speaking of TV, how will the Big East be able to negotiate a competitive TV deal in the future with the conference in limbo? The ACC has recently added Pittsburg and Syracuse, which increased value in both basketball and football. Notre Dame will help increase exposure in football and in the future, they may join full-time in football. Georgetown needs the ACC more than the ACC needs Georgetown. However, right now in this moment, the ACC needs a 16th member for basketball and Georgetown could be a giant addition.In other words, if Georgetown ever wants a shot at getting in the ACC, the time is now. Georgetown should be on the phone, begging John Swofford to take them. Swofford, on the other hand, could slow play it and continue to cherry pick from other schools which would add value in both football and basketball. Remember though, if the ACC brings in a football member school, they will need to bring in a pair to balance out the conference divisions. While it is possible, bringing in two for more schools for football would take some time. Georgetown can’t afford to wait this out on the sideline and see how it shakes out. Georgetown faces a decision, it is slowly sink or grab a life jacket from the ACC and climb on board just in time to join to the premier basketball conference in the nation. And who would be a better fit to join the best basketball conference in the nation than Georgetown? Well, Villanova since you asked.
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