ACC title game moving

[deskslave]

No surprise here.

What is surprising? It's moving to TAMPA. Because one Florida city worked so well, it's clearly logical to move it to another Florida city that is even further from 11 of the 12 schools in the conference.

Apparently it's because there's a convention in Charlotte in 2008 on the same weekend. It'll be Tampa in 08 and 09, then Charlotte the next two years. I'm sure for the 2010 game, it'll be 21 degrees and they'll have an ice storm.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=txaccchampionship&prov=st&type=lgns

 

[Moderator1]

But the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be open.

 

[93Devil]

But the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be open.

Do you take your first four left turns off of the interstate to get there?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

99% of the audience watches it on television, so it doesn't matter where it's played.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

99% of the audience watches it on television, so it doesn't matter where it's played.

Yeah, **** the ticket-buying public.

 

[wickedwritah]

I never understood holding this game anywhere outside the Carolinas.

Hell, they should play it in Columbia, at USC, before they play it again in Florida.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

99% of the audience watches it on television, so it doesn't matter where it's played.

Yeah, **** the ticket-buying public.

Pretty much. You haven't figured that out by now?

 

[GB-Hack]

Part of the reason it's going to be in Tampa is because of the way the city embraced the ACC Basketball tournament earlier this year.

The committee really liked it, and so did a lot of the fans that came down for the week.

 

[Jim Rockford]

If they really want to mess with the ticket-buying public and want good weather, move it my way, say, to the Rose Bowl, just to show up the Pac-10.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Part of the reason it's going to be in Tampa is because of the way the city embraced the ACC Basketball tournament earlier this year.

The committee really liked it, and so did a lot of the fans that came down for the week.

By embrace, do you mean all those empty seats?

Those empty seats don't happen when the ACC Basketball Tournament is held in either Greensboro or Charlotte.

Part of John Swofford's thinking was that the weather is better down in Florida. The part he doesn't tell you is his little expansion was supposed to be all about Florida State and Miami, how they were supposed to contend for the ACC title annually (and occasionally for the national title) and how this wonderful cash cow football title game would fatten the conference's slush fund.

Then Wake Forest became good (thank you in more than one way, Jim Grobe) and messed everything up. The Deacons and Georgia Tech played last year's title game in Jacksonville in front of thousands and thousands of empty seats. Attendance wasn't that much better for the Boston College-Virginia Tech matchup a couple of weeks ago.

Guess that projected Florida State-Miami domination fell flat on its face, eh Mr. Swofford?

Charlotte's weather won't likely be better than Jacksonville or Tampa. But it also gives the league a better chance of not hosting a game in an empty stadium, even if neither game participant is from North Carolina.

This should have been done from the start, but I suspect Swofford's arrogance was the reason this disaster has only now been corrected. Yes, the title game should likely be moved to different places but starting it in Florida has been a financial disaster.

Repeat after me, Mr. Swofford: The Atlantic Coast Conference is a basketball league. Write it on the chalkboard/greaseboard 50 or more times for reinforcement.

Rant over. Thank you for the soapbox.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Well, if you gotta pick cities in Florida as destinations, Jacksonville would be last on the list except for the fourth weekend in October, but then the stadium is occupied that weekend. I'd rate Tampa ahead of Jax. Little warmer and more to do, but really, this game has no business being in Florida whatsoever.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

I'm betting the Mons Venus people are behind all of this

 

[Pancamo]

The game has no business in Florida? Why, the Carolinas are the standard for football states? The dumbass part of having the game in Jacksonville was the losing usually ended up in the Gator Bowl six weeks later.

 

[GB-Hack]

I'm betting the Mons Venus people are behind all of this

Classic.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

This game should be held in DC or Baltimore. Maryland, UVA, VTech, NC State, Carolina, Duke, Wake, Clemson and probably BC are all within an eight hour drive of FedSex Field or M&T Bank Stadium. Plus there's easy access off of I-95, especially in Baltimore.

 

[chester]

This game should be held in DC or Baltimore. Maryland, UVA, VTech, NC State, Carolina, Duke, Wake, Clemson and probably BC are all within an eight hour drive of FedSex Field or M&T Bank Stadium. Plus there's easy access off of I-95, especially in Baltimore.

Don't they hold the Army/Navy game in Baltimore that same weekend every year. Or do they bounce between Baltimore and Philly?

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

This game should be held in DC or Baltimore. Maryland, UVA, VTech, NC State, Carolina, Duke, Wake, Clemson and probably BC are all within an eight hour drive of FedSex Field or M&T Bank Stadium. Plus there's easy access off of I-95, especially in Baltimore.

Don't they hold the Army/Navy game in Baltimore that same weekend every year. Or do they bounce between Baltimore and Philly?

It was in Philly this year so I believe that they either bounce or Philly hosts it permanently now. Also, DC is probably the biggest market that cares about ACC football. Jacksonville is Gator territory. Tampa is FSU, Florida and now South Florida country. DC has a buncha Virginia Tech, Md, UVA alums.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

This game should be held in DC or Baltimore. Maryland, UVA, VTech, NC State, Carolina, Duke, Wake, Clemson and probably BC are all within an eight hour drive of FedSex Field or M&T Bank Stadium. Plus there's easy access off of I-95, especially in Baltimore.

Charlotte is a better geographical center. Only Miami and Boston College would have to travel more than eight hours by vehicle.

D.C./Baltimore should get a chance for it at some point, though. They've supported the ACC very well in the past in other sports.

 

[ondeadline]

What's wrong with this crowd?

 

[wickedwritah]

This game should be held in DC or Baltimore. Maryland, UVA, VTech, NC State, Carolina, Duke, Wake, Clemson and probably BC are all within an eight hour drive of FedSex Field or M&T Bank Stadium. Plus there's easy access off of I-95, especially in Baltimore.

Don't they hold the Army/Navy game in Baltimore that same weekend every year. Or do they bounce between Baltimore and Philly?

It was in Philly this year so I believe that they either bounce or Philly hosts it permanently now. Also, DC is probably the biggest market that cares about ACC football. Jacksonville is Gator territory. Tampa is FSU, Florida and now South Florida country. DC has a buncha Virginia Tech, Md, UVA alums.

I thought Army/Navy was in Baltimore this year.

It's usually in Philly, but they've experimented with going to Baltimore on a few occasions. Last time they played it there before this year was 2000, I think.