AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USACC split causes confusion
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I think Clemson coach Tommy Bowden was joking. He was speaking on the weekly ACC coaches teleconference with reporters on Wednesday when somebody asked him to comment on the Atlantic Division being 6-1 against the Coastal Division this season. “Which one are we in?” Bowden asked.
The fact remains that the ACC’s division breakdown remains a mystery to many people, and it’s likely to stay that way. Hard-core fans have learned which teams are on which side, but fans who follow other conferences most of the time aren’t going to remember who’s Coastal and who’s Atlantic any more than they could remember who was Red, White and Blue in the old Conference USA format.
Things would be so much simpler if the ACC had broken in two along north-south lines. At least then everyone would assume that Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech and Clemson were in the south and Boston College, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech were in the north. The North Carolina schools would still be hard to keep track of, it’s true, but at least there’d be some idea who’s who. The easiest way to get from the status quo to a north-south format would be to have FSU and Clemson swap divisions with Virginia and Virginia Tech and leave the other schools the same. The bad news for Tech: It’s new division would be tougher than its current one the majority of the time.
Clemson, by the way, is in the Atlantic Division. Tech is the only Coastal team that has beaten an Atlantic team (Maryland).
Comments
By Bob
October 18, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this
The ACC came up with this goofy alignment because they didn’t want the Noles and Canes in the same division, anticipating many Championship games between the two. Good planning by the conference heads!? The SEC and Big 12 breakouts make sense; the ACCs is simply dumb.
By The Man
October 18, 2006 06:09 PM | Link to this
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! V
By the way The Man, you are a silly little limp wristed school girl homo boy who has nothing better to
October 18, 2006 06:46 PM | Link to this
The alignment was made to balance divisions and keep GT, Clemson, FSU, Miami, and NC state out of the same division. The north would probably never win a championship if it was like that.
By TechCello
October 18, 2006 06:49 PM | Link to this
Why does ‘The Man’ insist on being an idiot on all the blogs?
By Doc Savage
October 18, 2006 08:12 PM | Link to this
The Man is 12 years old, autistic, and is being sexually abused by his uncle, X-congressman Mark-it-on-my-a* Foley, Repuke Neo-Scum bag from Florida.
By War Eagle
October 18, 2006 08:40 PM | Link to this
I THINK TECH WILL WIN BIG AGAINST CLEMSON, BEES HAVE THINGS GOING FOR THEM…GOOD LUCK AND BEAT that BOWDON, WHO`S BROTHER ALMOST RUINED AUBURN FOOTBALL.
By Nickat Nite
October 19, 2006 12:17 AM | Link to this
There are two geographic features that dominate the ACC; the Piedmont Plateau and the Coastal Plain. Many of the ACC schools are either on or near US 29 (Piedmont) or US 1 (Coastal)
This is how the ACC should have been aligned to make it easier for the fans to remember. Plus you would have preserved some of the traditional conference rivalries such as FSU & GT.
Piedmont Division Virginia Tech Virginia Wake Forest Clemson Georgia Tech Florida State
Coastal Division Boston College Maryland Duke NC State North Carolina Miami
Right now this would be out of whack strength wise but the SEC West at one time was a lot weaker than the SEC East. Upcoming coaching changes at Miami and UNC would strengthen this division
By CW
October 19, 2006 12:48 AM | Link to this
Splitting the ACC the way it is now was almost certainly a condition for Miami to agree to join the conference, and for the conference to get the best possible TV deal. Although the geography doesn’t make sense, two years ago it wouldn’t have made sense to take the two obvious “marquee” teams and put them in the same division. Although the South would be the more difficult division with UM, FSU, GT, Clemson and any 2 of the NC teams, the whole division strength could be mitigated by adding a fourth cross-division game that rotates. That way, every ACC team would play 9 conf games instead of the 8 they play now. Although the coaches would hate that because then they would have to get rid of one of their cupcakes like Middle Tenn or FAMU.
By StirThePot
October 19, 2006 10:09 AM | Link to this
Why don’t we take this “problem” and make it fun and exciting for the fans. Let’s change the conferences each year. At the end of the year, the top two overall teams in the ACC would each be assigned to opposite conferences. Each of those teams would then, alternating, pick the teams they want in their conference next year. The same way we used to choose teams in sand lot baseball. Scheduling would be done in advance by conference and position in conference (order you were added to the conference). Let’s call it the “ACC Shuffle™”… Either hold the Shuffle™ just after the season ends and all bowl games are played…or in the spring to create a little off-season attention and excitement.
By JustMe
October 19, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this
I believe that a priority in making the divisions and schedules was to ensure that long-time rivals would still play each other. For example, although Clemson and GA Tech are in different divisions, we play each other every year because it is a “rivalry” game.
Another priority in making divisions was to try to even out the strengths. The problem with this approach (as we see this season) is that although one team may be “strong” one season, it may not be strong this season (such as Miami) or visa versa (such as Wake Forest).
The bottom line is that it just doesn’t matter at this point. This is a stupid blog that wastes time because no one is going to change things now.
Besides, does anyone know or care about the divisions in the SEC? I know that I couldn’t tell you those - and I don’t expect an SEC person to tell me the ACC divisions. Who cares?
By Red Fox
October 19, 2006 11:44 AM | Link to this
I would hate a North/South league. It would make it a cake walk for VT to play in the conference championship year-in-and-year-out, although every 5/6 years BC might slip in. Overall I think the sides are perfect as is.
By jackets fan
October 19, 2006 01:59 PM | Link to this
Let’s remember that each ACC team has a natural rival pairing that they play every year, in addition to their division mates. That’s why Miami and FSU are in separate divisions. GT has Clemson. NC State has UNC. Duke has Wake. etc. That’s more how things were separated, not geography. It doesn’t have to make sense to everybody, but you can’t deny the balance in it. Sure right now the Coastal has two teams with 1 win between them, but on the flip side, nobody would have pegged Wake as a 1 loss team thus far. You can’t know for sure who will be at what level every year, but they made pretty good balance so far.
By GT90
October 19, 2006 02:41 PM | Link to this
Hey check out GREG getting ripped on the UGAY blog (“Do dawgs have big win in them”)by gator the dog catcher. Its about Andy Bailey getting a threatening phone call (true story) for missing a field goal against Vandy. Chime in!!!
By chris
October 19, 2006 04:14 PM | Link to this
The division splits were mainly done to overload the traditional football and basketball powers. In the coastal you have the main football school of the conference in Miami, VT, and GT excluding FSU. In the Atlantic you have all of the traditional basketball schools in Duke, WF, Maryland, and UNC excluding GT. So this way each division has become like a tiny power conference in its respective sport. Now with that said every year brings parity(spelling?) so in the end the outcome is unexpected. Also don’t forget about the cross-division rivalries the ACC has mandated… Miami/FSU, GT/Clemson etc. I think they did a good job with the split. Don’t forget this is only the second year.