Friday mailblog: ACC schedule edition
February, 17, 2012
Feb 17
3:00
PM ET
By
Heather Dinich | ESPN.com
Schedule? What schedule?
The lack of an ACC schedule has reached a boiling point in the mailbag. You've now reverted to all caps. Exclamation points. Expletives.
Quit it.
This edition of the mailbag hopes to answer all of your questions except for one: When the #!@*% thing will be released.
Now listen to me. There are some things you must understand before we get into this: First, I picked a sampling of questions that hopefully targets the main ones you've been asking. Second, this is not the ACC's fault. This is what expansion has done to scheduling all across college football this year, and the Big East is in an even worse predicament right now. Third, you are spoiled. You are used to having the schedule out by now, but another week isn't going to make a difference. It's better for the ACC to release it once -- correctly -- than to have to release it and then redo it again two weeks later. Also, remember that West Virginia only notified Florida State of its intent to back out of their date earlier this month -- not exactly a lot of time to find a replacement.
Now, let's tackle these unedited questions ...
Bryce in Richmond, Va., writes: What's the hold-up with the schedules? I get that FSU has an open date because WVU punked out on them, but why is that keeping the rest of the league from knowing our schedules. My bet is that every other ACC team is locked into a non-conference game that weekend anyway, so its not going to be an ACC game and there probably won't be any shuffling of other teams to fill it. FSU is going to have to find some team willing to play them on that weekend and it won't effect anyone else. So why can't the ACC just release the schedule with that one date open for that one team and just fill it later?
HD:It's just not that simple, Bryce. What if Florida State finds an opponent, but that said opponent can only play in November, and not September? Florida State is not locked into Sept. 8. It can schedule that nonconference opponent whenever it wants, and if that happens to be another Saturday during the season, it could have a domino effect on all 12 teams. It could move Thursday night games. It could move bye weeks. The league office could have to start all over again with the schedule. Now, if it finds an opponent that fits nicely into that Sept. 8 date, the league office will wrap this up very quickly. It's a priority to stay in Week 2, but the ACC won't force Florida State to stick with that, so on the off-chance the Noles can't fill that particular date, it could affect the schedules of all 12 schools.
P. Hess in Blacksburg, Va., writes: Since the possibility for Pitt and Syracuse joining the ACC in 2013 is more likely now that WVU has left for the Big 12, how will that affect the game that Virginia Tech and Pitt was already supposed to play in 2013? Would it most likely count as a non-conference game?
HD:If they join in 2013, the ACC would look at it as an already scheduled conference game. It would be an easy switch for the Hokies and the ACC.
James Peterson in Los Angeles writes: Heather, Since FSU has an opening in their schedule to replace the WV game, have they looked into the Pac-12 or new comers to the ACC for availability? I found it interesting that Oklahoma scheduled with Florida A&M. Best of luck to FSU in getting this one --- They may end up taking WV to court for compensation.
HD: I can assure you that the ACC has talked to everyone. Florida State and the ACC have both talked to every FBS and FCS conference commissioner and/or school that has an opening available to see if they'd be willing to play FSU. There's no end to where they've gone to find a game.
Ryan in Fort Mill, SC, writes: Heather, what would happen if Florida State simply can't find an opponent for week 2 of this upcoming season? Basically what I'm getting at is, there's not some fine print somewhere stating by only having 11 games (rather than 12) during the regular season hurts them in some way for any potential post-season game does it? Thanks
HD: Ummm ... I think you have to play 12 games. I think the worst-case scenario for FSU is that it has to play two FCS teams, but even that's not easy to schedule right now. I don't think playing 11 games is an option. They've got to find somebody.
Mike Crawford in Lombard, Ill., writes: Heather, FSU's scheduling problems in the wake of WVU bolting the Big East for the Big 12 doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, since now there are 7 teams in the Big East looking to fill a hole in their schedule, and I've been hearing some reports of teams that have TWO holes to fill because TCU bolted as well. Are you telling me that none of those 7 teams can work their schedules to work with FSU at all? Any Big East team would be a better opponent than most mid-majors and any I-AA school.
HD: A popular, reasonable question, Mike. I know the ACC and FSU have had discussions with everyone in the Big East. Here's the problem: The Big East doesn't know how many teams it's going to have -- at least it doesn't as I type this. FSU very well could end up playing a team from the Big East. What if Boise State, or one of the other new members decides to join the Big East early? The Big East is still trying to get eight teams for 2012. Who's to say the current seven teams don't get a memo from the league office in a week or two saying Team X is coming early, so you don't have to worry about filling that open date? That's the reason it's being held up now -- the uncertainty of the Big East.
The lack of an ACC schedule has reached a boiling point in the mailbag. You've now reverted to all caps. Exclamation points. Expletives.
Quit it.
This edition of the mailbag hopes to answer all of your questions except for one: When the #!@*% thing will be released.
Now listen to me. There are some things you must understand before we get into this: First, I picked a sampling of questions that hopefully targets the main ones you've been asking. Second, this is not the ACC's fault. This is what expansion has done to scheduling all across college football this year, and the Big East is in an even worse predicament right now. Third, you are spoiled. You are used to having the schedule out by now, but another week isn't going to make a difference. It's better for the ACC to release it once -- correctly -- than to have to release it and then redo it again two weeks later. Also, remember that West Virginia only notified Florida State of its intent to back out of their date earlier this month -- not exactly a lot of time to find a replacement.
Now, let's tackle these unedited questions ...
Bryce in Richmond, Va., writes: What's the hold-up with the schedules? I get that FSU has an open date because WVU punked out on them, but why is that keeping the rest of the league from knowing our schedules. My bet is that every other ACC team is locked into a non-conference game that weekend anyway, so its not going to be an ACC game and there probably won't be any shuffling of other teams to fill it. FSU is going to have to find some team willing to play them on that weekend and it won't effect anyone else. So why can't the ACC just release the schedule with that one date open for that one team and just fill it later?
HD:It's just not that simple, Bryce. What if Florida State finds an opponent, but that said opponent can only play in November, and not September? Florida State is not locked into Sept. 8. It can schedule that nonconference opponent whenever it wants, and if that happens to be another Saturday during the season, it could have a domino effect on all 12 teams. It could move Thursday night games. It could move bye weeks. The league office could have to start all over again with the schedule. Now, if it finds an opponent that fits nicely into that Sept. 8 date, the league office will wrap this up very quickly. It's a priority to stay in Week 2, but the ACC won't force Florida State to stick with that, so on the off-chance the Noles can't fill that particular date, it could affect the schedules of all 12 schools.
P. Hess in Blacksburg, Va., writes: Since the possibility for Pitt and Syracuse joining the ACC in 2013 is more likely now that WVU has left for the Big 12, how will that affect the game that Virginia Tech and Pitt was already supposed to play in 2013? Would it most likely count as a non-conference game?
HD:If they join in 2013, the ACC would look at it as an already scheduled conference game. It would be an easy switch for the Hokies and the ACC.
James Peterson in Los Angeles writes: Heather, Since FSU has an opening in their schedule to replace the WV game, have they looked into the Pac-12 or new comers to the ACC for availability? I found it interesting that Oklahoma scheduled with Florida A&M. Best of luck to FSU in getting this one --- They may end up taking WV to court for compensation.
HD: I can assure you that the ACC has talked to everyone. Florida State and the ACC have both talked to every FBS and FCS conference commissioner and/or school that has an opening available to see if they'd be willing to play FSU. There's no end to where they've gone to find a game.
Ryan in Fort Mill, SC, writes: Heather, what would happen if Florida State simply can't find an opponent for week 2 of this upcoming season? Basically what I'm getting at is, there's not some fine print somewhere stating by only having 11 games (rather than 12) during the regular season hurts them in some way for any potential post-season game does it? Thanks
HD: Ummm ... I think you have to play 12 games. I think the worst-case scenario for FSU is that it has to play two FCS teams, but even that's not easy to schedule right now. I don't think playing 11 games is an option. They've got to find somebody.
Mike Crawford in Lombard, Ill., writes: Heather, FSU's scheduling problems in the wake of WVU bolting the Big East for the Big 12 doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, since now there are 7 teams in the Big East looking to fill a hole in their schedule, and I've been hearing some reports of teams that have TWO holes to fill because TCU bolted as well. Are you telling me that none of those 7 teams can work their schedules to work with FSU at all? Any Big East team would be a better opponent than most mid-majors and any I-AA school.
HD: A popular, reasonable question, Mike. I know the ACC and FSU have had discussions with everyone in the Big East. Here's the problem: The Big East doesn't know how many teams it's going to have -- at least it doesn't as I type this. FSU very well could end up playing a team from the Big East. What if Boise State, or one of the other new members decides to join the Big East early? The Big East is still trying to get eight teams for 2012. Who's to say the current seven teams don't get a memo from the league office in a week or two saying Team X is coming early, so you don't have to worry about filling that open date? That's the reason it's being held up now -- the uncertainty of the Big East.
Heather Dinich | email
College Football- ESPN.com ACC blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Wrote for The Baltimore Sun
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Heather Dinich
Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
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