A Couple of NCAA Basketball Rules That Need to be Changed

The Final Four on Saturday was awesome and I think we got the championship game most of America wants to see. But the way the games finished made me realize there are two rules that MUST be changed in college basketball.

The Final Four was fantastic. It lived up to almost all of it's expectations and now we can all look forward to what may be an instant championship classic between Louisville and Michigan. After thoroughly enjoying the games on Saturday night, I did have a slightly bad taste in my mouth with the way each game ended.

I'm not sure the outcome would've differed either way, but if these rules weren't in place then it would've given both losing teams a shot at victory in the final minute.

1. Held balls and the possession arrow need to go. At the end of the Wichita State vs. Louisville game the Cardinals missed a critical free throw that would have made it a two possession game. Down three with about ten seconds to go, the Shockers pulled down the rebound. Luke Hancock made his final, and weakest, contribution to the win when he reached around Ron Baker and got his hand on the ball for approximately 0.5 seconds. The whistle blew, a held ball was called, and Louisville had the possession arrow. They would not miss the free throws on their next go around and that would seal the victory.
   Here's the problem with the call last night, and you'll notice a theme of consistency in this article. IT WAS THE RIGHT CALL. And that, my friends, is the problem. The possession arrow/held ball call has no place in college basketball. Things like that happen all the time with youth and high school players. Having a jump ball every time would get so redundant games would take three hours to play, so they must use a possession arrow at that level. But not in college. If a ball is tied up, and I mean truly tied up with both players having a legitimate claim of possession, then blow the whistle and jump it up at the free throw line NBA style. I'm tired of seeing teams strategize that if they can just get a hand on the ball, a held ball will be called and they have the possession arrow. It's a terrible call. It has no place in the game. And if the refs were more likely to let it play out because Baker obviously had possession last night, then we would've gotten to see what Wichita did down three as time expired.
   
   
2. Charging vs. Blocking needs to be modified. There was less than a minute to go and Syracuse trailed Michigan by two. Brandon Triche drove the wide open lane and went up for a game tying lay up when Michigan's Jordan Morgan slid in his path. He started the slide as Triche went up and completed it (debatable) right as Triche made contact with him.
   Again, here's the problem. According to the College Rules... it was a charge, the foul was called on Triche, shot was no good, and Michigan now had the chance to seal the victory. The difference between this and the Louisville game, Michigan only extended their lead to three so Syracuse actually got another shot to tie the game or pull within one. They were unsuccessful in doing this so any Syracuse fan complaining about the charge affecting the outcome needs to shut it. But the bottom line is...this rule needs to be changed. Like going after a ball to get your hand on it and thus force a turnover... I hate that players can be taught that if they are within three feet of a guy going to the hoop they can slide in front of him even after he's airborne and draw a foul. Charging should be running through a player who has established himself defensively. I thought that was the rule... but apparently it's got some gray area that shouldn't even be there. Once again... the NCAA needs to look to the NBA on this one.

Ultimately, I think we got the championship game everyone wanted; except for Syracuse and Wichita fans of course. But to the fan who's bracket was busted a week or more ago and has no ties to the states of Kansas, New York, Kentucky, or Michigan... this is the game we all wanted.

Wichita is a great story and even I was pulling for the underdog last night. Plus one of my best friends graduated from there so I am a Shocker by association. But as my sports update anchor, Heidi, said the other day, we don't want Wichita State vs. Michigan.

We want Ali vs. Frazier.

We want Magic vs. Bird.

And what we got was Beilein vs. Pitino. Future Hall of Famer vs. Hall of Fame inductee. AP Player of the Year vs. The overall number one seed of the tournament.

And despite the Madness, that is how the tournament is supposed to end. Hopeful that neither of these rules affect the outcome of this one and looking forward to an outstanding title game.

Aaron Marks is the Sports Director and Afternoon Drive Show Host for CBS Sports Radio 100.3 'The Team' in Myrtle Beach, SC. Read his bio here and follow him on twitter @AMonFM or e-mail Aaron thoughts on this post

Confessions of a Sports Talk Radio Host: The Experts know little more than you do about what will happen in the NCAA Tournament

Ok. I admit it. I'm not very good at this bracket thing. I watched more college basketball this year then I've ever watched in my life... and I still can't figure it out. The only thing that makes me feel better about this is that I've come to the realization that none of the other “Experts” have a clue either. There is no rhyme or reason as to why things happen the way they do in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. While I got some things right so far through the first two days, I sure missed a whole lot as well.

I will update this posting throughout the tournament but here is what I know, and what I really don't know after two days of tournament play.

Morning of Day 3... start of the 3^rd round and field of 32...

What I got right:

Hey give me credit. I'm going to start off with the things that I was right about. It's not much... but maybe I'm not THAT bad at this.

1. The Atlantic Ten is really good...so what happens when a mid-major is on the verge of being in the same league as a BCS Conference? They break up the band. I have been really high on the A-10 all year. And all year people told me that was ridiculous. Well this is one I can stand on the roof tops and scream that I was right. I don't care what happens the rest of the way, when your five teams start the NCAA Tournament 6-0 (yes... LaSalle is 2-0 so far taking down fellow mid-major Boise State and Kansas State), you have proved you are a force. I'm really excited about the upcoming match ups involving A-10 teams... most notable the VCU vs. Michigan game today. I picked VCU to win this game in my bracket, so that means the Wolverines are likely to win. But it's going to be a great game. The really crappy part about the A-10's success this year? Two of their best teams are leaving for the “New Big East” next year.
2. Home Court advantage is really important... this could go into things I got wrong as well I supposed because I didn't buy into it! I had Cal losing in the 2^nd round to UNLV because I was so high on the Mountain West (this will highlight things I got wrong), but I did say for Cal to be playing as a 12 seed in San Jose was a major advantage. It was. And it may be again today when they take on Syracuse. Also both Michigan teams had zero problems in their 2^nd round games. It sure is nice to drive 75 miles to play in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Did you know the kids from Cal went to class on Wed?! Who goes to class the day before you play in the NCAA Tournament? I wonder if they just car pooled to San Jose. Total Distance between campus and the arena: 45 miles. They could've taken a ferry as well and done some sight seeing down the San Francisco Bay. Would've shortened the miles traveled to.

Things I got wrong...this list could get lengthy. I'll keep it to the top three the really ruined my bracket, and everyone else who listened to me.

1. The Mountain West is NOT really good...this one makes no sense to me. Mountain West basketball has always been strong. It's a cool climate at most of those campuses so the kids prefer the gym to the football field. They go on the road, they play tough schedules, and the NCAA Tournament should not intimidate them. And I've followed Mountain West basketball since I was a kid since I'm from that part of the country. HOW I ask you... HOW does New Mexico lose to Harvard, a team that awards no scholarships?! A team that lost it's two best players before the season started. A team that has NEVER won an NCAA Tournament game. And it wasn't just the Lobos. UNLV was playing 12 seed Cal. Yes the home court advantage is important but this is a team that should play better than what they did. Overall the Mountain West has been a major disappointment. I thought the Lobos could make a run in the wide open West Regional. I thought UNLV could knock off Syracuse who has been suspect at best the last month of the season. They will never get that chance though and I've lost a Sweet 16 and Final 4 team in the process.
2. The Big East, in their final year we currently know them, will continue to disappoint in the tournament... Notre Dame has now made it 12 consecutive trips to the tournament without making it through the first weekend. Georgetown, yes my beloved Hoyas this year, have made it six consecutive tournaments being knocked out by a double digit seed. Villanova looked unmotivated against a UNC team deserving of an 8 seed. Of the eight teams (most of any conference) in the tournament three made it through the first set of games. And they can thank Davidson for throwing the ball out of bounds at the end of the game against Marquette thus stealing defeat away from the jaws of victory. They lost to teams like Creighton, Witchita State, and Florida Gulf Coast. FGCU has been a division I program for two years. Two years!!! Them beating G'Town is like Old Dominion beating LSU in football in a post-season game that actually matters. What a joke. Thank God this conference as we know it is breaking up. Maybe the new Big East will compete like we expect them to in the post-season. Hey... they are stealing teams away from the A-10. That's a good start.
3. When filling out your bracket... rely on the trends...this one baffles me. It really does. But it's true and I'm done fighting it next year. Notre Dame has gone twelve consecutive tournaments without getting through the first weekend... will they bust through eventually? Sure. But as a 7 seed its unlikely so don't be the one guy in the office to say that they will (yea that was me). The Big East and Mountain West have underperformed in recent years. But why? When your team changes every year how is it that you continue to see the same results? Is it poor coaching? Are teams just cursed to play basketball this way? A trend has a start and end point...unless you're the Chicago Cubs. But I'm done being the guy determining the end point. Just go with how the team or conference has done in the past and roll with it. If you did that this year then you're in far better shape than me.

We can break this tournament down all we want to. We can look at stats and RPI but when all is said and done, just throw it out the window. A friend of mine had his dog select teams based on tortilla chips he identified as one team or another. It was actually two dogs rotating the games. The dogs are smoking me right now. When all is said and done, look at the trends and take expert opinions with a grain of salt. Most of us spend most of our time on air, on camera, and in our columns trying to persuade you why something unexpected will happen. We don't get paid to persuade you of something happening that's always happened before. And as my producers and interns will tell you, we can be very persuasive.

Don't buy into it.

Aaron Marks is the Afternoon Drive Show host for CBS Sports Radio 100.3 'The Team' in Myrtle Beach, SC. “The Drive” airs daily M-F 3-6 p.m. Aaron also broadcast play by play for college basketball and baseball. Follow Aaron on Twitter @AmonFM

Over 400 runners/walkers take over Broadway on St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day in Myrtle Beach is highlighted with a variety of festivals, parades, car shows, “Can-Am Days”, along with Spring Breakers visiting the Beach, and the week will cap off with one of the most unique and entertaining events on the Grand Strand.

Sports Radio 100.3 'The Team' and Cumulus Media have partnered with the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery and Broadway At The Beach to bring the 2^nd annual installment of the “Tilted Kilt 5K Kilt Run Presented by The Mace Law Firm”.

The run features a 3.1 mile course traveling around and throughout Broadway At The Beach in Myrtle Beach, SC with runners and walkers dressed in a variety of ways. There is a contest for the best kilt worn during the race, awards for the most spirited runners in the St. Patrick's Day Spirit. Bagpipers get the race started dressed in their traditional kilt's, plus there will be a motorcyclist in full Irish garb (red beard included) that will lead the participants around Broadway.

“This event really is a site unlike anything you've seen at a 5k race here in Myrtle Beach,” said Cumulus Sports Director and 100.3 'The Team' Afternoon Host Aaron Marks, “last year we saw some amazing kilts and people really get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit. This year I think it's going to be even more wild with the costumes and outfits our participants will wear.”

As of Friday evening the event had 304 registered participants from nine different states and three countries, eclipsing last years total number of 290 with one and a half days until the event gets started.

“Last year we had nearly 100 participants register the morning of the event,” said Marks, “this year we're adding in a full day ahead of time for on site registration and giving our pre-registered participants the chance to beat the race day crowd and pick up their packets and gift bags. With 72 degrees and sunny in the weather forecast for Sunday we are anticipating 400-500 participants, maybe more.”

The Tilted Kilt will host registration for runners who want to sign up from Noon-4 p.m. on Saturday and you can register the day of the race on Sunday starting at 7:30 until 8:45 a.m. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. followed by a post race St. Patrick's Day party featuring live music, an Irish Breakfast buffet for all participants and friends, the awards ceremony, and all race participants have been given a ticket to redeem for a free Guinness if they choose to do so and are the proper age.

“The phone lines have been ringing off the hook,” said Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery Marketing Director Beth Sansone, “this week has been really exciting leading up to the event and we're anticipating a very busy weekend, not only with race festivities but everything else we have going on.”

A 30x30 tent has been set up out front of the Tilted Kilt with additional seating and tables in anticipation of the busy St. Patrick's Day weekend. Live bands will play throughout the weekend and all day on Sunday starting at 9 a.m. Also on Sunday the Tilted Kilt of Myrtle Beach will be giving away a trip to Ireland. This is not a national promotion but something that a local winner will win this St. Patrick's Day. You do not have to be present to win and can inquire inside the Tilted Kilt on how to register.

The 5k Kilt Run is sponsored by the Tilted Kilt, The Mace Firm, Jiffy Lube, Guinness, Black Dog Running Company, Awards Plus, Broadway At the Beach, Coastal Timing Race Management and the Grand Strand Running Club. The Boy & Girls Club of the Grand Strand is supplying volunteers for the event.

More details can be found online at www.grandstrandrunner.com.

About Sports Radio 100.3 the Team

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” airs on WSEA-FM, Atlantic Beach, SC and is owned and operated by Cumulus Broadcasting. Cumulus is the 2^nd largest radio station operator in America, with five stations operated in Myrtle Beach, and is located in Atlanta, GA. Aaron Marks serves as the Program Director for WSEA and has been in the role since July 16, 2011. Aaron also hosts the stations signature afternoon show, “The Drive”, which launched on August 1, 2011.

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” serves as the flagship for Coastal Carolina athletics, the home for Carolina Panthers Football in Myrtle Beach, the Atlanta Braves and provides coverage of the NBA, as well as, the MLB Game of the Week and Playoffs.

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Initial Reaction to Super Bowl 47

Wow what a game. You know at one point tonight when the Raven's were up 28-6 and we were 28 minutes into what ended up being a 34 minute power outage delay... the thought crossed my mind that I was going to be really angry if this game kept me up until midnight only to be a blowout.

I wake up at 5:30 a.m. on Mondays and am Half Marathon training... and you were thinking the same thing to. But for those of us that decided to stick around to see what played out after the power outage (I can't wait to see the overnight numbers tomorrow and how many people tuned out at that point) we were greatly rewarded for our patience.

Which leads to my first, of a couple initial thoughts, on Super Bowl 47:

1. What I heard people say and tweet: The Ravens became flat because of the power outage delay. My belief... that's a bunch of B.S.! The Ravens came out fine and the delay affected them in very little way. What it did do was give the 49ers a chance to recuperate after a knockout punch was delivered by Mr. X Factor, Jacoby Jones 109 yard kick off return. I know they changed it to 108... but that's because Desmond Howard threw a challenge flag and requested the NFL utilize its technology to properly measure where the ball was in relation to the end line.
I digress... let me compare this to a boxing match. You've got two heavy weights who come in to the fight. One has a great advantage through the first couple rounds. Coming into the 4th round he delivers the knockout blow. His opponent is lying on the floor gasping for breath and the lights go out in Caesers Palace... for 30 mins! When they come back on, the guy who was winning the fight is confused, bewildered, has nasty thoughts going through his head about the Las Vegas Electric Cooperative. In the meantime his opponent has mended up all his wounds, loaded up on Gatorade and Deer Antler Spray, and now feels he's back in the fight and comes back with a resurgence.
This is what happened. Except the power would never go out in Vegas during a championship fight... unless Danny Ocean and 11 guys were trying to rob the place.

2. True or false... that was holding against the defense on 4th and goal during the last offensive play for the 49ers: True. He mauled him. But before you throw your arms up in the air consider these other factors. Have you ever officiated any sort of championship game? I have. I used to be a hockey official and oversaw national championship games. When you get the rare instance to be the official for a situation like we had on Sunday night where one play can win it all, what do you do? You let them play it out on the field. There was a .000001% chance any flag was going to come out on that play. My good friend Brian Stefan with Myrtle Beach Golf guys says you don't change your officiating because of the game circumstances. Umm... yea... You kind of do. No ref wants to be the guy who determined the Super Bowl Champion because he threw a flag on a play where both guys were being rough with one another, the play was rushed and it was an awful fade pass, and the same people arguing for a flag could also argue for an un-catchable ball.  Want to complain about something? Complain about Jim not taking a timeout and letting his young QB with 10 games of experience just wing it on the final play.

3. I love the call to take a safety by the punter at the end. Punting from your own end zone with :15 to go to Ted Ginn, Jr.? Not a wise decision. I also agree with the punt protector (can we call this position the Tebow from now on?) blatantly holding the 49er trying to get to the kicker. Why not? What difference did it make to hold him? The end result of a flag in the end zone is... a safety. And last time I checked they don't put :04 back on the clock because that's when you held the guy. Maybe that's a rule change the NFL ought to look into, but it's such a rare circumstance I doubt it will get much consideration.

4. Who knew Chris Culliver's bad week would actually get worse on Sunday? Maybe he should have been suspended. He would have played a better game sitting on the sideline. And for every bad moment Culliver had, Mr. X Factor Jacoby Jones came through as the difference in this one. I know Flacco earned the MVP, and rightfully so as the leader of this team not only in this years playoffs but his 9-4 career post-season record. But without Jones the 49ers win this game by 10 points. And maybe... we all would've gotten to bed 34 minutes earlier tonight.

5. Best commercials of the night:
First Place: Budweiser "The Brotherhood" a.k.a. Clydesdale (if you didn't get a little choked up watching that one your are either A. Lying or B. Heartless and need to go with the Tin Man to Oz... which by the way looks like a pretty cool re-make)
Second Place: Dodge Ram "God Mad a Farmer" (A little confusing at first, but when it all came together at the end had a profound impact on myself and I believe much of America)
Third Place: Any of the Doritos spots with "Goat for Sale" leading the way

Honorable Mention: The fact that Budweiser was the first commercial played after kickoff. I took my buddy Sam to the cleaners for $2.00 on that prop bet. I said it would be beer, he said cars. This was after I said Alicia Keys would go over 2:10 on the national anthem and he said under (she unofficially set the freakin record for time of Anthem with those :08 pauses in between ever line, not to mention her little remix at the end) AND I called Heads when he called Tails. He stopped betting me after that. Unfortunately for him he put a 10 spot on Chris Culliver and the Niners... so Aaron wins again.

 

Bowl Games That Matter Pick 'Em Contest!

BOWL GAMES THAT MATTER PICK 'EM CONTEST brought to you by Jiffy Lube and the 

Tilted Kilt. Pick the following games by e-mailing thedrive@teammyrtlebeach.com. 

1st Place gets a free signature service oil change from Jiffy Lube and $50 to Tilted Kilt

2nd Place gets a free oil change and $25

3rd Place gets $25 to Tilted Kilt. 


Here are the games we're picking, spreads are from BetOnline and BleacherReport.com:

Music City: Vanderbilt (-6.5) vs. N.C. State

Sun Bown: USC (-10) vs. Georgia Tech

Chick Fil A: LSU (-4) vs. Clemson

Gator: Northwestern (-2) vs. Mississippi State

Outback: South Carolina (-4) vs. Michigan

Capital One: Georgia (-10) vs. Nebraska

Rose: Stanford (-7) vs. Wisconsin

Orange: Florida State (-14) vs. Northern Illinois

Sugar: Florida (-14) vs. Louisville

Fiesta: Oregon (-9) vs. Kansas State

Cotton: Texas A&M (-4.5) vs. Oklahoma

Nat'l Championship: Alabama (-9.5) vs. Notre Dame

*Tie Breaker: Total Points Scored in the National Championship Game.

Cumulus Expands local sports line up, launches new national programming Jan 2nd

         Cumulus Media expands local sports lineup, launches new national programming lineup on January 2, 2013

WSEA, now calling itself “Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM”, is expanding its local lineup. On January 2, 2013, “The Drive” with Aaron Marks will add another hour to its broadcast every day, airing M-F from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

In addition to the expanded hours the show will bring in a new co-host, Jon Cupo, to sit alongside Marks. Cupo, who currently resides in Cleveland, OH, has hosted shows in Lexington, KY and Charlotte, NC where he covered the NFL, NASCAR and College Basketball.

“The support of our outstanding sponsors and listener base has been amazing ever since we launched our local show, “The Drive”, in August of 2011,” said show host and station program director Aaron Marks, “listeners have asked if we'll ever expand the show and it's been a goal of ours for a long time. I appreciate the continued support of our great sponsors and Cumulus getting behind what we do every day and creating a situation to do more of it.”

Market Manager David Lewis is thrilled with the move and excited to bring in a talented host like Cupo to sit alongside Marks every day.

“When you combine Jon's extensive background covering NASCAR, the NFL and College Basketball around the SEC and Big Ten and combine that with Marks' background in the golf industry and covering college football and basketball across the ACC and Big South, it creates a combination that will be equal to any local or national show you hear on any radio station around the country,” said Lewis.

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” will continue its relationship with the daily airing of “Sports Talk” hosted by Phil Kornblut and Kevin McCreary. “Sports Talk” is syndicated across nearly 30 stations in South Carolina and is a Columbia based talk show focusing on the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers. The show also extensively covers HS recruiting for all of our state Colleges and Universities.

The expanded line up now creates five hours of local/regional talk programming airing from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday – Friday.

The station will also continue to develop its High School Sports Coverage and Weekly golf show in 2013.

In addition to the expanded local line up “Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” will be changing national affiliations and programming. ESPN syndication will be dropped from the station, and in accordance with Cumulus moves on a national level, “Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” will syndicate CBS Sports Radio Programming. The new daily show line up effective January 2, 2013:

6 a.m. - 9 a.m. Tiki Barber, Dana Jacobson, and Brandon Tierney

9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. John Feinstein

12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Jim Rome

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. “The Drive” with Aaron Marks & Jon Cupo

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. “Sports Talk” with Phil Kornblut

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Chris Moore

10:00 p.m. - 2 a.m. Scott Ferrall

2 a.m. - 6 a.m. Damon Amendolara

Boomer Esiason, Tom Tolbert, and Doug Gottleib will also serve roles on the station as Guest Hosts, and Anchors for hourly CBS Sports Updates that have already been running on Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM throughout the fall.

The station has officially launched a new website at www.teammyrtlebeach.com with more national and regional headlines, scores, and station information.

“This is a great move. Cumulus has partnered with CBS Sports to launch a network across the country that we have the ability to be more hands on and have more control with,” said Market Manager David Lewis, “ESPN's product had become so readily available it was no longer exclusive to our station. We now have an awesome, new, sports radio product that can only be heard on the radio dial at 100.3 in Myrtle Beach. It will bring new voices, new guests, and a new perspective on sports radio along the Grand Strand.”

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” will continue its relationships and partnerships with Coastal Carolina University, the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, University of South Carolina, and East Carolina University.

Additionally, Cumulus will continue to operate FOX Sports Radio 1050AM/101.9FM. The only change is that Jim Rome, now with CBS Sports, no longer will air from Noon until 3:00 p.m. on that station. The replacement to that show is yet to be announced. The Dan Patrick Show will continue to air in its live time slot from 9 a.m. until noon on the station.

 

About Sports Radio 100.3 the Team

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” airs on WSEA-FM, Atlantic Beach, SC and is owned and operated by Cumulus Broadcasting. Cumulus is the 2^nd largest radio station operator in America, with six stations operated in Myrtle Beach, and is located in Atlanta, GA. Aaron Marks serves as the Program Director for WSEA and has been in the role since July 16, 2011. Aaron also hosts the stations signature afternoon show, “The Drive”, which launched on August 1, 2011.

“Sports Radio 100.3 the TEAM” serves as the flagship for Coastal Carolina athletics, the home for Carolina Panthers Football in Myrtle Beach, the Atlanta Braves and provides coverage of the NBA, as well as, the MLB Game of the Week and Playoffs.

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ACC will become first "Super Conference"

Greetings from Asheville, NC. My wife had a work related trip that I decided to make with her and I'm currently enjoying a tall Yuengling at Buffalo Wild Wings and reading about this crazy news going on in college sports! Yes... I'm that guy that I see at the bar every day and makes me angry because I have to do a show that afternoon.

I must say I am jealous of Jeff Zell from WBTW today, as he has got a ton of great news to get to!

Speaking of this news, this is big. This is big for Notre Dame and it's massive for the ACC. I know... you're thinking it's not that big of a deal because they are only a partial member of football. But you are completely missing the boat on this if you think that's what is happening here. First off, here is why this is a great benefit to both Notre Dame and the ACC. Then we'll mix it up with some thoughts on who the final piece of the puzzle will be:

Why this is great for Notre Dame:

The easy answer is, the Big East is currently on life support. Notre Dame needed to be a part of a stronger conference  to keep up its level of success. I thought the Big Ten made the most sense (Jim Delaney has got to be furious with the news he woke up to this morning by the way) but the ACC did make sense as well. From an academic standpoint it's a good fit, plus Notre Dame is a national commodity. They can be part of any conference and with the addition of Pitt and Syracuse the ACC made that much more sense from a regional perspective. But here's the big reason Notre Dame needed to move...

The NCAA Playoffs are going to expand either via the NCAA or the conference will take it in their own hands. The NCAA will make double the money on the a 4-team playoff than it did in the entire bowl system. What does that figure go to with 8-teams? Or if they stay at 4-teams the conference could create their own national quarterfinal and make being a conference champion a critical component.

Weather you like it or not we are heading the direction of 16-team super conferences. Two eight team divisions and the championships can serve as either a national quarterfinal with 4 super conferences, or it will be a guarantee for the 4 champs to be in an 8-team playoff and then the losers are sweating it out that they get at large bids. So which conferences will get to 16 the quickest? Yesterday it was the ACC and SEC were the closest, and the Pac 12 is waiting to make its move with lots of options available including independent BYU who was so angry they did not get invited to the Pac 12 along with Utah they decided to leave everybody and go independent. Basically they told the Pac 12 instead of going to the prom with a dud, they were going to just sit at home and wait on their phone call.

Of those three conference, which one made the most sense for Notre Dame? The answer to this is very easy. There was never a thought of going to the SEC or Pac 12 for Notre Dame.

Why this was brilliant for the ACC?

Gosh this is kind of easy, right? You take one of the 3 teams who have national prominence (Alabama and Southern Cal are the other two) and make them part of your conference. AND you make them a partial member in football, something they have never committed to before. Meaning when the 16 team expansion comes and there's an auto bid into the national playoff for the winner... Notre Dame instantly becomes a full member without paying any exit fees to the Big East or anyone else.

The ACC also recently increased its exit fee to a whopping $50 Million. With the addition of Notre Dame and that exit fee, Florida State and Clemson are not going anywhere.

And the ACC is the only conference in America that can stage tournaments and championship games in anyone of the following cities:
Charlotte, Washington D.C., Atlanta, New York, Tampa Bay or Chicago. That is absurd financially for the conference.

The Final Point and Question that needs to be answered 

This all leads to my final point and question... who is #16? The ACC has to go to 16 teams and it's going to happen pretty quick. You don't have a 15-team basketball tournament. Scheduling will be a night mare. And now with Notre Dame the ACC has the ability to go after anyone they want in the country. Forget about that little map showing only Atlantic Coast states. The ACC is seeking national prominence and they have the ammo to go into any University Board of Directors meeting and make a convincing argument. Or do the Board of Directors start approaching them?

Texas is my first thought. They had issues in the past in the Big 12 with the Longhorn network and they would love to be paired with Notre Dame. They've made no secret about that and Texas and the ACC were thrown around once before.

Ohio Stat is a thought. With the Big Ten not able to secure Notre Dame, and Penn State in an absolute free fall could Ohio State be looking to align itself with the first super conference?

Could the ACC raid the powerful SEC? South Carolina makes a ton of sense and secures the continuity of the in state rivalry match up with Clemson. For the same reasons Georgia and Florida are a possibility. Half the SEC is in the central time zone now and they may be focused on adding more of the state of Texas, or someone out of Oklahoma or Kansas. Doesn't the ACC make sense for a USC, Georgia or Florida team that wants to keep its regional ties?

Prepare for the next round and what may be the final round of conference expansion. If the NCAA is only going to create a 4-team playoff, then the conferences will step in and create a defacto quarterfinal weekend of conference championship games. That makes the panels job really easy.