Ranking which ACC schools are most viable to join a “super conference”
By John Scimeca
10. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets rank ahead of a few ACC schools now due to geography — Georgia is a talent-rich state and Atlanta is a huge media market — and some proven success under George O’Leary from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
There’s not much going on recently for Georgia Tech, though, as the team has compiled a 9-25 win-loss record during the past three seasons.
9. Louisville
You’ll see a common theme here later down the list that applies to the Cardinals: great men’s basketball program, but those results easily overshadow the football team.
Louisville has made some noise on the recruiting trail recently, and the program’s last year in the Big East and only season in the American (random, right?) under then-head coach Charlie Strong have yet to be matched in the ACC.
It’s not a large media market (the metro area population is almost 1.4 million) and the football team has had only one winning season in the past four years. It’s not likely to be the Cardinals receiving an invitation to move conferences this time around.
8. NC State
The Wolfpack has recently put together some nine-win seasons and have a handful of AP Top 25 finishes, but NC State certainly won’t be confused for a college football heavyweight.
Of note is that three NC State players have gone in the NFL Draft’s first round in the past five years. In the 2018 NFL Draft alone, seven Wolfpack players were selected, including defensive end Bradley Chubb with the fifth overall pick by the Denver Broncos.
7. Duke
The Blue Devils are a tough school to determine in these rankings. Even with the retirement of Mike Krzyzewski, the men’s basketball program is second to none in terms of prestige, results, and influence.
But… the football program hasn’t nearly reached that level. There’s been one Top 25 finish since the John F. Kennedy administration: in 2013, when a 10-4 Blue Devils squad under David Cutcliffe reached the ACC title game and lost to Florida State, 45-7.
Duke has a great reputation, a strong alumni base, and a pretty campus, but the lack of success on the gridiron may prevent Duke from getting a spot in a super conference.