Syracuse Orange to ACC Will More Than Likely Wait Another Year

According to a Syracuse.com article this morning, the newest ACC Football schedule does not include Syracuse or Pitt, meaning the two schools will more than likely have to wait until next year to join the conference. 

Playing in the ACC would mean changing the schedule, something that is very unlikely due to the major changes that would need to be made.

Hope continues to dwindle for the Orange, Panthers and West Virginia Mountaineers, potential Big 12 members, as the Big East continues to hold strong to their 27-month waiting period for the three teams. 

As reported earlier, the Big East will not be accepting any kind of buyouts from the three schools and thus putting the three schools in a difficult position.

It is widely suspected that the reason for the 27-month, hard-line stance is the TV contract the Big East inked with ESPN which allows ESPN to opt out of the deal if any team leaves the conference. 

It would make sense for the Big East to protect the conference it has and then wait until 2013 when their new members join, thus allowing a new TV deal to be structured minus West Virginia, Syracuse and Pitt.

West Virginia, currently waiting on the results of their lawsuit against the Big East, may very well just leave the conference for the Big 12 and accept the monetary ramifications as they come. This could cost the Mountaineers upwards of the $13-15 million Texas A&M paid to leave the Big 12 as the Big East would have legal ground to stand on. 

Regardless, the Orange will be playing the Big East slate for at least one more season.