Over the last decade-plus, conference realignment has dominated college sports. Much of this boils down to money. Specifically, money around football. The highest level of college football brings in more revenue than most other NCAA sports combined.
The Atlantic Coast Conference, which recently relocated its headquarters to Charlotte, has joined the realignment craziness. They have ignored the regional ties to the Atlantic coast and have agreed to bring in Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley and Southern Methodist University.
Supporters say this is necessary to compete with other major conferences like the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, and Big 12. Meanwhile, detractors, some of them from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, argued the addition of the three schools is not worth it because it does not address the economic disparity between the ACC and other conferences.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we discuss the impact of realignment on college sports and the ACC. Plus, we dive into the conference’s move to Charlotte and what that means for its future.
GUESTS:
Paul Finebaum, author and ESPN commentator
Laine Higgins, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal
Erianne Weight, director at Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics at UNC-Chapel Hill
