NFL Tickets
It is official…
The Big East is now dead and gone as a member of the NCAA football landscape and the death nail in the coffin has been delivered… the Orange Bowl.
The ACC announced today it is set to finalize a new deal with the Orange Bowl that will allow its ACC Champion to face either the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a Big 10 power team or an SEC power team.
The news of the deal comes less than a week after the ACC added Notre Dame in all other sports and to a five game conference football schedule. Both ACC Commissioner John Swofford and Irish Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick eluded multiple times last Wednesday to changes that would benefit both the conference and Notre Dame in the BCS landscape.
The breakdown of how the teams selected to play in the Orange Bowl will be an interesting one to say the least. If the ACC Champion qualifies for the semi-finals, then the ACC runner-up, or highest ranked team, will take one slot. Notre Dame will get the first option as the opponent if the Irish do not qualify for the semi-finals and if they qualify for the post-season in wins. This is an interesting and compelling option to keep Notre Dame independent while still giving itself a shot against the ACC Football Champion or runner-up.
Beyond Notre Dame, the Orange Bowl will look to the best available option remaining with the SEC and the Big 10 to fill the opponent’s slot.
The full details of this new deal should be finalized this week. Rant Sports will have all the specifics and what the new agreement means for all of college football as soon as it is announced.
——————————————————————————
M. Shannon Smallwood has over 10 years experience in sports broadcasting, journalism and college athletics and currently covers ACC Football for Rant Sports.
Follow him @woodysmalls
Share 
