ACC accepts Syracuse, Pittsburgh into conference, UCONN next?

In a not-so-shocking surprise Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh both announced they applied for membership into the ACC conference and that bid was quickly accepted. The timeline for when both schools will official join has not been set. Now, UCONN has put their name into the ring as wanting to join what is shaping up to be the most powerful basketball conference in the land with a very solid football lineup. The ACC will also own some of the country's top media markets in New York, Washington DC, Atlanta and Miami. UCONN is trying to get ahead of the ACC looking into other New York metro schools like Rutgers, who is on the list to join the new conference that will stretch from south Florida through New England. Growing up a Big East fan, this move is bitter sweet. Syracuse was a founding member of the conference and has great rivalries with Georgetown, Villanova and St. John's. These would all but be lost as those schools are strictly basketball schools. They are being left in the dust as the two-sport powers are merging to compete for the very lucrative television contracts. On the other hand, it creates a new power in basketball while bringing back Boston College into what's looking like it will be an old-Big East "north" division within the ACC. Fans could have BC, Syracuse, Pitt and UCONN (if they apply/accepted) in a "north" division. And, to have these powers playing with Duke and North Carolina creates a great look for basketball fans. The silver lining for the Big East is that they still have their traditional powers Georgetown, Villanova and the newly reborn St. John's. And, the continuing of a Big East-ACC challenge would allow the old rivalries to live on. But, they would lose all clout as a football conference, which would affect teams like Louisville, Cincinnati and the soon-to-join TCU. Good or bad, it's the changing face of college sports. It seems like the Big 12 may soon dissolve with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech rumored to be joining the PAC-12.