For those who comply with faculty sports activities, significantly from a Virginia Tech perspective, you’ve had a number of storylines to comply with currently:
- The Virginia Tech softball crew superior into the NCAA Regionals.
- The Virginia Tech baseball crew misplaced within the Atlantic Coast Convention match and should or might not obtain an NCAA match bid.
- Or, the chance that the ACC may implode and Virginia Tech may go conference-hunting.
Two of these issues are transitory occasions — generally groups win, generally they lose — however the third is a extra existential risk. Or a possibility, relying in your perspective. The faculty sports activities panorama has all the time been altering however in more moderen occasions it’s gone by some tectonic shifts. The Massive Ten Convention, which as soon as actually did have 10 groups, all within the Midwest, will quickly have 16 and can stretch from coast to coast — or at the very least from Piscataway, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California. Some conferences have disappeared (RIP, the Massive Eight Convention and the Southwest Convention) and a few are regarded as at risk of doing so (the Pac-12 will quickly be all the way down to 10 faculties and a few of these look like flirting with, effectively, that anachronistically named Massive Ten).
The motive force of all these shifts is — I do know this may shock you — cash. Particularly, tv cash. The large information not too long ago, first reported by Sports activities Illustrated, was that seven faculties within the ACC (together with Virginia and Virginia Tech) had been exploring their choices. The ACC is locked right into a tv contract by 2036 that pays every college roughly $35 million to $38 million. That would appear fairly enough for what are supposedly novice sports activities, however the Massive Ten faculties and the Southeastern Convention faculties get about $50 million apiece. Sports activities Illustrated studies that, because the years go by, and the tv rights get extra profitable, the ACC faculties may very well be $30 million behind their Massive Ten and SEC counterparts.
It will not be potential for the restive ACC faculties to wriggle out from their present convention — the exit price beneath the present contract is $120 million — and the varsity presidents this week adopted a plan to revise the way it distributes the TV cash, in order that extra athletically profitable faculties will get more cash (and the losers much less). Whereas which will appease some faculties for now, it additionally hasn’t stopped folks from speculating wildly, endlessly, over which faculties may go the place in the event that they had been free brokers. For those who’re a Virginia Tech fan, it is a matter of some concern, however you could be sufficiently old to recollect when Virginia Tech desperately needed to get into the ACC however the ACC didn’t need it. Solely numerous deal-making, which concerned then-College of Virginia President John Casteen insisting on Tech, made Tech’s entry potential. (So did lobbying by then-Gov. Mark Warner, which I wrote about in a earlier column. Republicans have jogged my memory that then-Legal professional Common Jerry Kilgore was concerned, too, with a lawsuit towards the ACC which he believed helped create some negotiating room. Ah, these had been the times, when politicians concerned in faculties had been involved about convention affiliations and never books on the library shelf.)
In any case, the present hypothesis goes on unabated. The final chatter matches into these classes:
1. Virginia Tech goes into the SEC, and Virginia goes into the Massive Ten.
2. Each faculties go into the Massive Ten.
3. Each faculties go into the SEC.
4. Virginia goes into the Massive Ten or the SEC however Virginia Tech has to accept the Massive 12, which is unquestionably seen as a much less fascinating choice throughout.
For these amongst us who usually are not sports activities followers, however who, like me, are fascinated by the politics right here, that is all it is advisable to know: The Massive Ten consists of huge faculties principally within the Midwest. The SEC consists of huge faculties within the South. The Massive 12 is a rising assortment of faculties that couldn’t get in anyplace else.
A lot of this hypothesis has dealt strictly with sports activities prowess — Clemson’s a soccer powerhouse and the SEC is greatest identified for soccer, so naturally the SEC would need Clemson. A lot of it has additionally handled media markets — the SEC already has South Carolina so it doesn’t want one other college within the Palmetto State; it might be higher off increasing its footprint with faculties in North Carolina and/or Virginia.
A few of it, although, has handled which conferences are the perfect tutorial match. Which will appear an odd factor after we’re typically speaking about how a lot tv networks pays to indicate folks throwing round luggage of air however lecturers do come into play someplace. The Massive Ten likes its faculties to be members of the Affiliation of American Universities, an elite group of 65 research-focused faculties, 63 in america and two in Canada. The entire Massive Ten faculties are AAU members besides Nebraska, which was a member when the Cornhuskers had been admitted. Even some sports activities websites pay homage to lecturers. Contemplate this quote I discovered on a Purdue-focused sports activities website as its hosts speculated on the ACC faculties the Massive Ten ought to attempt to choose off: “Those that take advantage of sense to me are Virginia and Virginia Tech. Certain, there’s not an enormous tv market in play right here but when I simply needed to choose two that’s who I’d choose. Culturally they simply really feel most much like the Massive Ten. Virginia is robust academically and Virginia Tech has a great engineering college.”
I’m not the perfect individual to evaluate how Virginia Tech’s soccer crew would fare within the Massive Ten versus the SEC however it strikes me that it’s potential to judge the proposition that Virginia Tech has extra in widespread with the Massive Ten than the SEC. For comparability functions, I’ll even throw in Virginia. (Would the 2 faculties be a package deal deal? That’s a query for one more day.)
AAU membership
Let’s begin with a primary reality: the Massive Ten’s want for AAU members. 5 ACC faculties are AAU members: Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and the College of Virginia. If that’s a must have for the Massive Ten, then Virginia Tech is on the surface trying in. In that case, good day SEC or, worst case, good day Massive 12. The AAU isn’t a gaggle you apply to and even say you need to be a member of. That’s thought-about poor style. Tech President Tim Sands has made it clear, although, that he desires the varsity to rise within the rankings of analysis faculties, so the upper Tech rises, the extra probably it’s that the AAU will come calling.
Acceptance charges
How does one measure tutorial excellence? I’m certain many a College Senate committee has debated this. For our functions right this moment, I’m on the lookout for one thing numerical that we will measure all faculties towards. Not each college publishes the grade level common of their incoming college students and I’m unsure how helpful these are anyway as a result of grading scales of various excessive faculties may differ. I’m unsure how helpful acceptance charges are, both, however they’re out there, so let’s at the very least take a look at these. All these figures, and those to comply with, come from U.S. Information and World Report and its annual faculty rankings. I’m skittish concerning the precise rankings however determine the information that goes into them is nice. For figuring functions, I’m additionally together with the brand new members that the Massive Ten and SEC will choose up in 2024 (UCLA and Southern California for the Massive Ten and Texas and Oklahoma for the SEC). So listed here are acceptance charges for the ACC. You’ll see that Virginia is without doubt one of the most selective faculties within the ACC, Virginia Tech one of many least.
ACC acceptance charges
1. Duke 6%
2. Notre Dame 15%
3. Georgia Tech 18%
4. Boston Faculty, North Carolina (tie)19%
6. Virginia 21%
7. Wake Forest 25%
8. Miami 28%
9. Florida State 37%
10. North Carolina State 47%
11. Clemson 49%
12. Virginia Tech 56%
13. Syracuse 59%
14. Pittsburgh 67%
15. Louisville 74%
Now, what if Virginia and Virginia Tech had been within the SEC (which might then have at the very least 18 members)?
SEC acceptance charges
1. Vanderbilt 7%
2. Virginia 21%
3. Texas 29%
4. Florida 30%
5. Georgia 40%
6. Virginia Tech 56%
7. South Carolina 62%
8. Texas A&M 64%
9. Auburn, Louisana State (tie) 71%
11. Tennessee 75%
12. Mississippi State 76%
13. Missouri 77%
14. Alabama 79%
15. Arkansas 83%
16. Oklahoma 85%
17. Mississippi 90%
18. Kentucky 94%
If the Hokies and Hoos had been within the SEC, they’d be among the many most selective faculties within the convention.
And in the event that they had been within the Massive Ten (which then additionally would have at the very least 18 members)?
Massive Ten acceptance charges
1. Northwestern 7%
2. UCLA 11%
3. USC 13%
4. Michigan 20%
5. Virginia 21%
6. Maryland 52%
7. Virginia Tech 56%
8. Ohio State 57%
9. Penn State 58%
10. Illinois, Wisconsin (tie) 60%
12. Rutgers 68%
13. Purdue 69%
14. Minnesota 73%
15. Nebraska 81%
16. Michigan State 83%
17. Indiana 85%
18. Iowa 86%
Each faculties can be among the many most selective faculties within the convention. Iowa ranks final within the Massive Ten with an acceptance price of 86%.
Backside line: Each faculties would appear to be good tutorial matches for each the SEC and the Massive Ten based mostly on acceptance charges.
SAT scores
Now, right here’s one thing I’d take into account a greater measure than acceptance charges as a result of virtually everyone takes the identical Scholastic Aptitude Take a look at. Sure, it might have issues of its personal, however at the very least these issues ought to be constant throughout the nation. U.S. Information and World Report lists SAT scores in a variety between the twenty fifth percentile and the seventy fifth percentile of these admitted, not merely accepted. So we’ll take a look at each the bottom quantity and the very best quantity.
Virginia Tech’s SAT scores vary from 1210 to 1410; Virginia’s from 1390 to 1510.
Within the ACC, Virginia Tech’s low rating of 1210 ranks thirteenth out of 15 faculties. Its excessive rating of 1410 ranks twelfth out of 15. Virginia’s low rating ranks fourth whereas its excessive rating can be tied for fourth.
So what occurs if these faculties moved to different conferences?
SEC: The best low SAT scores
- Vanderbilt 1480
- Virginia 1390
- Florida 1300
- Georgia 1270
- Virginia Tech 1210
- Auburn, Tennessee (tie) 1170
- Oklahoma, South Carolina (tie) 1150
- Texas A&M 1140
- Louisiana State, Missouri (tie) 1130
- Kentucky 1083
- Alabama 1070
- Arkansas 1050
- Mississippi State 1030
- Mississippi 1025
SEC: The best excessive SAT scores
- Vanderbilt 1570
- Virginia 1530
- Florida 1470
- Georgia 1450
- Virginia Tech 1410
- Texas A&M 1380
- Alabama 1370
- South Carolina 1360
- Auburn, Missouri (tie) 1350
- Oklahoma, Tennessee (tie) 1340
- Kentucky 1330
- Louisiana State 1320
- Mississippi State 1280
- Mississippi 1225
- Arkansas 1220
Within the SEC, Virginia Tech’s SAT scores would rank it fifth highest, regardless of which finish of the size we’re utilizing. Virginia Tech would transfer from close to the underside of the ACC to one of many tutorial elites within the SEC, which could be good when you’re making an attempt to win the Tutorial Bowl however means that Virginia Tech will not be in related tutorial territory. If Virginia had been within the SEC, its SAT scores can be the second highest, behind solely Vanderbilt. Now let’s take a look at the Massive Ten:
Massive Ten: Highest low SAT scores
- Northwestern 1460
- Southern California 1410
- Virginia 1390
- Michigan 1360
- Wisconsin 1340
- Maryland, Illinois (tie) 1330
- Minnesota 1310
- UCLA 1290
- Ohio State 1250
- Rutgers 1240
- Virginia Tech 1210
- Penn State 1200
- Purdue 1190
- Michigan State 1100
- Nebraska 1090
Massive Ten: Highest excessive SAT scores
- Northwestern 1560
- Southern California 1540
- Virginia, Illinois (tie) 1530
- UCLA 1520
- Maryland, Wisconsin (tie) 1510
- Minnesota 1490
- Rutgers 1470
- Ohio State 1440
- Purdue 1430
- Virginia Tech 1410
- Penn State 1400
- Indiana 1380
- Iowa 1350
- Michigan State 1320
As for the Massive Ten, Virginia Tech can be barely under common however nonetheless in good firm with faculties resembling Penn State and Purdue. Virginia can be close to the highest. (Virginia can be close to the highest regardless of the place it’s).
Backside line: Based mostly on SAT scores, Virginia and Virginia Tech would slot in each the Massive Ten and SEC however do appear to higher match the educational profile of the Massive Ten.
ACT scores
Faculty groups have rivals; so do standardized checks. The rival to the SAT is the ACT, for American Faculty Testing.
Virginia Tech’s scores vary from 26 to 32; Virginia’s from 32 to 35. (The best rating potential is 36).
Within the ACC, Virginia’s lowest rating leaves the varsity tied for third with Notre Dame, behind Boston Faculty and Duke. Within the ACC, Virginia Tech’s lowest rating ranks thirteenth. Within the SEC, each faculties transfer up – Virginia Tech would transfer up essentially the most to turn into one of many convention’s tutorial elites.
SEC: Highest low ACT scores
- Vanderbilt 34
- Virginia 32
- Florida, Texas, Georgia 29
- Virginia Tech, South Carolina (tie) 26
- Texas A&M, Tennessee (tie) 25
- Auburn 24
- Louisana State, Missouri, Oklahoma (tie) 23
- Kentucky 22
- Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mississippi State (tie) 21
SEC: Highest excessive ACT scores
- Virginia (tied with Vanderbilt) 35
- Texas 34
- Florida, Georgia 33
- Virginia Tech 32
- Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Tennessee (tie) 31
- Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri (tie) 30
- Kentucky, Louisana State, Mississippi, Oklahoma (tie) 29
- Arkansas 28
Now let’s see concerning the Massive Ten:
Massive Ten: Highest low ACT scores
- Northwestern 33
- Virginia, Southern California (tie) 32
- Michigan 31
- Maryland 30
- Illinois 29
- Wisconsin 28
- Rutgers, Minnesota 27
- Virginia Tech, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue (tie) 26
- Michigan State 23
- Iowa, Nebraska 22
Massive Ten: Highest excessive ACT scores
- Virginia, Northwestern, Michigan, Southern California (tie) 35
- Illinois, Maryland 34
- Purdue, Rutgers 33
- Virginia Tech, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin (tie) 32
- Iowa, Michigan State 29
- Nebraska 28
Within the Massive Ten, Virginia can be first or second on both scale; Virginia can be additional down, however tied with numerous different “identify” faculties. That doesn’t appear unhealthy firm to maintain. By way of scores, Virginia Tech’s excessive scores can be nearer to the highest of the Massive Ten than the underside. (Of observe: ACT scores aren’t out there for UCLA. If its ACT scores are something like its SAT scores, UCLA would probably make each lists and push Virginia Tech down a notch.)
Backside line: If the Massive Ten is actually on the lookout for tutorial credentials, it must seize Virginia — and Virginia Tech can be a snug match.
Analysis spending
Up to now, we’ve basically been evaluating scholar our bodies. Right here’s a class the place we examine college — at the very least these engaged in analysis. I notice that leaves out numerous college however analysis is one thing that many colleges examine themselves on. For this, I’m counting on information from the Nationwide Science Basis for 2021.
That is additionally the place we see the clearest separation between faculties — and conferences. The Massive Ten is way extra research-focused than the SEC or the ACC.
Fifteen of the 16 Massive Ten faculties rank in prime 50 in analysis (Nebraska is the exception) — three of these are in High 10 (Michigan, UCLA, Wisconsin), 5 of these are within the High 20 (these three plus Ohio State and Maryland).
In contrast, solely 4 of the SEC faculties are within the prime 50 for analysis — and none within the prime 10, and just one (Texas A&M) within the prime 20.
Three ACC faculties make the highest 20; 5 make the High 50. Virginia is a type of, ranked forty eighth. Virginia Tech isn’t far behind at 54th.
ACC: Analysis spending
- Duke, ranked eleventh nationally
- North Carolina, ranked thirteenth nationally
- Pittsburgh, ranked 18th nationally
- Georgia Tech, ranked twentieth nationally
- Virginia, ranked forty eighth nationally
- North Carolina State, ranked 53rd nationally
- Virginia Tech, ranked 54th nationally
- Miami, ranked seventy fifth nationally
- Florida State, ranked 83rd nationally
- Wake Forest, ranked 102nd rnationally
- Notre Dame, ranked 106th nationally
- Clemson, ranked 107th nationally
- Louisville, ranked 124th nationally
- Syracuse, ranked 144th nationally
- Boston Faculty, ranked 185th nationally
Right here’s how Virginia and Virginia Tech would place within the SEC for analysis:
SEC: Analysis spending
- Texas A&M, ranked sixteenth nationally
- Vanderbilt, ranked twenty fourth nationally
- Florida, ranked twenty seventh nationally
- Texas, ranked thirty fifth nationally
- Virginia, ranked forty eighth nationally
- Virginia Tech, ranked 54th nationally
- Georgia, ranked 57th nationally
- Kentucky, ranked sixty fourth nationally
- Missouri, ranked 71st nationally
- Okalahoma, ranked 74th nationally
- Tennessee, ranked eighty fifth nationally
- Louisana State, ranked 91st nationally
- Mississippi State, ranked 97th nationally
- Auburn, ranked a centesimal nationally
- South Carolina, ranked 113th nationally
- Arkansas, ranked one hundred and fortieth nationally
- Alabama, ranked one hundred and fiftieth nationally
- Mississippi, ranked 158th nationally
If both Virginia or Virginia Tech had been within the SEC, they might be among the many highest-ranked faculties, simply as they’re within the ACC. Virginia Tech’s No. 54 rating would far outdistance most of the faculties behind it — soccer powerhouse Alabama is one hundred and fiftieth for analysis. A cynic may say Alabama values Heisman Trophies over Nobel Prizes. Mississippi brings up the rear at 158. Now let’s take a look at the Massive Ten:
Massive Ten: Analysis spending
- Michigan, ranked third nationally
- UCLA, ranked sixth nationally
- Wisconsin, ranked eighth nationally
- Ohio State, ranked twelfth nationally
- Maryland, ranked seventeenth nationally
- Minnesota, ranked twenty second nationally
- Penn State, ranked twenty sixth nationally
- Southern California, ranked twenty eighth nationally
- Northwestern, ranked thirtieth nationally
- Illinois, ranked thirty seventh nationally
- Michigan State, ranked thirty ninth nationally
- Indiana, ranked fortieth nationally
- Purdue, ranked forty first nationally
- Rutgers, ranked forty fifth nationally
- Virginia, ranked forty eighth nationally
- Iowa, ranked fiftieth nationally
- Virginia Tech, ranked 54th nationally
- Nebraska, ranked 87th nationally
If Virginia and Virginia Tech had been within the Massive Ten, each would rank close to the underside.
By way of the place Virginia Tech is now, its analysis part higher matches the SEC. Aspirationally, although, Virginia Tech’s analysis objectives would appear a greater match for the Massive Ten. The important thing to Massive Ten gridiron glory for the Hokies runs by its varied science departments.
Now, none of this implies a factor for tv contracts, that are going to have a look at viewers potential, not tutorial efficiency. But when lecturers actually do matter in faculty sports activities, and if Virginia Tech had been ever to suit itself outdoors the ACC and on the lookout for a brand new house, the Massive Ten would appear a greater match than the Southeastern Convention.
