Miami committed to the ACC

It was about a year ago it looked like the Big 12 was going to fold. Texas and Oklahoma recommitted to their conference, and what was dead resurrected.
 
Just a few days ago, the Big 12 Conference hooked arms with football’s most powerful conference, the SEC, to counter the long-standing Pac 12 and Big Ten alliance. These four conferences continue to separate themselves in terms of football significance.
 
Because of this, the ACC’s powerhouses Florida State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Miami are all exploring the option of trying to be apart of this new allegiance.
 
Miami’s Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst reaffirmed their allegiance to the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was about eight years ago when Miami officially left the Big East conference, and their winning tradition.
 
In a statement Eichorst released, he said “We are confident in our progress and in our accomplishments, yet there is still much work to be done. We are committed to the ACC and to doing our part to continue the tradition of excellence across the board. In that regard, we have not engaged in any formal or informal discussions with any other conferences.”
 
It’s easy to see why Miami is committed to the ACC. They simply don’t have another option.
 
While Miami still has a marketable image, the large majority of their marketability is based on what they did over a decade ago. Whether or not they appear to have the right guy to rebuild in Al Golden is irrelevant.
 
Teams like Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson are, unarguably, closer to the competitive level the Big 12 is looking for.
 
Because Miami is at the bottom of the food chain, they have no choice but to reaffirm their commitment to the ACC. If Florida State doesn’t value their rivalry with Miami, it’s likely they’ll end up in the Big 12 Conference.
 
Unlike some may suggest, Florida State and Miami may not be a package deal. Florida State is the cream of the crop in the state of Florida. Miami’s attendance percentage was dead last in the ACC for the second straight time last season. Despite rising figures, Miami routinely misses capacity by 20,000 seats.
 
The ACC is clearly the fifth best football conference to be a part of. So there should be no shame in staying their for Miami. Assuming they are attractive enough to draw the attention from the Big 12, however, may be a mistake.