The SEC controls the rest of the east coast south of the Mason-Dixon line
With all due respect, the ACC's story that it dominates the east coast is just a lot of bunk. The ACC has one exceptionally prominent program, Florida State. It has one program that used to be exceptionally prominent, Miami. It has two that are very prominent when they are winning, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Otherwise, the ACC has no football programs that resonate on the national scene.
UNC theoretically has the best chance to break into that group, and Georgia Tech is probably next closest.
When most people talk about eastern football, they mean the northeast, where Penn State and Notre Dame are the major attractions. The Big Ten and Notre Dame have far more influence in the northeast than the ACC, and that influence at minimum extends through the D.C. area.
It is hard to define what is or is not on the "east coast." But if we look below the Mason-Dixon line, Virginia is a diluted market because of Washington, DC and the influence of big programs in neighboring states. North Carolina is simply not a college football state; its most passionate fans are arguably the fans of ECU and Appy State. South Carolina is a bigger deal than Clemson unless Clemson is on a high like it is right now. Georgia always dwarfs Georgia Tech. Florida is the equal of or more prominent than FSU and well ahead of Miami. SEC programs like Auburn, Bama and Tennessee that aren't really "east coast" still are prominent enough to dilute interest in neighboring states.
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In response to this post by Stech)
Posted: 07/08/2016 at 12:31PM