As coaches and players took the microphones in Charlotte and Indianapolis, the ACC and Big Ten media days provided a unique juxtaposition about the state of college football.
Both conferences have at least 17 members after recently adding some programs from the crumbling Pac-12.
On one hand, however, the Big Ten plucked most of the conference's biggest names: Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. Armed with a lucrative television deal, the Big Ten is well-positioned for the future and headed to media days in a confident spot.
Meanwhile, the ACC nabbed Cal and Stanford—along with SMU—in far less dramatic moves.