The conference might expand to 12 teams so it can stage a football championship.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published May 3, 2003
The ACC and Miami have talked about partnering up in the past but never made it to the altar.
They are at it again and, if the marriage comes off this time, it could trigger a major shakeup for the ACC and Big East. Along with the Hurricanes, Syracuse and Boston College (or Pittsburgh or West Virginia) might bolt and form a 12-team ACC.
The Charlotte Observer reported that ACC commissioner John Swofford was urging the league presidents to act, perhaps as early as next week.
Expansion requires seven yes votes.
"I don't know if it's at that level," new FSU president T.K. Wetherell said Friday between commencement functions. "I don't think anyone's made any deals that I'm aware of. Who's who and who's where and who wants to be where is somewhat unknown at this time. I'm not sitting on any recommendation of any school at this point."
That doesn't mean he and FSU athletic director Dave Hart don't like the idea.
"FSU's been a proponent of expanding under the right scenario," Wetherell said. "We're not interested in just grabbing three teams. But if the right package came together, we'd be very interested."
Miami president Donna Shalala refused to comment. Hurricanes athletic director Paul Dee was unavailable Friday, but he, football coach Larry Coker and volleyball coach Nicole Lantagne Welsh addressed the school's board of trustees late last week about the pros and cons of changing conferences. "On our end, we're simply monitoring the situation," Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn said Friday. "We are awaiting to see what the University of Miami decides relative with the ACC. We have said that Miami's remaining in the Big East is crucial for the survival of the conference. And if they were to join the ACC and the ACC were to expand to 12 teams, we would consider that option as a possibility. It's gone no further than that."
While Syracuse athletic director Jake Crouthamel acknowledged Friday he and university chancellor Kenneth Shaw have had some what if talks, he stressed the Hurricanes are the ones on the clock.
As was the case in 1999, when the ACC and Miami flirted, football is driving the talk.
A move to 12 teams would allow the ACC to split into two divisions and hold a championship game, which could bring in as much as $12-million. It also would bolster the ACC's chances of getting a second team in the Bowl Championship Series, which would mean another $4.5-million, or about twice as much as the second-place ACC team gets from the Gator Bowl.
More important, the addition of large Nielsen markets would all but guarantee a boon for the league's television contract for football, which runs through 2005, coinciding with the current BCS deal.
The concern is if the increase in teams makes sense. The ACC shares revenues, so the pie would have to grow if it's being sliced into more pieces. Last year, each ACC school received about $9.7-million. Three newcomers would have to generate another $20-million to $30-million to maintain that kind of payout.
The ACC athletic directors and faculty representatives are scheduled to meet May 11-14 at Amelia Island. The league presidents won't meet until mid September but could conduct a teleconference at any time.
