Duke University, originally one of two dissenters among the Atlantic Coast Conference against an expansion proposal, has now decided to support the league's decision, according to President Nan Keohane.
Following last Tuesday's 7-2 vote which made the conference's expansion from nine to 12 schools nearly inevitable, Duke decided to reevaluate its position.
"We talked about our position going forward, and decided that instead of continuing to vote 'no' on every related topic, we would support [the decision] entering formal discussions with three schools," Keohane wrote in an e-mail Wednesday morning. "We believe that doing so puts us in a better situation with our colleagues to work for what we believe in in the critical discussions that are now taking place about what the conference would look like if we expand."
As a result, all nine members voted Friday to formally invite three schools to join the ACC - the University of Miami, Syracuse University and Boston College, each members of the Big East. Therefore, Duke will now focus on creating the best atmosphere it can for its teams and athletes.
"Now we want to concentrate on making sure that the league does due diligence with the prospective new member schools, as our Bylaws require, and also working carefully to chart out what the divisions would look like, plan travel schedules that would minimize the time away from campus for student athletes, and try to preserve as much as much of the ACC spirit of rivalries in key sports, especially basketball, as we possibly can," Keohane wrote.
The ACC's invitations were made one day before the beginning of a four-day meeting of Big East members, therefore forcing the conference and its president, Mike Tranghese, to clamor to save the league. However, no immediate answers came Tuesday at the meeting's conclusion.
The consensus among Big East officials was that the future of the conference is hinging on Miami's decision to stay in the conference or defect to the ACC, because it is clear that if Miami goes, Syracuse and Boston College will follow.
Simultaneously, Duke and its fellow conference members waited intently, as they can only continue its expansion plans when Miami makes its final decision.
Duke Athletic Director Joe Alleva wrote in an e-mail Tuesday morning that he did not expect the process of expanding the ACC to last much longer, though there is "no set timetable" for the completion of the expansion.
"We want to do what is best to keep the ACC strong and one of the best conferences in the country," Alleva wrote.
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