BREAKING NEWS: SWOFFORD'S 11: ACC ADDS MIAMI, VIRGINIA TECH

UPDATED AT MIDNIGHT, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003:

The ACC presidents voted to invite Miami and Virginia Tech to the conference in a surprising move that excluded Boston College and Syracuse, two of the three schools originally targeted for expansion in mid-May, The Washington Post reported late Tuesday.

The expansion is expected to occur for the 2004-05 season. A news conference at league headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., is expected to be held Wednesday.

The decision came after a 3 and ½ hour teleconference held late Tuesday evening.

For Miami and Virginia Tech to avoid paying a $2 million exit fee from the Big East, the two schools must accept the ACC's offer by Monday. If they do so, the exit fee will only be 1 million dollars.

To enter the conference, each school must pay 3 million dollars.

Virginia Tech's invitation is noteworthy, particularly since it is still a member of a five-school lawsuit against the ACC, Miami and Boston College. The lawsuit was filed because of an alleged conspiracy held by the defendants to break apart the Big East. No officials from Virginia Tech had commented as of late Wednesday evening.

As such, the expansion process is far from being complete, as Virginia Tech's litigation issue must be resolved, and Miami and Virginia Tech must decide to accept the ACC's offer. Therefore, this is not a done deal--Miami had originally wanted to enter the ACC only if Syracuse and Boston College came with them.

The 10-team option has been supported by Duke athletic director Joe Alleva and head men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, as well as North Carolina chancellor James Moeser. As such, the 10-team model would almost certainly pass in an ACC vote, which requires at least seven votes to pass.

Krzyzewski said Tuesday Duke would "absolutely" vote in favor of a 10-team ACC with Miami as the newest member.

The Big East has also come out in favor of the 10-school option, as Rutgers' athletic director and the Big East founder have each said publicly that such a move would be acceptable.

"The ACC should agree to expand only by accepting Miami and otherwise leaving the Big East intact," Big East founder Dave Gavitt said. "The Big East and the ACC should agree to collaborate on ideas to strengthen both conferences, including the idea of an inter-conference championship games and other forms of confederation."

The only foreseeable roadblock to the 10-team expansion would be that of Miami, as the Hurricanes must decide whether or not it wants to join the ACC by itself--originally, Miami said it would not come to the ACC without Syracuse and Boston College. But the ACC presidents have been unable to approve such a move, as Duke, North Carolina and Virginia have each had differing reasons for opposing the 12-team model. However, Virginia's vote would be unimportant if Duke and UNC--along with the six pro-expansion ACC members--opted to agree to the 10-team model.

UPDATED AT 2:55 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2003:

Duke University is in favor of an ACC expansion plan that would increase the conference's size to 10 schools, with the University of Miami serving as the lone addition, head men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said during a Tuesday press conference.

"My feeling is the best solution is, if it works out, is if Miami was added and we become a 10-team conference," Krzyzewski said. "I've not been a proponent of expansion; however, if it showed that we should expand or it would be best for the conference to expand, I always felt that the logical progression would be add one member. I think Duke overall would have always been in favor of that. Certainly right now we would be favor of that or nine."

In an interview with The Chronicle Monday, Duke Athletic Director Joe Alleva said he was in favor a 10-team conference, but would not speak on behalf of Duke at the time.

"Ten [teams] is not a bad number," Alleva said. "I kind of like 10. I don't know if Miami would support that, but with 10 you can maintain the intimacy of the conference and not change the culture significantly. Adding Miami would really help football in this conference."

Krzyzewski, who also noted that he had not been in favor of a 12-team expansion from the beginning, spoke at length regarding the entire process and the need for the ACC to maintain its unique spirit. Among his reasons for not favoring an expansion beyond 10 teams was a lack of analysis of how expansion would affect basketball and all sports other than football, geographic issues, hampering the spirit of the ACC, and the potentially disastrous ramifications the expansion could have on the Big East and other conferences across the country.

"You have to look at principles, values, tradition. You're part of a bigger sphere out there than just the ACC. You're part of intercollegiate sports," he said. "To me there's a reason why the United States doesn't have a state in France or Venezuela. We don't belong there. That doesn't mean we don't deal with them, but if all of a sudden, if [President] George [W. Bush] is in Venezuela, and the people in South America are saying, 'What the hell are these guys doing here?' And I think we kinda did that, I don't think that's good. There is a lot to be said about your geographic area and that landscape. You don't go in and just say, 'We're gonna take you and you and you and not have sensitivity.' I think we haven't distinguished ourselves in doing that."

However, Krzyzewski was very complimentary of the stance Duke has taken on the issue, particularly the example set by Duke President Nan Keohane and Alleva.

"I'm proud of what this school has done," he said. ?I think Joe Alleva and Nan Keohane have been unbelievable leaders in this. I'm proud to be on their team. They've represented this conference about as well as you can throughout this whole thing."

Rutgers Athletic Director Robert Mulcahy confirmed Sunday that he had made a compromise proposal to the Atlantic Coast Conference: the Big East would allow the ACC to take Miami, as long as the bid to take Boston College, Syracuse and Virginia Tech ceased.

"I would hope Miami would understand that our first option is for them to stay with our league," Mulcahy told the Associated Press. "That would take care of the whole issue. But if they're uncomfortable and the ACC feels it has to do something, this is a reasonable way for all sides to come out of this."

The Newark Star-Ledger reported Monday that other Big East schools were supporting Mulcahy's idea, though it was not specified as to which schools were in favor of handing over Miami in order to maintain the three other universities.

North Carolina Chancellor James Moeser has spoken out in favor of such a proposal, where the ACC would expand by just one member, therefore maintaining the ACC's ability to have home-and-home athletic contests, particularly in basketball, the conference's premier sport

 

 

UPDATED AT 12:35 A.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2003:

The Atlantic Coast Conference's proposed expansion took a step further from its original plan to admit 12 schools Monday.

At the same time Rutgers and North Carolina have come out in favor of adding only Miami to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Hurricanes' athletic director Paul Dee told the News and Observer that his school still supports the original expansion plan, which would include Miami, Boston College and Syracuse. A 10-team ACC with Miami as the only new member was an issue that was yet to develop.

"That has not been something that's been much discussed," Dee told the News and Observer. "If that were to be a proposal that came from the conference, we'd think through that and have a reaction to it. But it's mostly been focused on what the conference set out to do, and that's 12."

As for the timetable of the expansion, which has been delayed consistently since the proposal was first made public in early May, Dee said the passing of time was of little consequence.

"We're very patient," Dee told the News and Observer. "Nature's taking its course. We'll see what comes of the most recent discussions."

The next discussion among ACC presidents is expected either Tuesday or Wednesday, and the agenda of the meeting will presumably include the latest wrench in the expansion plan, Virginia Tech.

Rutgers Athletic Director Robert Mulcahy confirmed Sunday that he had made a compromise proposal to the Atlantic Coast Conference: the Big East would allow the ACC to take Miami, as long as the bid to take Boston College, Syracuse and Virginia Tech ceased.

"I would hope Miami would understand that our first option is for them to stay with our league," Mulcahy told the Associated Press. "That would take care of the whole issue. But if they're uncomfortable and the ACC feels it has to do something, this is a reasonable way for all sides to come out of this."

The Newark Star-Ledger reported Monday that other Big East schools were supporting Mulcahy's idea, though it was not specified as to which schools were in favor of handing over Miami in order to maintain the three other universities.

North Carolina Chancellor James Moeser has spoken out in favor of such a proposal, where the ACC would expand by just one member, therefore maintaining the ACC's ability to have home-and-home athletic contests, particularly in basketball, the conference's premier sport.

UPDATED AT 7:15 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2003:

The nine Atlantic Coast Conference presidents did not vote on conference expansion in their fourth teleconference in 12 days Saturday morning, but did review three possible models for a new conference, ESPN.com reported Saturday.

One model would be a 10-team ACC, where the only new conference school would be the University of Miami. A second model would be 13-members strong, with Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Syracuse. The final model would have only 12 universities, and would exclude
either Boston College or Syracuse.

The strength of the 12-team model is that Virginia's critical swing vote could be swayed if Virginia Tech were included in the plan, as Cavaliers president John Casteen is under significant pressure from state governor Mark Warner to support expansion only if Virginia Tech is included.

"The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents continued conversations [Saturday] and moved closer to the completion of the expansion process," the conference said in a statement. "Consideration and clarification of a number of institutional questions were the focus of the meeting. The meeting was positive and the Council made progress that will enable it to reach its goal of concluding this process by the end of the month.''

Officials are scurrying to complete the expansion process by the end of June because the would-be ACC members must pay a 2 million dollar exit fee to the Big East if they leave after the end of the month. The penalty would only be 1 million if they leave this month.

However, sources told ESPN.com that the expansion would not go into place until the 2005-06 season, therefore extending the exit fee penalty until the end of June 2004.

In response to the recent flurry of activity from the ACC presidents, which included the extending of an invitation to Virginia Tech Wednesday night, Big East lawyer Mark Fabian released a statement Saturday following the ACC teleconference. Fabian is the lead attorney in a lawsuit from five Big East schools against the ACC, Miami and Boston College, which accuses the organizations of colluding to break apart the Big East, among other accusations.

"Yet another ACC expansion meeting has ended, and it continues to defy belief that the ACC is relentlessly trying to destroy the athletic programs of fellow academic institutions even as the ACC's own experts admit there is no financial benefit in doing so.

"Even more stunning is the ACC's continued pursuit of such predatory, destructive conduct without any willingness to openly and publicly discuss the matter with those they are trying to destroy," he continued. "Day by day, the ACC simply strengthens the Big East's lawsuit and ensures there will be huge damages to pay at the end of the process."

UPDATED AT 3 A.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2003:

The Atlantic Coast Conference university presidents have scheduled a teleconference Saturday where they will discuss--and perhaps vote on--the possibility of adding Virginia Tech, along with Miami, Boston College and Syracuse to the ACC.

"Virginia is very much for expansion, but only if it includes Virginia Tech," William Goodwin, a member of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, told The New York Times late Friday night. The board, which approves the university's policies and budget, is appointed by the governor of Virginia.

ORIGINALLY UPDATED 7 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2003:

Virginia Tech is expected to notify the Atlantic Coast Conference that it is willing to begin formal discussions regarding possible membership in the ACC, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The Hokies, who had joined a five-school lawsuit comprised of Big East football-playing schools two weeks ago, would have to pull out of the litigation if they opted to begin discussions.

If in fact Virginia Tech decides to begin a dialogue with the ACC, the conference would then vote on whether or not to begin formal negotiations with Virginia Tech. If this occurs, the ACC would follow the same steps it carried out when Miami, Boston College and Syracuse were invited to join the conference--ACC officials would visit the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., then file a report to the ACC presidents.

Duke President Nan Keohane has declined comment on the issue until the expansion conflict is resolved, as has Athletic Director Joe Alleva.

However, Alleva wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle Thursday that "having 13 teams will not provide a good financial situation. Splitting the revenue 13 ways would result in reductions."

Virginia Tech president Charles Steger has not commented regarding Virginia Tech's resuscitated chance of joining the ACC--the Hokies were denied by the ACC presidents several weeks ago, instead opting for Miami, Syracuse and Boston College. Now, however, the ACC is considering a 13-team league, therefore having sufficient room for all four Big East schools.

The admission of Virginia Tech was proposed by Virginia president John Casteen during a Wednesday teleconference held among the ACC presidents. Casteen's proposal was made on the heels of significant political pressure from Virginia governor Mark Warner, who has been proactive and public in his opposition to ACC expansion without the admittance of Virginia Tech.

Previous to Wednesday's proposal, Casteen had been a fence vote for conference expansion, throwing a wrench into the expansion plans--Duke and North Carolina announced two weeks ago that they would not vote for expansion until several qualms were assuaged. Three no-votes would kill the expansion proposal, as a 7-2 majority is required to pass legislation in the ACC.

As such, a considerable onus has been placed on both of the Virginia public universities. The two schools hold the fate of the ACC--and conversely the fates of the Big East and much of the rest of the NCAA--in its hands. It has been reported by several news sources that if the ACC expansion does in fact go through, the Big East would be forced to pursue schools from other conferences--Conference USA and the MAC, among others--in order to remain a viable conference. Such a move could begin a domino effect resulting in considerable changes in the landscape of Division I intercollegiate athletics.

"It's absolutely a double-edged sword," Virginia Tech Board of Visitors member William Latham told Sports Illustrated. "It's too simplistic to call it a can of worms--it's a bucketful of worms."

In fact, the Washington Post reported Thursday that officials from Army, Navy, the Patriot League and schools in Conference USA and the Western Athletic Conference met Thursday to discuss the possibility of creating a new conference in case the ACC expands.

"A bunch of schools met to look at the 'what-ifs' from the ripple effect if the proposed ACC expansion goes through," Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk told the Post. "It was people I've known and worked with for a long time, and it's no different from what a lot of people around college football are doing now. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't do this. If the ACC expands, things are going to happen, and they're going to happen quickly. We need to be thinking about what we would do."

The Post reported that a seven or eight-team conference would be formed, including Army, Navy, Rice, Southern Methodist, Tulane and Tulsa.

Please stay tuned to The Chronicle Online for continued updates.